Page 93 of Fake It Till You Make It

“Levi never told me that.”

“It’s true. My sophomore year of college. The year Dad hurt his back. He got behind on the mortgage. He askedPendleton for help. When he refused, I used my college fund to pay off the loan, so we’d never have to worry again about them coming after us. That’s why I joined the Army instead of coming back home. To pay off my student loan debt.”

“You and your father kept the truth from me?”

“We wanted to protect you. Dad didn’t want you to know.”

“Amarie, come on, baby girl,” Bethany interjected. “Let’s—let’s leave them alone.”

“No. I need her to do her job, the job that I’m paying her to do.”

“You know what, Eli Calvary. You don’t pay enough for me to subject myself to an angry pit bull of a man who’s too foolish to realize the one true opportunity he’s about to ruin.”

“I don’t pay you to lecture me on what’s most important to my business.”

“Two things, boss. I get paid by the hour, so guess what, you’re on my time, not the other way around. The other, per our contract, my share of the money comes after the auction. So, if the site is out of commission, our arrangement is done. Since you value your policies and rules above the person who believed in your vision, those are my facts. And I’ve decided I couldn’t care less if you ever find your contract. I printed it. You were supposed to bring it home. Common sense says talk to the person who was here.” Amarie jabbed an accusatory finger in Cara’s direction. “Why don’t you ask your ring bearer since she slept here last night?”

“Me?” Cara whined. “Eli, what would I know about any of this? She did this. Now she’s blaming me? And in my condition.” It was then Eli noticed her cradling her stomach.

“What condition?” he mumbled.

“Are you actually considering believing her over me, Eli? I stayed by your side, helping you.”

Eli raised his chin, stubborn, angry. “I didn’t say that, Amarie. Cara, what condition?”

“No, you’re not saying anything to convince me that you trust me,” Amarie continued, but Cara hadn’t answered his question. “Eli, are you even listening to me?”

“No,” He bellowed. “Cara. What condition?”

“I’m pregnant.” And then his ex-wife looked at Amarie. “And the baby might be yours.”

No. No. No. Eli’s mind reeled. Cara and her lies.

“What?” Amarie stumbled back. “I don’t need this.”

“Amarie, she’s lying.”

“I don’t care,” she screamed. “I don’t need a stupid, stubborn boyfriend who hates computers and helping people on the internet. Who handwrites dumb policies for one employee.”

“Two employees.”

“Not anymore. I have a rule of my own and I broke it for you, Eli Calvary. But not anymore. I take care of myself, and I want nothing from you.”

Fury and fear twisted, sharp edges cut him open, severed the synapses in his brain. She was the one who’d messed up. How did she get to walk away from him? Like Cara. She would hurt him. Inflict a wound so deep, no amount of packing could fill it, and then she’d abandon him for dead. If she was going to walk away and ruin him forever, she would feel the pain he felt.

“Amarie, listen. I promise, Cara’s baby can’t be mine.”

She faced him, expression formidable. “So you want me to trust you now, huh? Believe in you?”

“You leaving me now?” he asked.

Amarie lifted her chin, defiant, fierce, unafraid. “Yeah, I am.”

“You’re just like Cara.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’ll never ask to come back to you. I deserve better.”

“On what planet? Honestly, Eli, I’m having a baby. You said I would always be your number one. What do you see in this girl who inserted herself into your life because she had nowhere to go?”