Chapter 45 Forty Five
Austin showed up at Lucy’s apartment just after sunset.
He knocked—once, twice, unable to keep the grin off his face. His energy was restless, barely contained, like a man carrying news too big for his own chest.
The door swung open.
Antonia stood there in oversized sweats and a loose tank top, her hair pulled into a messy bun, surprise flashing across her face before it softened into a smile.
“Austin?” she said. “You didn’t call.”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, the moment the door opened wide enough, he stepped inside and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight, all-consuming hug. The kind that lifted her slightly off the floor. The kind that spoke of relief, victory, and something dangerously close to desperation.
“Austin!” she laughed, squirming. “You’re crushing me!”
“I don’t care,” he muttered against her hair, holding on anyway. “I really don’t care.”
She tried to pry his arms loose, still laughing. “Okay, okay, breathe. You’re hugging too tight.”
He finally loosened his grip just enough to look down at her, eyes bright, face alive in a way she hadn’t seen in weeks. "I'm sorry dear, I'm just excited."
“What happened?” she asked, curiosity replacing amusement. “Why do you look like you just won the lottery?”
His smile widened.
“I got the job.”
For a split second, Antonia just stared at him.
Then her face broke into pure, unfiltered joy.
“You did?” she exclaimed, hands flying to his chest. “Austin are you serious?”
He nodded. “I got it. The manager position. It’s mine.”
She let out a small scream, throwing her arms around his neck this time. “Oh my God! Austin, that’s amazing!”
He laughed, spinning her lightly before setting her down. “I knew you’d react like that.”
“This is huge,” she said, eyes shining. “This is really, really huge.”
“I know.”
She pulled back, still holding his hands. “We have to celebrate. I don’t care how tired you are. We’re celebrating.”
He chuckled, but there was a flicker, brief, almost invisible... of something else crossing his face.
“Austin?” she noticed immediately. “What is it?”
“Sit down,” he said gently.
Her smile faltered. “Why?”
“Just… sit. Please.”
The excitement in the room dimmed slightly as she obeyed, settling onto the couch. He sat beside her, elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together tightly.
Antonia studied him now, the way one does when joy suddenly grows teeth.
“There’s a problem,” she said quietly.
He sighed. “Not exactly a problem. More like… a condition.”
Her brows furrowed. “Austin.”
He turned to face her fully. “The job requirement was… unusual.”
“Unusual how?”
He hesitated, then exhaled slowly. “They were only hiring married people.”
Her eyes widened. “Married?”
“Yes.”
“That’s...” she paused. “That’s not even legal, is it?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But that was their rule. Non-negotiable.”
Antonia leaned back slightly, processing. “But… you’re not married.”
“I know.”
“So how did you get the job?”
He swallowed.
“I stayed anyway.”
She blinked. “Stayed?”
“I needed the job, Antonia,” he said softly. “I couldn’t walk away. Not after everything.”
Her hand drifted unconsciously to her belly.
“And during the interview,” he continued, voice low, “they asked me directly about my marital status.”
Antonia’s chest tightened. “What did you say?”
“I lied.”
Silence fell between them.
“I told them I was engaged,” Austin said. “Engaged to be married soon.”
Her breath caught. “Austin…”
“I panicked,” he rushed on. “I didn’t plan it. The words just came out. And once they did, I couldn’t take them back.”
She stared at him, heart pounding.
“They said the offer would only be finalized if I could prove it,” he added. “That I was truly engaged.”
Antonia’s mouth opened, then closed.
Finally, she whispered, “Prove it how?”
“Meet my fiancée,” he said quietly.
Her world tilted.
Austin turned fully toward her now, his eyes earnest, almost pleading. “That’s why I’m here.”
She shook her head slowly, disbelief written all over her face. “No. Austin, no.”
“Antonia....”
“No,” she repeated, standing abruptly. “You can’t be serious.”
He stood too, reaching for her hands. “Please, just listen.”
She pulled away. “You want me to what? Pretend to be your fiancée?”
“Yes.”
The word hung heavy between them.
“You want me to lie,” she said, voice trembling, “to strangers, to your employers...”
“I want you to help me,” he cut in softly. “Just until everything is finalized.”
Antonia laughed, sharp and incredulous. “Help you? Austin, this isn’t helping you pick out furniture. This is a whole fake engagement.”
“I know how it sounds,” he said quickly. “But I wouldn’t ask if I had any other option.”
She paced the small living room now, hands threading through her hair. “This is insane.”
“I’m begging you,” he said, voice cracking just slightly. “Please.”
She stopped.
Begging.
Austin never begged.
She turned to him slowly, eyes searching his face. “Why me?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Because I trust you. Because you matter to me. Because you’re already the most important person in my life.”
Her chest tightened painfully.
“And because,” he added softly, “you’re pregnant.”
The words landed with weight.
"What has my pregnancy got to do with this?"
"It will convince them beyond doubt that you're my fiancee." he answered.
Antonia sighed deeply. Not again.
Why does this keep happening to her?
“This job,” he continued, “means stability. Real stability. Not just for me. For us. I want to be a part of your life.”
She stared at him, utterly stunned.
“You want me to walk into your workplace,” she said slowly, “and introduce myself as your fiancée.”
“Yes.”
“And pretend we’re getting married.”
“Yes.”
“And lie convincingly enough that they believe it.”
“Yes.”
She let out a breathless laugh, one hand pressed to her chest. “Austin, do you hear yourself?”
“I do,” he said firmly. “And I don’t take this lightly.”
She searched his face for humor.
There was none.
“You already lied,” she said quietly. “And now you want me to help you keep lying.”
“I want you to help me secure a future,” he replied. “A future where I can take care of you, and your child. And if things eventually go the way I pray, this lie would One day become the truth.”
Her throat tightened.
“You should have told me before you lied,” she said, hurt seeping through. “You made a decision that dragged me into it without asking.”
“I know,” he admitted. “And I’m sorry. Truly.”
She looked away, emotions warring inside her. “This is too much.”
He stepped closer, lowering himself slightly so he could meet her eyes. “Antonia… please.”
She shook her head again, overwhelmed.
"I have been here before, It never ends well."
"Ours is different. We care about each other." He pressed on.
She stared at him, shock etched deep into her features, her mind spinning with consequences, risks, and the terrifying possibility of what pretending might awaken between them.
“You really expect me to just… say yes?”
He swallowed. “I’m hoping you will.”