Our Accidental Forever
Chapter 34: Fake Couple, Real Baby (2)

Chapter 34: Fake Couple, Real Baby (2)

Ella’s POV:

My hands gripping the armrests as though they might keep me anchored to some sense of reality. I still can’t believe this is all happening.

The pregnancy test sat on the coffee table, mocking me with its two bold lines. Every time I glanced at it, a fresh wave of panic washed over me.

How long are you going to keep staring at that?" Kate’s voice dragged me from my daze. She was standing above me now, arms crossed, the picture of calm. "It’s not going to disappear, you know."

My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. "This wasn’t supposed to happen, Kate. It was supposed to be simple, a fake marriage, an easy exit when the contract ends. But now... a baby? That was never in the cards."

Kate popped a piece of gum into her mouth, shrugging as if I’d just told her I lost my keys. "So, tell him. Rip off the Band-Aid. You’re not going to find a magic solution staring at that test."

She sat beside me, chewing the gum, too relaxed for the situation. She must’ve seen the horror on my face because she gave me a little nudge. "What’s the worst that could happen?"

I blinked at her, completely incredulous. "The worst? Oh, I don’t know, maybe that he freaks out and calls the whole thing off? Or, I don’t know, that he just leaves? We’re not even in a real relationship, Kate. This could completely ruin everything."

Kate rolled her eyes, as if my concerns were overblown. "Oh, please calm down. He’s not going to leave you. You’re being dramatic."

"Dramatic?" I felt the heat rising in my chest, a blend of panic and frustration. "This isn’t a rom-com, Kate. He could call the whole thing off. What if he decides this mess isn’t worth it? Then what? I’m just..."

"Pregnant?" she cut in, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. "With his kid?"

My heart raced. "Yes! And that changes everything."

Kate rest her hands on my knees, her expression softening for the first time since the test result. "Listen, I know you’re terrified, but you’re not in this alone. Arec’s a decent guy. He’ll step up. You just have to tell him."

I let out a shaky breath, leaning forward, my head in my hands. "But this is so complicated. We had an agreement, Kate. A contract. And now I’m throwing a baby into the mix. I can’t even imagine how he’s going to react."

Kate reached over, grabbing my shoulders, and gave me a firm shake. "Look, Ella. I know you’re scared. But hiding this from him is only going to make it worse. He deserves to know, and you deserve to get this weight off your chest."

She gave me a teasing grin, trying to lighten the mood, as always. "Besides, think of it this way: you’re about to be a mom. A ’real’ mom. How many fake brides can say that?"

I groaned, rubbing my face. "This isn’t funny, Kate."

"I’m not trying to be funny," she said, though the glint in her eyes suggested otherwise. "But hey, worst-case scenario? You’ll be raising a future little CEO, mafia boss, or whatever Arec ends up being."

I managed a weak smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Kate was trying to help, trying to make it seem less terrifying than it was, but I was far too conflicted to find any humor in this situation.

"I just don’t want everything to fall apart," I murmured, more to myself than to her.

Kate sighed and stood up, walking over to the fridge and grabbing two cans of soda. "You’ve been through tougher situations, girl. This is just another bump in the road. And hey, if it makes you feel better, I’ll be right there when you tell him. Moral support, and all that."

I shook my head, still staring at the test on the table. "I need to do this on my own. I just... I need to brace myself for whatever’s going to happen."

Kate handed me the soda and plopped back onto the couch. "I get it. But promise me you’ll tell him. No running away from this, okay?"

I nodded, though the lump in my throat made it hard to speak. "I’ll tell him."

"You’ll be fine. Just don’t wait too long to tell him. And don’t overthink it. Men are way more resilient than we give them credit for." Kate encouraged. "Call me when you tell him, okay?"

I nodded again, still feeling like the walls were closing in on me.

---

Arec’s office felt suffocating, the hum of the air conditioner the only sound as I sat in front of his desk. My palms were damp, fingers gripping the edge of the chair like it could somehow anchor me in place. He was on the phone, his voice calm and composed, so completely unaware of the emotional earthquake about to hit.

Kate had been right: ripping off the band-aid might be the best option, but right now, the band-aid felt more like a boulder sitting in my throat.

Arec hung up, leaned back in his chair, and gave me that familiar, confident smile. "Sorry about that. Now, what’s so urgent? You look... Are you alright?

I froze. There it was. The opening I’d dreaded. But no words came out.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his tone shifting from casual to concerned. His brow furrowed as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. "Ella, you’ve been acting strange since you walked in."

My throat tightened. I opened my mouth but no words came out. The silence stretched on, suffocating, until Kate’s voice echoed in my head. Rip it off, Ella.

"I’m pregnant." The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

For a moment, there was nothing. No reaction. The room was dead silent. Then, Arec blinked, his smile frozen in place, like he hadn’t quite registered what I’d said. He blinked again, leaning back slowly in his chair. "You’re... what?"

I took a shaky breath, my heart now hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. "I’m pregnant, Arec."

His face paled, eyes darting between me and the stack of papers on his desk as if searching for something that could make sense of this. I could almost see the gears turning in his head. Shock, confusion, and maybe even panic flickered across his expression.

"How...?" His voice trailed off, and I could tell he was grasping at the reality of the situation. "That night...?"

"Yes," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "That night. It just... happened."

Arec’s hand ran through his hair, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to puzzle it out. "Ella... I didn’t... I mean, we weren’t careful, but..."

"I know," I interrupted, suddenly feeling a little defensive. "I didn’t think it was possible either. But here we are."

He sat there, staring at me, his expression unreadable. My stomach flipped with every passing second of silence. Was he angry? Disappointed? Was he going to walk out? I tried to read his face, but he gave me nothing.

Finally, he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Okay, okay... we can deal with this."

"Deal with this?" I repeated, the frustration bubbling up in my chest. "Arec, this isn’t some minor inconvenience. This is a baby, a real, living human being we’re talking about."

"I know," he snapped, his calm demeanor slipping for just a second. Then, his tone softened. "I know, Ella. I’m just... processing."

Processing. That’s what I was doing too, but the longer he took, the more terrified I became. "Are you sure you’re okay with this? This wasn’t part of the plan."

Arec stood up abruptly, walking around to stand by the window. He stared out at the skyline, his back tense, shoulders rigid. "No, it wasn’t part of the plan," he said quietly. "But nothing in my life has ever gone according to plan, and I’m still standing. We’ll figure this out."

I rose from the chair, my legs trembling as I approached him. "But the contract... the fake marriage. What happens now?"

He turned to face me, his expression softer but still lined with worry. "I don’t know yet. We’ll need to talk about it. A lot’s going to change, obviously."

"Obviously," I repeated, feeling the weight of the word settle over us like a cloud. "I just don’t want you to feel trapped, Arec. I don’t want this to complicate things more than they already are."

A faint, humorless smile crossed his lips. "Ella, my life is already complicated. This doesn’t trap me, it just... shifts things around. And I’m not going anywhere."

"Are you sure?" I asked again, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be. The vulnerability of the situation was eating at me, every possible outcome playing on a loop in my head.

He stepped closer, his hand resting on my shoulder. "Yes. I’ll take responsibility for the baby, for you. This is as real as it gets, and I’m not running."

His words, though sincere, didn’t erase the gnawing fear inside me. I wanted to believe him, but everything was happening so fast, and the thought of what was coming next terrified me.

"We’ll figure this out," he repeated, as if saying it again would make it true.

I nodded, my chest tightening. "Okay."

But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the start of something far more complicated than either of us could imagine.