Free The Billionaire Baby Bombshell by Paula Roe Page B

Needs more color.”
    Yelena tipped her head, considering. From Chelsea’s overly nonchalant stance to the way her eyes darted, the teenager had more than interior decorating on her mind. “Something blue would be nice.”
    “And a comfy sofa, a few pillows…” Chelsea trailed off, arranging the cutlery before lifting the warming trays. “There’s toast, coffee and fruit. If you don’t like, I can always get Franco to make something more fancy….”
    “When it comes to food, I’m not a ‘fancy’ kind of girl.” Yelena smiled. “Toast and fruit is great.”
    They both tackled the food, munching contentedly in silence. After her second piece of toast, Yelena placed her cup of coffee on the table.
    “Chelsea. Can we talk about what you said the other night? About your father?”
    Chelsea flicked a quick glance at the closed door, her eyes running across the long glass wall to the offices beyond. Her chin went up a fraction. “What about it?”
    Such bravado for one so young. Yelena warmed her hands on the cup and leaned forward with a smile. “You know, Gabriela told me you were friends. She used to call you ‘Chelsea-bun.’”
    Chelsea grinned. “Yeah.”
    “Between you and me, I think she liked you better than Alex.” Yelena winked.
    Chelsea laughed then, a sudden rusty sound that made Yelena think she didn’t do enough of it.
    Then suddenly her smile froze. “What do you mean, ‘liked’?”
    Yelena looked the confused girl straight in the eye. “I’m going to trust you with something. I’ve been asked not to announce it, but I think you should know. I’m sorry, Chelsea,but there’s no way to put this gently. Gabriela…well, she died.”
    As Chelsea gaped, mouth wide open, Yelena leaned forward and took her hand.
    “How? When…?” She finally managed to choke out, her eyes filling.
    “In March. We were in Germany and she was taken to hospital. She’d lost a lot of blood and they just couldn’t save her….” Yelena ducked her head as the wave of grief pulled at her legs, threatening to tug her under.
    “So it was an accident? Car?”
    Faced with the teenager’s pooling tears, Yelena could only nod. Forgive me for the little white lie, she offered up. But you know it’s necessary .
    With a wrenching sob, Chelsea was suddenly in her arms. Together they held each other, Yelena holding back tears for the death of a sister she’d been forbidden to acknowledge, Chelsea crying for the loss of a friend.
    Eventually Chelsea pulled away, swiping at her cheeks self-consciously. Yelena handed her a tissue and offered a smile. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”
    “That’s okay.” Chelsea sat back down, her hands shoved between her knees as she leaned forward in her seat.
    Yelena began to stack their plates, giving Chelsea time to compose herself.
    “I miss her,” Chelsea said suddenly.
    Yelena nodded. “Yeah, I do, too.”
    “She…she was the only one I told stuff to.”
    Yelena paused, giving the girl her full attention. “Like what?”
    “Stuff.” Chelsea shrugged, her eyes going to Yelena’s neat plate stack. She reached for her glass and stuck the straw in her mouth. “What I wanted to do with my life, the places I wanted to visit. She’d been to so many countries and had heaps of stories.”
    Yelena smiled. “She loved to travel. She used to brag she’d seen every country except Alaska and the Poles.”
    “Yeah.” Chelsea returned the smile. “She was gorgeous but not in a bitchy way, you know? She always had time for me.” She tipped her head, studying Yelena. “Like you.”
    Something warm and satisfying spread across Yelena’s heart. “Thank you.”
    When Chelsea stiffened and glanced up, Yelena followed her eyes to the shadow beyond the glass wall. A second later Alex swung the door open with firm intent.
    “It’s nine-thirty,” he said, glancing from one to the other from his position in the doorway.
    “Sure is,” Yelena answered, downing the last