Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

As I stand between Willow and Elodie, the timer goes off. The otherwise gentle sound of church bells feels like war music to my ears.

“It’s negative.” Violet shrugs, glancing up from the tests.

All the anxiety of the last hour washes away, leaving an unexpected feeling of bereavement and disappointment in its wake. It’s as if I just lost something very precious.

“Negative on all three?” My eyes betray me, and I repeatedly blink to get rid of the wetness.

“Not exactly. You’re pregnant. All three tests are positive.” Vi’s downturned expression slowly morphs into a grin.

“What? Why would you do that?” My heart ricochets against my rib cage with relief, feeling as though I’ve just accidentally met a long-lost friend.

“So you could truly understand how you feel about this.” Violet points in the general direction of my belly. “You seemed confused before.”

“Vi! That’s insanely cruel.” Willow smacks Vi’s shoulder, eliciting a groan.

“What? Haven’t you seen Friends? When Phoebe did it, Rachel thanked her, but I get shoulder hits. No point in doing good these days.”

“You’re crazy, do you know that?” I tug on Violet’s arm before she can walk away. “But your craziness is good sometimes. Thank you. It really helped clarify things.”

“And?” Violet raises an eyebrow.

“I’m having a baby. You’re all gonna be aunts soon.” Saying it out loud makes it extra real.

“Yay!” My best friends take me into a group hug, and I don’t bother hiding my tears.

“Are we finally going to talk about the rest of this? Like why you’re doing this here and not with Charles?” Elodie tips her head to the side when we pull back.

My heart thumps like a drumroll in my chest. My secret has grown too large to keep from my friends any longer. “Can we sit down first?”

Around half an hour later, I’m back in the same spot on the couch, with my three best friends staring at me, mouths wide open. I’m not surprised, since I just broke their long-held belief about my boss being in love with me.

They’re aware that Charles proposed to me because he was cornered, but after seeing Charles on TV asking for my dad’s permission, like everyone else, they were convinced this was the most epic love story of the century. And I know deep down they think this thing between Charles and me isn’t one-sided.

I never had the courage until today to say the truth, that my marriage came with an end date.

The silence becomes heavy and suffocating, and I’m the first to break it.

“You can judge me. I won’t mind.”

“We’re not judging you, Daze.” Elodie fidgets nervously. “But this sounds like something out of a movie. A contract marriage.”

“I still can’t believe you guys managed to even fool me.” Violet’s brow furrows in disbelief. “Are you absolutely sure you don’t love each other?”

She places her phone onto the table, and there’s a candid photo of Charles and me on the screen. My heart skips a beat watching his beautiful smile as I brush snow from his woolen coat.

“How could you fake that look?” Violet asks, and I’m not sure if she’s referring to me or Charles.

“Vi is right, Daze. We’ve all seen how Charles looks at you and how much he’s changed since your wedding.” Elodie’s voice is soft, filled with hope and concern.

“It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want kids.” I nervously rub my clammy palms against my thighs.

“What does that mean? This is his kid, right? He must have done something to get you pregnant.” Willow balls her hands into fists.

My teeth dig into my bottom lip. Was it something he did or was it my own lack of knowledge?

“Do you know birth control pills are as effective as a Tic Tac if you’re on antibiotics?”

“What?” My friends let out a collective gasp, which is oddly comforting.