by MaggieRays

✽

Supermodel Harper Banks is guarding the biggest secret of her life... which is why she's especially upset about the reporter that's in her house.

A reporter that happens to be very rugged, handsome, and basically the human-equivalent to a golden retriever. (Who could resist that, right?)

As she struggles to keep the public from finding out her secret, while at the same time being inexplicably thrown together with the one man that could expose her, Harper must come to terms with her new reality.

In the end, she may just learn that the things you try to run away from will always catch up to you. And that donuts are the ultimate breakfast food.

✽

"Do you know what the worst part was?" I blurted to the stranger sitting next to me on the subway.

They turned bewildered eyes in my direction, probably wondering why the hell I was talking to them—probably wondering if I was drunk. (Worth noting: I was not.)

But I didn't even care what they might think of me. I just needed to get this out.

"The worst part," I went on passionately. "Was watching him fall in love with someone else, while knowing I'm pregnant. That was truly the absolute worstest of worsts."

They blinked. "That does sound—"

"Well, that," I added quickly, not giving them the time to finish. "And knowing that there's nothing I can do about it."

"Nothing?" they repeated, sounding appropriately horrified.

"Nothing," I stressed, because it was true.

I couldn't even get mad at Eric—didn't have the luxury of throwing a fit, jilted-girlfriend style, just for the benefit of getting that little bit of revenge therapy.

Because, you see, Eric and I had a sort of... arrangement.

The thing is, we were both workaholics. Because, when you work in the world of modeling, you really have to hustle to earn that superstar status—otherwise, you're just another pretty face on a billboard—and Eric was the first person I'd met who really got that. He didn't make me feel bad for being career-oriented, because he was the exact same way.

Honestly, he was my cross-my-heart, hope-to-die, bullet-to-the-head bestest friend in the whole world.

With benefits.

But the agreement was that there wouldn't be any pressure for a future. We would focus on our careers and split the rent, and that's it. We'd always said that we were okay with the possibility of not being together someday. I just hadn't thought someday would come so soon, or that I would be pregnant when it did.

"So, what are you going to do?" the stranger asked me.

I sighed, slouching in my seat. "I'm going to go home."

✽