Page 95 of The Fiancé Hoax

Despite the tense situation, I felt a tug of joy at his interest in my store. His furious expression quickly stamped it out, though.

“Answer the question,” he pressed.

I paused, unsure of what to say. I couldn't tell my dad the news before I told Cooper. That didn’t feel right.

“I'd rather not say until I have a chance to discuss it with the father first.”

“So it's true.” He shook his head in disappointment and anger. Disgust, even.

“Dad…”

“It's bad enough you agreed to pretend to be Cooper's fiancée. But now you're sleeping with him? And having his… baby? Jesus, Felicity.”

His face turned red and his nostrils flared. I braced myself for a lecture. But this time, he was too angry to say much.

And I didn’t know what to say at all.

“You know, maybe I should blow open this entire farce for your own good,” he said. “Maybe it’s time the truth came out.”

“No, Dad. Wait.”

But I was too late. He flung the front door open with so much force I was afraid he would break it. Then he stormed out.

I leaned against the wall and let myself slide down to the floor.

This was the last straw in a series of disasters, and just when I had started to gain my dad's approval. He looked so angry, I couldn't imagine he would ever forgive me.

And worse, he'd threatened to expose the engagement as a fake, which would destroy Cooper’s chances at the custody trial.

I buried my face in my hands as the tears streamed down my face. Cooper and his daughters were the best things to ever happen to me. And I was on the brink of losing them all.

Just as my sobbing began to calm down, a new worry entered my mind.

I’d nearly fainted. I wasn’t sure if that was a normal pregnancy symptom—I’d never heard of it happening to anyone I knew. What if something was wrong? My stomach twisted on itself as I worried about my baby.

My shoulders shook as I let myself wallow in misery. It felt like my world was coming apart at the seams.

I wasn't sure how long I stayed like that, but at some point, the front door opened. Dread moved through me. Now a customer would see me completely undone, crying on the floor of my store.

But Cooper's soothing presence washed over me instead.

Without a word, he sat beside me on the floor and wrapped his arm around my back. I curled against him and sobbed.

“It's going to be okay, Felicity. Whatever it is, it's going to be okay.”

I looked up at him. His blue eyes met mine, and for a second I almost believed him. I wanted so badly to lose myself in those eyes. I wanted to trust that as long as we were together, everything would work out.

But everything had fallen apart. I wasn't even sure that Cooper could fix this.

“No, it isn't. My dad figured it all out.”

His jaw tightened. “He knows we’re sleeping together?”

I sniffed. “Yes. And he said he might blow open the farce of our engagement.”

There was so much more I needed to tell him. Like how my father had figured it out.

I wanted desperately to tell Cooper I was pregnant, but I just couldn't bring myself to admit it yet. I knew he would get upset and maybe even accuse me of doing it on purpose. I still felt woozy and overwhelmed, and I just couldn't handle any more stress. I’d tell him about the baby soon. Just not right now.