The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(84)

Jack had starting thinking about what their life would be like after the election, after politics and all of it. He let the curtain fall back across his view of the podium and made his way to the elevator. He felt like he was walking in a cloud. All around him, people were jubilant, but Jack felt a sense of dread. He decided that as soon as he saw Charlotte he would tell her he had no plans of backing out of their marriage, even after the terms of the contract were up. He needed Charlotte to understand that he wanted to build a life with her.

When he got to the suite, Charlotte was already there, waiting by the window, wearing a navy blue dress. She looked upset. She turned to face him as he crossed the room.

"There's something I need to tell you," Charlotte said, "and it can't wait another minute."

"I have something I need to tell you too," Jack said. "I love you, and I don't want to lose you, and I'm going to do everything within my power to show you that I'm committed to this relationship. You've been denying it left and right, but I know something is bothering you about our relationship. I know it was wrong of me to hide things from you, but I couldn't tell you the truth either. I wanted to protect you from it, as dumb as that sounds. You were right to be mad, but I love you, and I'm committed to you no matter what."

"Good, because I'm pregnant," Charlotte whispered.

"What?" Jack said. He felt the color drain from his face. "This isn't like last time, right? There's no gotcha moment?"

"No," Charlotte said.

Jack felt like she had knocked him in the side of the head. "How long have you known? How far along are you?"

"A few weeks. I'm almost two months along."

"The honeymoon."

"Yeah, the honeymoon. I've been trying to figure out how to tell you. I know you don't want to be a father, and I never should have put you in this position."

"You couldn't have told me this earlier? You went on and on about how we needed to be open and honest with each other. You told me you couldn't be with someone who hid the truth from you, and you turned around and hid the biggest thing you could possibly hide. How long were you planning on keeping this from me?" Jack asked.

"I didn't know at the time, ok?" Charlotte said. "I was scared and I didn't know what to do. I know fatherhood is the last thing you want, and I know you didn't want to be married in the first place, and I'm sorry, Jack. I'm sorry."

Charlotte waited for his response, but none came. There was a knock on the door.

"Give us a minute," Jack called.

"You're up for national interviews," Lauren said from the other side of the door. "The news cycle is calling."

"Go," Charlotte said. "You won, and people want to see you."

"You should have told me," Jack said.

"I just did," Charlotte replied.

Jack slumped down in the chair and ran his hands through his hair. None of his thoughts on the matter seemed to converge on a single opinion. He was thrilled that he and Charlotte would actually be a family. At the same time, he had never wanted to be in this position. He couldn't be a family man and a high-level politician at the same time. "Not like this Charlotte," he said. "Not like this."

The pounding on the door grew louder. It might as well have been the sound of the storm brewing inside his heart. Why did it have to be right now? Jack wondered. Why right before I have to give a speech to the whole world?

He put his fingers to his forehead to try to concentrate on what was important: family, happiness, Charlotte.

She saw the look of confusion on his face and broke into tears.

"This was all a mistake," Charlotte said. "I'm sorry." She turned and hurried off to the bedroom of the suite.

"Charlotte!" Jack called.

The door at the other end of the room burst open. Lauren was beaming.

"Jack, we need you out here now," she yelled. "They called the race. You won. Everyone is downstairs waiting."





***

"Phone and keys," Lauren said. "No weird pocket bulges for your photo op."

Charlotte could hear her through the door, and from the sound of the light thuds that came after, Jack had left them on the table.

"Lauren, I can't come down now," he said. "Give me five minutes."

"Now," Lauren insisted.

"One minute," Jack said.

Charlotte knew him well enough at this point to know exactly how he would have looked as he said it. There would be no argument.

Lauren's voice was quieter when she replied. "If you're not down there in one minute, don't blame me if you look like a sore winner on the news."

After a few seconds, Jack's voice came from the other side of the bedroom door.

"Charlotte," he said. "We'll talk about this after."

"Don't go," Charlotte said. "Can we please just take five more minutes?"

"You know I have no choice. Obviously, I don't blame you for finally telling me, but you really should have told me sooner."

Charlotte couldn't decide if opening the door to look in his face would make her feel better or worse. By the time she turned the doorknob and peeked out, Jack was stepping out of the suite. The sound of joyous staffers and overstressed reporters erupted a few moments later.