Page 18 of Worthy: Cassius and Faith

I’m getting married to Cassius Blackwood. I’m pregnant.

Not necessarily in that order.

I’d wanted the billionaire to ask me to stay. If I was being honest with myself, which I wasn’t, I’d also secretly prayed in my heart that someday, we’d be married. But when I’d hoped for someday, I meant someday when we were in a serious relationship. When we’d grown together, enjoyed each other, and truly gotten to know one another.

Someday, when we were in love.

For although I was in love with Cassius, his proposal wasn’t welcome news. Instead of a love match, I once again felt like a transaction. He hadn’t asked me to marry him because he loved me—he wanted to secure his heir’s future. He’d made it very clear that he’d take care of me and that, as his wife, I would become his duty.

But I didn’t want to be his duty. I didn’t want just to be the mother of his child. I wanted him to want me and cherish me the way I wanted him and cherished him.

So, instead of joy, the prospect of exchanging wedding vows filled me with mild dread. I kept thinking about what Macy said. I don’t want history repeating itself. That, coupled with every awful thing my mother had said about being a parent—mixed with memories of my shitty childhood—tossed and tumbled inside my head.

Who was I to be a mother? Who was I to get married?

Who was I kidding?

I might have felt better about the situation if Cassius had expressed some sort of romantic intention toward me, but that had been glaringly absent. Instead of professing his love, he’d said things like prenuptial agreement and complicated trust and Blackwood heir. I understood—he was an enormously wealthy man, not to mention the head of his family. His was a complicated situation that I had little knowledge of. For me, getting married would mean signing a few papers and hoping for the best. For him, the Blackwood empire was at stake.

Still, my heart ached as I thought of the past few days. I’d let my guard down and let myself fall for the billionaire. He’d possessed my body, but more than that, he’d stolen my heart. The sad fact was now that we were to be married, the fragile ecosystem of hope and trust that had been building inside me was toppling.

I was pregnant and getting married, but I felt more alone than ever.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

signed

Faith

The following day, we met with Cassius’s physician. Another pregnancy test and an examination confirmed that I was, in fact, pregnant.

The physician smiled at us. “It’s very early,” the doctor said. “But these tests are incredibly accurate. So long as everything progresses and nature takes its course, you should plan accordingly. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Cassius shook his hand, then turned to me. “See? I told you. I knew you were pregnant.”

I nodded, and he kissed my cheek. “I’ll let you get dressed. Come and meet me in the conference room when you’re ready.”

“Okay.” I forced a smile, but I didn’t feel particularly congratulatory. I felt scared.

This is real. Three positive pregnancy tests were actual proof that in nine months, I’d be having a baby. After the men left and I dressed, I briefly rubbed my stomach. I’m sorry, I thought at it. I hope I don’t fuck you up like my mom did to me.

It was strange, but I felt a little better after I did that. My mom had never apologized to me for anything, so I was already doing better than her. Not that she’s set the bar high, but still. It was something.

Sighing, I went to find Cassius in the conference room. We were supposed to review and sign the pre-nuptial agreement. It seemed awfully soon to me, but apparently billionaires got shit done. Cassius informed me that his legal team had prepared such an agreement years ago in anticipation of the Blackwood brothers someday getting married. They’d updated the agreement to reflect our current situation; I was required to read it, review it, and sign.

I stepped into the conference room and almost turned around and ran right out again. There were over a dozen attorneys spread out around the enormous table. They were dressed in suits, barking into cell phones, clacking away on laptops, and red-lining documents. Several of the attorneys, particularly the female ones, eyed me with interest. Their billionaire bachelor client was finally getting married.

I felt woefully out of place in my simple sundress. Also, I was by far the youngest person in the room—Cassius Blackwood’s child bride.

“Faith, darling, come here.” Cassius strode over, pulling out a chair for me. “Please, sit. We’ll have a draft for you to review in a moment. Your attorney should be here soon.”

“I have an attorney?” I asked.

“Of course,” he said smoothly. “We have to do this properly. Your interests need to be protected.”

“Mr. Blackwood?” chirped an attorney from the other side of the room. “Can you please review the revised section Three-F? I made the changes you requested.”

“Certainly.” Cassius squeezed me on the shoulder and returned to his team. The door opened, and Gina and another young woman walked in. When they saw me, they came to my side.

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