“I panicked,” Cooper answered honestly.
“But,” I interjected, “we both decided we wanted you and Mum to know the truth, which means you can’t tell any of the girls,” I said looking at a clearly giddy Marlee who was shaking her head slowly with delight.
“My lips are sealed.” She grinned. “Congratulations,” she squeaked, as if this wasn’t a facade. “Aren’t you going to congratulate them, babe?”
The look he shot her was worthy of cutting ice and she hid her grin behind her glass.
“Seb,” Cooper said, capturing his attention before he lost his shit. “Don’t make this a big deal when it isn’t. We’ll do some acting, and in four months, we can say we broke up. She can move somewhere close to here as she originally planned and all will be well,” he added honestly. “You know I will make sure all of that happens.”
Seb looked between us, the epitome of calm, but I knew his mind would be reeling through everything he hated about this plan.
After a pregnant pause, he sighed, “I don’t like it. It’s weird,” he said to Cooper. “Your parents and their friends are entitled jerks with opinions I don’t want her having to deal with so keep a lid on that.”
Myfiancénodded, a look akin to regret marring his features for the briefest moment.
“When she kills him,” Seb added, looking towards his girlfriend, “You’ll need to get rid of your Pilates room so we can hide the body in there.”
Coop laughed, sitting back and draping an arm around my chair. “As if. I’m loveable as fuck. Evy will be begging me to stay.” His renewed confidence elicited an eye roll from me.
“There is absolutely no chance of that happening,” I deadpanned.
“I don’t want to hear one complaint from either of you when this turns to shit,” Seb said, throwing back the rest of his whiskey – the only indication he was more worried than he let on. “And good luck telling Mum.”
Carefully propping the phone against my mirror, I stared in dismay.
“What is that? No, no. You can’t wear that when you’re about to go to his house,” Xavier sighed. “Why are you so fashion challenged?” He added more to himself.
“Everything else is packed, it’s this or my pyjamas, and I doubt a satin shirt with a hole chewed through the nipple is better,” I shot Mum’s dog Buddy a look of contempt. He knew what he’d done to my beloved sleep shirt and the same as the day I discovered his crafty work, he simply blinked at me with no remorse.
“You have great tits,” Xavi drawled. “I vote nipplage over that monstrosity. Are you purposely trying to look homeless?” I glanced down at my outfit again.
“Flannel is all the rage according to KraftHacks71,” I defended, neglecting to mention the stretchy tights were nearly see-through they were so worn.
“Evangeline Judith Micallef, please tell me you are not still dressing yourself based on that horrendous YouTube channel?”
“Number one, why are you using my government name? Number two, I want to appear deliberately dishevelled. I don’t want him to think I care.” And that was the truth. I was already moving in with him, the last thing I needed was to waste time worrying about how I looked.
“We both know you care what yourfiancéthinks. Call me once you’re there, I want to see what his bedroom looks like.”
“I’m hanging up,” I said. “But I’ll call you from his bedroom,” I added quickly before disconnecting the call on his smiling face.
Cooper had been more than accommodating. He’d sent me photos of everything I requested, the kitchen and its jaw dropping appliances which were wasted on someone who didn’t really cook, plus the stunning view from his back verandah. It was a nature lover’s dream and a place where I could put my headphones on and zone out. He answered each of my questions with patience – and there were plenty. He promised my mum he would take care of me, completed all the paperwork for my internship and organised everything for the move.
Pretending to be his fiancée seemed like it would be easy while living there and that thought alone made me a little nervous.
Opening my text threads, I quickly responded to Marlee’sinvitation to celebrate my engagement with the girls, knowing this was all such a shock to them I’d be subjected to something very similar to the Spanish Inquisition. Other than from Winter. Her social anxiety was worse than mine, so while she would be wishing we were anywhere other than the bar Marls had chosen, I’m certain she would be a happy observer.
Before I could even exit the chat, three active bubbles popped up.
EVA
You can have three questions. Combined.
There was no doubt in my mind that is what they were all planning, likely in a separate chat I wasn’t part of.
ARNA
Three? That’s outrageous.
