From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 90

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
*by Serene L. Arden*

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“Oh my God! Is that exactly what I think it is?!”

The words burst from Lizzie’s lips like a firecracker, and I felt my heart leap into my throat. I jolted back as if struck by a bolt of electricity, pushing Roman away from me with such force that I nearly lost my balance and toppled off the hood of the car. Lizzie, in a flurry of excitement, dashed across the driveway, her bare feet slapping against the concrete, her hair a chaotic halo around her face, her eyes wide with disbelief as they locked onto the vehicle.

“Savannah!” she shrieked, her voice cutting through the morning air like a siren. “Is this yours?!”

I scrambled off the hood, my mind racing as I tugged down on my flimsy tank top, acutely aware of the way it clung to me and the very obvious state of my embarrassment. Heat rushed to my cheeks, turning them a vivid shade of crimson, while Roman leaned back against the car with an air of nonchalance, as if he were completely unfazed by the scene unfolding before him.

“Lizzie!” I squeaked, my voice barely above a whisper as I folded my arms across my chest, trying to shield myself from her gaze.

But Lizzie was oblivious to my discomfort, her entire being consumed by the beauty of the car before us. She circled it like a devoted worshipper, her fingers gliding over the sleek body as if it were a sacred artifact. “Roman, are you serious? You got her this?!”

“It’s mine,” I declared, unable to suppress the grin that broke across my face, despite my embarrassment. “Roman got it for me.”

Lizzie gasped, clutching her chest dramatically as if she had just received the most shocking news. “Sav, I swear, if you don’t marry him, I’m returning him in one piece!” Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and I could see the gears turning in her mind.

I laughed breathlessly, leaning into Roman for support, his presence grounding me. “Sorry, Liz. I don’t share. Especially not him.”

Roman’s hand found its place on my hip, his thumb stroking me in a lazy rhythm, a gentle reminder of how completely wrecked I still felt from the whirlwind of emotions that had been swirling around me.

Lizzie groaned, throwing her head back in mock despair as she began snapping pictures and videos of the car, her laughter ringing out like music. “This is unreal. I hate you both. No, wait, I love you— I don’t even know anymore!” She rambled, tugging at her hair in frustration, as if trying to pull herself out of the chaos of her own thoughts.

Before I had a chance to respond, another voice sliced through the excitement like a knife.

“What’s with all the noise?! And whose car is that?!”

We all turned to see Chloe standing in the doorway, her expression already darkening, a storm brewing behind her eyes.

“It’s mine,” I said smoothly, hooking my arm through Roman’s and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, relishing the warmth of his skin against my lips. “He gifted it to me.”

For a fleeting moment, her facade cracked, revealing the vulnerability beneath, before she shoved me hard. I stumbled back a step, barely catching myself on the garden bench, my heart pounding in my chest.

“How dare you? You’re accusing me of cheating now? Saying my baby isn’t Dean’s?” Her finger jabbed at me, her voice rising in indignation. “You’ve gone too far this time, Savannah. Dad will hear about this.”

She turned to leave, but my words stopped her in her tracks, slicing through the tension like a knife.

“Go ahead. Run to Dad.” My voice was sharp, a blade of ice. “And I’ll tell Mom that Dean had a vasectomy. That he can’t be the father of your child.”

Her entire body went rigid, and slowly, she turned back to me, her eyes wide, red, and wild with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

“What are you talking about? Dean never had a vasectomy. He never mentioned that to me.”

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh, sharp and humorless. “Of course he didn’t. He didn’t want to risk passing on his condition to a child, did he?”

Her face drained of color, the reality of my words crashing down on her. “What do you mean Dean is sick?”