Chapter 8
8
ROWENA
We get stuck in a bit of traffic, and by the time Adrian’s sleek black car pulls up to the curb in front of my building, it’s already past five. At once, Sam exits from his side and comes to open my door. I thank him and I’m about to pull out the box with my office stuff when I glimpse Hunter rounding the corner, her dark wavy hair bouncing with each step as she walks home from work. My heart leaps into my throat. I shove the cardboard box back onto the seat, desperate to hide the evidence of my disastrous day.
Giving Sam one last, weary nod, I slide out and force a smile as I greet my roommate. “Hey.”
Hunter’s eyes widen as she takes in the luxury vehicle and personal chauffeur idling behind me. She lets out a low whistle. “Well, well. Look at you, Miss Fancy Pants. What’s with the limo service?”
“It’s not a limo, just a… nice car.” I glance at Sam, mortified. But Adrian’s driver smiles warmly and wishes me a good evening before returning to his post at the wheel.
Hunter and I watch him as he speeds away into traffic .
“So?” my roommate prompts.
“It’s a long story.”
“Ooh, I can’t wait to hear all about it.” Hunter loops her arm through mine as we head inside. I might not be ready to rehash the day’s events, but her nearness is comforting.
We take the elevator up to our apartment, the ache in my chest growing with each floor we pass. Where will I even begin to tell her everything that happened today?
As we step inside—my dilemma worsens as it’s not just my roommate in the house. A chorus of greetings rises. Nina, radiant as always, bounds over to pull me into a tight hug. Her brother, Dylan, offers a wave from the couch where he sits beside Nina’s boyfriend, Tristan. It’s weird for everyone to be already home from work. We all have high-demand careers—or I used to. None of our jobs are nine-to-five. What’s everyone doing here?
Nina pulls back, her brow creasing as she studies my face. “Are you feeling okay, Winnie? You look a little pale.”
“Must be the lack of sunshine from being chauffeured home in a luxury car,” Hunter quips with a smirk.
Nina arches an eyebrow at me, but I whiffle her off. “I’m fine, just tired. It’s been a day.”
They’re all watching me, waiting for an explanation. But I’m not ready. I paste on a weak smile, hoping it’s enough to hold them off… for now.
“Well, I hope you’re not too tired, because we’ve got pizzas on the way.”
My stomach churns at the mention of food, the mere thought of eating making me queasy again.
As Nina drifts back to Tristan, I pull Hunter aside. “Why is everyone here so early?”
She frowns. “Didn’t you get the text from Nina? ”
I haven’t checked my phone since before lunch. “No, what is it?”
“I don’t know.” Hunter shrugs. “She just told us to be home early.” Then she studies me, perplexed. “What’s up with you today?”
Thankfully, Nina chooses that moment to clap her hands, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Come on guys, we have something to share before the pizzas arrive.”
I’m grateful for the distraction. Anything to postpone the moment when I have to confess my bombshell.
We all settle into the living room, finding our usual spots. I sink into the oversized armchair, pulling my legs up and hugging them to my chest. It feels like I’m trying to physically hold myself together.
Hunter perches on the armrest of the couch, her eyes trained on Nina. “Okay, spill!” she tells her. “What’s this big announcement?”
Nina’s smile widens. “Well…” She pauses for dramatic effect, and I lean forward despite myself, momentarily swept up in her excitement. She laces her fingers with Tristan’s, her eyes shining as she looks around at all of us. “We’re moving in together!”
Nina’s words hang in the air as Hunter and I stare at her—Dylan doesn’t seem surprised; he must’ve known already.
My first thought is that even if I had the strength to find a new job that came with a larger salary by some miracle, I’d still have to move to a cheaper neighborhood. I can’t cover my rent here with a kid, and I sure as hell can’t pick up half of hers on top of that.
But Nina hastens to add, “I know you guys must be worried about covering my portion of the rent. But don’t stress.” Don’t stress? I’m basically made of stress. “Dylan said he’d be happy to take over my room if you two are cool with it. Since Tristan and I want to move in together as soon as possible, and Dylan needs a place STAT, it works out perfectly! Right, Dylan?”
She looks expectantly at her brother, who gives an affable shrug. “If they’re okay with it, I’m game. No worries either way, though.”
I press my lips together, trying to mask my rising panic. Oh gosh. An unpleasant roiling grips my abdomen again. They probably expect us to say something, but I’m not eager to rain on their roommate swap parade.
I glance at Hunter to gauge her reaction, but she seems lost in thought, sneaking furtive peeks at Dylan. She’s not speaking either.
The other three must’ve expected a different response because Nina’s face falls, Tristan looks uncertain, and Dylan is smiling awkwardly.
But then Nina’s brother flashes a charming grin. “I promise I don’t smell. I shower at least once a week.” He winks at Hunter and me conspiratorially. “I figure we can all see how this cohabitation goes until your lease on this place is up. What do you say?”
“Yes.” Hunter, out of her trance, almost falls on her butt in the exuberance of her reply. She always has had a huge crush on Nina’s brother, and Dylan moving in is probably a dream come true for her. One that I’m about to shatter.
All eyes turn to me expectantly and I have no other choice than to burst their bubble. Suppressing a sob or a burp—I can’t even tell at this point—I confess everything. That this morning I found out I’m pregnant with Liam’s baby and lost my job half an hour later. I tell them about Adrian and our meet-puke in the bathroom, and that I’m seriously considering marrying a total stranger, but that either way, I’ll have to move out.
To say that my roommates look at me shell-shocked would be the understatement of the century. Once they recover, they ask me a million questions: how far along am I? Does Liam know? What about Adrian? Who is this guy? And have I lost my mind?
They volley questions at me like one of those tennis-ball shooting machines. Hunter, to her credit, seems only concerned about me and not her smashed dream of moving in with her crush.
Next, they ask whether my parents know, and that finally breaks me. I sob uncontrollably while I shake my head.
Without another word, both my best friends stand up and envelop me in a bear hug, nearly squeezing the air out of me.
“You can stay here rent free for however long you want.” Hunter pats my shoulder.
I blink, rejecting the idea of becoming a charity case. “You can’t afford to pay double.”
“I won’t move out,” Nina jumps in. “Between the two of us we can pick up the difference.”
“Guys, I appreciate your offer to let me stay here without paying rent. But I can’t accept. It wouldn’t be right.”
Nina opens her mouth to protest but I hold up a hand. “And what about when the baby comes? I’m going to need a plan, security, and stability. I can’t just rely on your generosity forever.”
Hunter snorts sarcastically. “And you think you’ll find stability by moving in with some random dude you met in a bathroom? By becoming a kept woman?”
Her words sting, and I flinch. Nina shoots Hunter a sharp look. “Hunt! Don’t be like that. This is her choice to make. ”
I nod gratefully at Nina before turning back to Hunter, forcing more confidence into my voice than I feel. “I know it seems crazy. Trust me, I’m aware. But please don’t judge me for considering it.” I twist my hands together anxiously. “I haven’t decided anything for sure yet. But if I do this, it will be my choice. Can you respect that, even if you don’t agree with it?”
Hunter’s skeptical expression softens. “Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off so harsh. I just worry about you, Winnie.” She rubs my arm. “First Liam and now this.”
I manage a small smile, blinking back the fresh tears that threaten to spill over. “I know.” The idea of moving in with Adrian, of tying myself to a virtual stranger, terrifies me. But the fear of facing this pregnancy alone, with no support, looms even larger. I turn to Hunter. “And I’m sorry you’re going to have to move out, too, because I can’t keep a stupid job.”
She hugs me fiercely. “Don’t be silly, that is the least of our problems.”
“But what if the landlord doesn’t let us out of our lease early?” I sob into her shoulder.
Behind us, Dylan clears his throat. “Err… actually if you’re moving out, I could take up your room as well and turn it into a home office.” He stares at Hunter. “If that’s cool with you.” She nods, and he adds, “But you don’t have to go, seriously. If you want to stay, we’ll all chip in to cover your rent until you get back on your feet.”
“Yeah,” Tristan agrees. He scratches his chin thoughtfully. “Pretending to be engaged to this rando isn’t your only option.”
“Thank you, but it’s not just the rent, it’s medical expenses, too. I don’t have insurance anymore and I’ll need to go to a lot of appointments, plus buy a million things for the baby… I… I…” I trail off, overwhelmed.
Dylan rakes a hand through his golden fringe. “I’d tell you I could check if we have any openings, but the head of the informatic division at our firm is a total douche. I wouldn’t want you to work for him.”
“But I can hire you,” Tristan jumps in eagerly. “We could always use a talented software engineer.”
“Please, Tristan, you told me two weeks ago that you phased out your entire legacy Java stack in favor of microservices and cloud-native architecture. Your IT department is already overstaffed.”
“You’re too smart for your own good,” he scoffs. “But how is me offering you a job worse than a stranger paying your expenses while you pretend to be engaged to him?”
I wring my fingers. “I know this may sound weird, but you’re doing it for me. He’s doing it for himself. It’s an equal exchange. And having you as a boss would be too weird, anyway.”
“Fair enough.” Tristan nods. “You said this dude works in your building?”
“Why?” I pause, frowning. “Are you going to google him?”
Hunter nods, pulling out her phone. “That’s a great idea. Name.”
“Adrian West,” I reply, feeling a knot in my stomach.
Tristan and Dylan both low whistle.
“Why?” My voice rises. “You know him?”
“We know of him. Dude’s a legend on Wall Street,” Dylan says with admiration. “Everyone calls him the next Warren Buffett.”
“But he’s also known as a bit of a shark,” Tristan adds, his eyebrows knitting together.
“Like he’s dishonest?” I ask, alarmed.
“No, just ruthless, at least in a business context,” Tristan clarifies. “I don’t know him personally. ”
Hunter gasps loudly as she stares at her phone. “Is this him?” She turns the screen to face me.
Brown eyes, dark as aged leather, bore into me, making my insides squirm even from within a picture. “Yep.”
“Oh, wow,” Hunter exclaims, her nose almost glued to the screen. “And did you just forget to mention your future husband was going to be this hot?”
“Let me see.” Nina scrambles next to Hunter. “Holy shit! That man could make a nun reconsider with just one look!”
“Excuse you?” Tristan broods from his corner.
“Well, just look at him. Bet he could seduce even you.”
Tristan barely glances at the screen before grinning. “Nah, I’m more into blondes.”
Dylan bats his lashes at his best friend, making his voice shrill. “Oh, good to know.”
“Sorry, man.” He pulls Nina into his lap. “Talking about another Thompson.” He kisses Nina, and Dylan rolls his eyes, averting his gaze.
They really get into the kiss, and Dylan shoves his best friend on the shoulder. “Come on, man.”
Tristan reluctantly breaks the kiss and elbows Dylan good-naturedly. “Alright, alright, so what are we doing here? Are you still moving in with me?”
“Not until she’s okay.” Nina scowls.
“I am okay,” I lie. “If Dylan can pay two-thirds of the rent here and use my room as an office, I just have to move my stuff out and decide where to go.”
“There’s no hurry,” Dylan offers once again.
I give him a thankful smile. “I can’t make the next lease payment without going broke, so I’ll have to make up my mind before the end of the month.”
They all look at me and nod supportively, except for Nina .
“Honey, today has been a lot.” She meets my eyes with a steady, encouraging gaze. “You don’t have to decide anything right at this moment even if rent is due soon. I agree it’s not a forever solution, but we can cover you for a month if you need more time. We’re all here for you. Just let us, okay?”
I nod.
Hunter squeezes me into another hug. “Take all the time you need; we’ll support you whatever you decide. But don’t make any rash decisions because you’re in a panic.”
It means the world to know they have my back, but this is a decision I have to make alone as it will impact the rest of my life. I just hope that whatever path I choose, it’ll be the right one for me and my baby.