Carrie.
I stood in the parking level for a few seconds, staring at the set of keys in my hand like they were made of gold. The car parked a few feet away; sleek, black, and definitely expensive, sparkled under the soft overhead lights. I hadn't expected him to follow through so quickly, but apparently, Ty wasn't one for half-measures. Generous? Yes. Confusing? Definitely.
It was still strange, getting used to this new life. Being driven around yesterday already felt surreal, but now, I was in control, literally behind the wheel. The car was mine to use, at least for now, and that still hadn't fully registered.
I was having breakfast with Andie this morning. She'd called the night before, saying she had the day off and insisted we catch up. She'd sounded both excited and a little… distant. I knew that tone. It was the sound of someone feeling like they were being left behind. Andie wasn't just my friend, she was my sister, the person who'd been by my side through every messy turn of my life. If she felt lost, it was my job to pull her back. Now, I know she feels I am lost and needed to be pulled back.
She had a night shift at the hospital later, which meant we had the whole morning and probably most of the afternoon together. I was looking forward to it more than I could admit. I needed the comfort of something familiar.
By the time I pulled up at her apartment, it was already a few minutes past nine. I hadn't seen Ty at all this morning, not that I expected I would send him off to work. He'd probably started his day hours before I even stirred. Still, a part of me wondered where he was.
I knocked once on Andie's door, and before I could knock again, it swung open.
"There she is," she said, pulling me into a hug before I could even step fully inside. "Took you long enough."
"I'm literally five minutes late," I laughed, letting her usher me in.
Her apartment smelled like coffee and pancakes; homey, warm, safe. Everything I didn't realize I needed until now.
"Yeah, yeah," she waved her hand. "But you're planning to get married now. Time moves differently for women who are engaged."
I rolled my eyes, but the smile on my face faded quickly as I spoke. "I got married yesterday."
The words felt foreign even now, sitting so casually between us like they weren't meant to carry weight. But they did. And the effect on Andie was immediate.
She froze. Blinked once. Then gasped so loud the neighbor's cat probably heard it through the wall.
"What!" she practically screamed, grabbing my arm like she could physically shake the truth out of me. Before I could even blink, she was dragging me toward her small but cozy kitchen. "You're not joking?" she asked, eyes wide and searching my face for a hint of sarcasm.
I just shook my head.
She stared for a few seconds longer, then exhaled in disbelief as we sank into our usual breakfast spots by the counter. "You were literally single just last week," she said, clearly trying to wrap her head around it. "When I was crying about Mike, you said—and I quote—'I'm glad I'm single.'"
I gave her a small, sheepish smile. "Yeah… I didn't exactly see this coming either."
Her jaw dropped again, but she kept quiet, waiting. When she saw that I wasn't saying anything but nipping at the cookies on the counter, she said " but you were single." She was obviously saying the fact- I was single.
"You are not going to let that go are you?" I asked her still focused on the cookies.
She looked at me closely, her teasing tone softening. "Not until you tell me everything. But wait, have you broken up with me? Because how come I am left behind about everything going on with you?" She joined me in eating the cookies.
I ran a hand through my hair, not quite sure where to begin. "It's complicated," I said finally. "It's not the fairytale kind of marriage, Andie. It's… a deal."
"A deal?" she repeated, voice lower now but no less shocked. "Carrie, you got married in a deal? Are you okay? Do you even know this guy?"
I nodded slowly. "It's a marriage of convenience. No strings, no romance. Just a contract… and money."
Her eyes widened, but I could see the concern slowly overtaking the surprise.
"Tell me everything," she said, softer now. "From the beginning."
And I did.
As the smell of syrup and toast filled the room, I started unraveling the truth,slowly, carefully, because if anyone deserved the full story, it was her.
As I spoke, I watched Andie's face shift from shock to confusion, then slowly to something closer to concern. She didn't interrupt. She had even stopped touching the cookies. She just listened, with the kind of intensity only a true friend could give.
"So let me get this straight…" she finally said when I paused for breath. "You met this guy, this bossy, arrogant billionaire yesterday… and today you're married to him?"
I nodded again. "I know how it sounds."
She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, eyes narrowed like she was trying to read between the lines of everything I just said. "Carrie… this isn't like you. You hate rushing into things. You always overthink, remember?"
I sighed. "That's the thing. I do overthink, but there was no chance to even think about it. During the night, I barely slept. Because Peter's surgery is important, and I had no other options. It was either this or wait around for help that might never come."
Her expression softened. "So he's paying for the surgery?"
"Yes. And not just the surgery. He's moving Peter to a private hospital, paying all the bills… he even gave me a car."
"Wait, you own that sleek black thing outside?"
I let out a half-laugh. "Apparently."
She shook her head and muttered under her breath, "I thought it was some politician's side piece pulling up."
I chuckled, grateful for the moment of lightness.
But Andie wasn't done. "Carrie… are you sure you're safe? That he won't try to control you? This whole setup just screams power imbalance."
I paused. "He's… distant, cold even. But he hasn't done anything threatening. We are even on different floors and we might not even see each other for a long while. He just made it clear that this is business, nothing more."
"And you're okay with that?"
"I have to be."
She stared at me, her eyes glossy now. "I just don't want to lose you to some cold contract with a man who can't even see you."
That broke something in me.
"You won't lose me," I whispered. "You're the only person who really knows me. I couldn't continue with this without telling you, but because it wasn't a real wedding, I thought not to tell you because we weren't expecting anyone at the civic center."
Andie reached across the table and took my hand. "Then you're not doing it alone. I'll be here every step of the way."
And just like that, the knot in my chest loosened. I wasn't sure what this new life held, but I knew I wasn't entirely alone.