Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Your hen party should start soon,” I reminded pointedly.
“I’m the star. I can be late,” she dismissed lightly.
I turned away from her and carried on looking at the lake.
“You were wrong about Steven, you know? Last night, he said I gave him the best blow job he’s ever had in his life.”
Ah, so that had really rankled. I hid a smile. “Good for Steven,” I said lightly.
“Can I talk to you about something, Rex? I think I’m literally going out of my mind, but I can’t talk to anyone in my family about it. I don’t know why, but I feel as if you’re the only person I could talk to right now. Please.”
“Go ahead,” I said without enthusiasm.
“I don’t think I can marry Steven,” she announced abruptly.
I turned to look at her and she was wearing an expression of sadness, but her eyes were alert and she was watching me intently.
“Why? I got the impression you were both deeply in love.”
“I know Steven loves me, but I’m not sure I do.”
“You really should talk to your mother about this. It’s probably just bridal nerves,” I suggested.
“It’s not bridal nerves. I’ve been feeling this for the last two weeks, only I haven’t had the courage to do anything about it because the wedding is so close. But now, after I’ve seen the way you are with Willow, it’s made me think that I’ve made a terrible mistake. Steven is not actually right for me. He’s not the man I dreamed of.”
“He may not be the man you dreamed of, but he’ll probably make a good father to your child,” I said mildly.
“I’m not pregnant,” she blurted out.
I stared at her with surprise. “What?”
She bit her lip. “Well, it started out as a mistake. You know, I thought I was pregnant so I took a test and it must have been a false positive, but I didn’t know better, so I told Steven I was. He was so happy he proposed to me. By the time I took the second test that showed a negative result, everyone was so happy and excited, I didn’t have the heart to tell them. I mean, Steven actually went out and bought some baby sleepers.”
“What will you do in eight months when Steven will be expecting to put his child into those sleepers?”
“Oh, I was never intending to carry it on until then. My plan was to have a miscarriage in a couple of weeks. I was thinking after the honeymoon, but now it’s starting to look like that might not even happen.”
I looked at her curiously. I was looking at one of the most selfish, manipulative women I’d ever met, and I had met a few in my line of work. It was almost certain she was never pregnant, she simply made it up to coerce Steven into proposing.
She cast her eyes down, as if she was feeling guilt. “Oh, Rex. I know you must think I’m a terrible person, but I’m just so confused. I honestly feel like doing what Willow did; running away to the city, starting again, and maybe finding someone like you.”
She looked up again and gazed at me with a pleading look in her eyes.
“If I do go to the city, will you give me your number so I know I will be safe. So, I know I’ll have someone to turn to if things get bad. Not financially or anything, but just so I have a strong shoulder to lean on in case I get into any sort of trouble.”
I could hardly believe Steven could be so stupid as to fall for this kind of outright manipulation. She was so obvious, it was laughable. I played along.
“The best thing you can do if you get in trouble is to call Willow, and if necessary, she’ll call me and I’ll see what I can do to help.”
She wrung her hands together. “I don’t know how much Willow has told you about our relationship, but she kinda hates me. When my mom married her dad and we moved into his home, Willow took an instant dislike to me, and no matter what I did, she hated my guts. But I hero worshipped her. Once, I borrowed her blue blouse because I loved it so much. She was so angry she ripped it to shreds rather than let me have it. I mean, you saw how she was with me this morning when I came to your suite.”
“I’m sorry, Tiffany, but I can’t get between you and Willow. You’ll have to sort your differences out without me.”
There was a flash of fury in her eyes, but she nodded, and said meekly, “I understand, but please think about what I said, Rex. You have no idea how much you would be helping me.”