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"River and I only ever had a casual relationship. The engagement was something he lied about to get his trust fund early."
Sarah's hand flies to her heart. She looks stunned. "You lied?"
I flinch. "Sort of. I never wanted to make a big deal out of things like he did. River proposed publicly without telling me beforehand. He invited my family to your house for the engagement celebration when I was trying to keep my family from knowing about the scheme. He... has a way of doing things that he knows might upset people first and asking forgiveness later, rather than just asking permission in the first place." I pause. "But we were sleeping together. And now I am pregnant."
Sarah looks shocked. For half a minute, she is silent. Taking it all in, I guess.
"You're pregnant?" she asks.
I nod slowly. "Yes. I broke things off with River after I found out that he targeted me because of the land I'll inherit one day. But I'm definitely carrying his baby."
"Good lord." She reaches across the table to me and I grasp her hand. "That is a lot. I don't know if I could overcome all of that."
I nod. "Yeah. It's not great."
She licks her lips. "Can I ask how far along you are?"
I screw my face up. "Not very. I haven't even been to my official first doctor's appointment. I am not telling anybody because it's so damn early."
"But you've told River, right?"
I shake my head. "No. I don't know how to talk to him right now without screaming at him."
That draws an unexpected chuckle from her lips. "I know just what you mean." She rolls her eyes. "You will have to talk to him eventually, though. You two are connected for life, now."
I squint. "Actually, we're not. I signed a contract freeing River from his obligation to this baby. The plan was always to raise it on my own."
Her brows descend. "You're not serious. You can't think that I will let you struggle with single motherhood like that? No way. That baby you're carrying is my grandkid."
"I'm not asking or expecting anything."
"You should be expecting a lot." She pauses. "Honestly, once River knows about the pregnancy, he's probably going to throw himself at your mercy and beg for you to take him back."
I snort. "River has a ton of dreams for his future. And I don't play into them at all. From the beginning, he told me that he plans to settle down a decade from now in a big city with someone career-minded. I don't see myself fitting anywhere in there."
Sarah leans forward and pins me with her gaze. "Plans change. Especially when there are kids involved. River is lighter around you, less self-conscious. You might have been faking an engagement, but he can't fake happiness."
I wave the idea away. "He might have feelings for me. But he isn't willing to give up his future to live here. Besides, how can I trust him again, knowing what he did?"
Sarah stares at me for half a minute and then stands up. "I'm going to tell him to apologize."
"He has apologized. It's just not enough."
"When he finds out about the baby--"
I interrupt her with a sharp reprimand. "Don't tell him that I'm pregnant. It'll only complicate matters."
She arches her brow. "When are you planning on telling him?"
"I'm not sure yet. Soon, I guess. But I would rather do it on my own terms."
Sarah sighs. "Very well. I won't tell my son that you're carrying his baby. But he will still try to beg for forgiveness, I think. Because like it or not, he loves you. I don't think he'll be foolish enough to throw that away."
I shrug my shoulders. "That's nice, but I'm afraid you're dreaming."
Her smile hardens. "We'll see about that. I won't take up any more of your time. I'll see you soon, though. I can feel it."
"Bye," I say. I watch her walk back to her SUV and drive away.
