Let's pretend, chapter 17
Elise Collins POV
-I need you to marry me...-
I didn't know what to say to that. It's like a huge wave just came out of nowhere and took me back with it to the far end of the ocean. I stayed silent, maybe I heard him wrong?
-Elise?-
"Yes I'm here, I got to go though, can I call you back? I need to..."
-Ok, no need to find excuses. I completely understand. It's okay don't worry... see you in the office-
With that said, he hung up on me before I could even think about what I could answer back. I looked at Aria with huge round eyes "I think I'm in deep!"
"You think?" Aria laughed "What happened? What does he want?"
"He said I need you to marry me; but what the actual fuck? I can't do this I just can't Aria, I'm sure you know what I mean"
"Baby I know but... you just said it yourself, you love him deeply, and more than you ever loved anyone. So what's keeping you from saying yes?"
"Maybe it's the fact that he doesn't love me? Or it could be the fact that he's with me just to please his mother? That can be a real set back. I mean this is marriage we're talking about! It's not a game anymore."
Aria stayed silent she probably didn't want to argue with me when I was still under shock. She got up and looked at me "I'm going to my room, I'll take a bathing suit and hit the pool. I suggest you get ready for your meeting and head to the office. If he tries to talk about it just tell him you're not ready for such a step. I know you never said no to anyone, you're just so kind. But as you said, this isn't a game anymore. I don't want my best friend getting hurt." She planted a kiss on my forehead and went upstairs to change.
An hour later I went to Walton's corp. and went straight to his office, Mary, his assistant didn't even ask if I had an appointment. She had gotten used to me just waltzing in his office like I owned the place. I smiled at her and knocked a couple times before getting in. I saw him standing by the curtain walls looking at the city. My heart skipped a beat and I thought my legs would give up on me when I heard a woman clear her throat. I turned around and saw the one and only Jamie Ortega sitting there all relaxed and looking at me with a raised eyebrow. Zachary also turned around and saw me. He didn't smile like he usually does which gave me a sinking feeling. "Good morning" I said approaching his desk where I started taking out my laptop and the designs I had already printed.
"Good morning Miss Collins. This is Jamie Ortega, a close friend of mine. Jamie, this is Miss Elise Collins, one of our best designers".
The way he introduced me felt so formal and so distant as if he didn't have his tongue in my mouth last night. I quickly composed myself and smiled at Jamie, "nice to meet you Miss Ortega."
"Likewise..." she said looking bored "Is this gonna take long?" she asked Zachary whining a little.
"Not long. We'll head out when I look over at these. Be patient Jamie". I just stood there not wanting to show him how hurt I was. My phone was in my hands and I just needed a minute to breathe so I texted Aria telling her to call me, and thankfully she did. "I'm sorry I need to take this" I excused myself and walked out "Jee Aria, thanks. You saved me again."
-What happened? You couldn't say no huh?-
"I didn't need to. Remember that blonde girl we saw with him in the magazine? She's here in his office. They are going somewhere when he finishes looking at my prints"
-Well that's awesome you didn't have to give him an answer-
"Yes but... he is so distant Aria, I don't think I can do that, be this distant" I saw Mary coming my way with a smile.
"Miss Collins, Mr Walton asks if you could hurry because he has other plans" I gave her a nod and hung up the phone after saying bye to Aria. I took a deep breath and let it out before going to his office.
"I'm sorry Mr. Walton, it was important". If he wanted to treat me as a stranger I could do the same to him, even though I knew it irked him, I didn't get any reaction from him.
Instead he gave me back my files with a professional smile "these are great. You can now start the second part; I want it all next week"
"Next week? This took a month, how am I..."
He cut me off before I could finish "A week Miss Collins".
I gathered my things silently and nodded "Have a good day sir". I walked out without a glance back. Once in the elevator I called Nathan "Want to meet for lunch?"
-Sure, where?-
"Let's meet at our usual place. And text Aria, too"
-Sure thing beautiful-
Fifteen minutes later I was sitting in the corner of the restaurant scrolling through my instagram account while waiting my friends to arrive when I saw a picture of Zach and Jamie in some fancy restaurant. The caption was as silly as the picture.
"Hey sweetie, sorry I'm late" Nathan pecked my cheek and sat across me.
"Hey" I barely said setting my phone away. "How are you?"
"You look so happy to see me" he said sarcastically as Aria joined us.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"Careful Aria, she's grumpy again" Nathan chuckled. "Trouble in paradise? How is your sexy billionaire doing?"
Instead of answering him I just gave him my phone so he could see Zach holding Jamie's hand.
"Ah... I see." He gave the phone to Aria who just shrugged and looked at our friend "HE asked her to marry her she said nothing. She went to her meeting with him and he acted all formal and distant and now he's with her whoever she is"
"Marry him? For real? Or just this fucked up game of his?"
"Fucked up game of his" Aria rolled her eyes while I kept quiet. I was hurt and tried hard not to show it but soon tears welled up in my eyes and I started crying. That's when my friends stopped talking and just let me get it out of my system. I suddenly felt sick, needing to throw up. I quickly made my way to the restroom and got it all out. I must have been so stressed that my stomach was upset. A few minutes later I joined my friends and we ordered food. No one mentioned him again so they don't upset me any further. I could feel how Nathan was mad, he had told me several times not to go through with it, not to keep seeing him but I never listened. But he was an amazing friend and didn't rub it in my face. Instead he was there for me, and I couldn't ask for anything else. The week went by in a blur; I drowned myself in my work not wanting to be late as he specifically gave me a week. Aria never left me, she stayed with me the whole time while Nathan kept checking on us every now and then. I was feeling a little better but still felt nauseated at times which was very disturbing but I brushed it off. Zachary never contacted me during this week, not even work related. Nothing.
Now the day came, I needed to go see Zachary and give him the prints so he would be able to progress with his hotel. I felt so nervous but knew I couldn't ignore the meeting so I readied myself and was there on time. Mary smiled at me and this time she asked Zach if I could come in. "He's waiting for you Miss Collins"
"Thank you Mary". I made my way inside and saw him sitting behind his huge mahogany desk. He looked so good in his Armani suit, but he had his stupid poker face on again. "Good morning Mr. Walton."
He looked up at me and nodded not saying a word so I just placed the prints and plans in front of him "As you wanted, I finished it in one week. But not just the second part, I finished the whole project so you can start"
He looked at me with raised eyebrows "You finished it? All of it?"
"Yes sir. Elevations, sections, details and 3D drawings, everything is in this file. Now I'll step outside while you look at it, and I'll come back in when you're done." He nodded before I left the room. He made me wait for half an hour before calling me back in.
"I'm impressed, this is flawless, and all of it was done in just one week. I was right to hire you Miss Collins, now we can start applying all your ideas"
"I'm glad you liked it Sir, now if you'll excuse me I have somewhere I need to be."
"We'll be in touch".
I felt suffocated and just wanted to get the hell out of there so I just nodded and left.
Three weeks later, I was sitting in the waiting area tapping my foot on the wooden floor nervously with Aria by my side when I heard the nurse calling my name.
"Miss Collins, Dr Miranda is ready for you"
Aria squeezed my hand to reassure me and we both went into the Dr's room.
"Hello Dr Miranda. Thank you for seeing me today."
"Hello Elise, usually I don't see anyone without an appointment but you seemed very nervous. What's going on?"
"I... well I've been vomiting everything I eat, I always have stomach ache and sometimes feel dizzy. At first I thought my stomach was acting up because of all the stress from work but then..." I looked at Aria and sighed "Aria suggested I might be pregnant. And that's when I realized I didn't get my period for the last couple months. But it's impossible Dr."
Dr Miranda smiled "Well you do have the symptoms but let us run some test before we jump to conclusion"
"Dr I'm on the pill, I have been for a few months now, so it has to be something else right?"
"Don't worry Elise, we'll run some test and make sure everything is fine. And about the pill, nothing is impossible, sometimes it happens; you just need to forget it one time". Without losing any more time, Dr Miranda run some tests and made us wait in the waiting room while she saw another patient.
"I can't be pregnant Aria, I just can't"
"Elise, don't worry, even if you are, I'll help you, I'll be there with you, you should be happy about it, you'll get a chance to be a mother again and this time no one can take it from you"
Before I could say anything I was called back in and saw Dr Miranda reading my results while smiling. She gestured to the examination bench "Elise, would you please lay there and pull up your blouse please?"
I did as instructed and watched her every move, after pressing the cold gel on my belly, she spread it on my skin and asked me to look at the screen.
"You see that little bean? That's your baby Elise, congratulation, you are five weeks pregnant" she said smiling and soon we heard the heartbeat. I couldn't stop smiling. It was scary and a huge responsibility being a single mother and all but I was more than happy. Another week went by and I didn't say anything to Zachary. More and more pictures of him and Jamie kept popping in my face every time I was on social Medias, so I knew I could never tell him. He didn't deserve to know after everything I did for him, he was acting out and being distant because I couldn't be his fake wife. And it hurt, but I had to live with it and move on.
"Elise? Nathan is here come on you'll be late for your trip"
I went downstairs and hugged Aria, "thank you for being an amazing friend. You are the sister I never had and I want nothing but to see you happy"
"Oh stop it Elise you'll make me cry" she smiled hugging me back "I'll see you soon, I won't let you enjoy Sentorini's sun without me"
"Ready?" I looked behind Aria and nodded at Nathan who was here to take me to the airport.
"Just one more thing before I go" I gave a sealed envelope to Aria, "would you please take this to Detective Brown? Tell him it's from me he'll know what to do with it"
"Of course" she said frowning
"Don't worry about it, you'll know in time" I winked and hugged her one more time before leaving with Nathan.
Zachary Walton's POV
I couldn't believe after all we've been through Elise would say no to me. I knew that it was a big thing but she could have at least told me she would think about it, but she made it seem impossible. And she never called me back after that meeting. Yes I was distant and formal but she could have called, she could have tried to explain or get in touch with me. It seemed as if she was glad I was pulling away from her as she just did the same. I thought we were good together, I thought she was falling for me the same way I was falling for her but it turns out I was wrong. I looked at the city from my corner office when Jamie walked in hugging me from behind. Nothing ever happened between Jamie and I before, we were just friends, I've always felt the need to protect her not because I was attracted to her but because I always saw her as my little sister.
"Good morning Jamie" I said sitting on my chair looking at her.
"Good morning handsome, still depressed? It's been a month and a half already, come on we'll find you another fake girlfriend that you could marry"
Anger flashed through my eyes just at the mention of a new girlfriend "Don't go there Jamie, I still haven't told my mother we broke up. Because we haven't, and I'll get her back". Just as I said that, there was a knock on my door.
"Come in" Mary walked in and gave me files that needed my signature.
"Sir, we couldn't wire the money to Miss Collins account."
"And why is that?"
"I don't know sir, the accountant said she closed all her accounts all over the country, he tried her cell and her land line but no one answered. He also tried to contact her via email but still nothing. Just like she disappeared sir".
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I'm so sorry for the late update, a lot has been going on.
I hope you're all doing great and being safe, and i also hope you didn't give up on me lol, next chapter will be up soon
LoVe YoU <3