Page 64 of The Billionaire Babe

“I’m not. We would do anything for you, Val,” Chloe says, and the girls all hug.

“Ladies,” I say, interrupting them. As sweet as this is, I need Val to myself. “I believe you have a change of clothes in the spare rooms down the hall?” I ask them, insinuating that they make themselves scarce, because the longer I see her in this goddamn wedding dress, the angrier I get. At the situation, at her father, at myself for leaving her in the first place.

“Oh, sure,” Chelsea murmurs, looking at the others.

“You okay?” Chloe asks Val, not even looking at me. Val nods to her, and the girls gather the bottom of their dresses and walk down the hall in their heels, chattering the entire way.

“What’s the plan?” she asks, looking up at me.

“What’s the plan? The plan is that you need to get that fucking dress off your body right now,” I growl, stalking toward her. I want to burn this fucking dress and then bury the fucking ashes.

“Stop!” She holds up her hand, and I still, mere feet away from her.

“You left me,” she states, pursing her pretty lips. She looks delicate now. Like the adrenaline is wearing off. Her eyes are glassy, and her bravado is thinning.

“I had to,” I say, nodding, my jaw hurting from how hard I am clenching it.

“You left me?” she says again, her voice breaking, her breathing becoming more rapid. She is upset and pissed off. Good. Because so am I.

“He threatened to hurt you. He threatened your rightful position at the company your grandmother built,” I grit out, trying to explain my weeklong absence, my nostrils flaring as I think about it.

“I know,” she says calmly and swallows.

“You know?” I frown, trying to work out what she knows.

“Levi has been staying with me all week. He told me all about it.” My head swings around, looking at him sitting on the sofa, his feet now up on her coffee table and a bowl of snacks by his side that he obviously grabbed from her kitchen without me noticing.

“What?”

“I went through with this stupid stunt today because I thought it would be the only thing to get you back,” she explains, looking a little remorseful. “And Levi is currently sleeping in my spare room down the hall.” I raise my eyebrows. She doesn’t even know the kid, yet she opened her home to him in his time of need, when his parents are too out of it on drugs to notice he is even gone. She is kind as well as infuriatingly stupid. No man should have access to her like that. Not even fucking Levi. That will be a discussion for another time.

“I spent the last twenty-four hours planning and getting a team in place so I could come and get you,” I explain. “But what if I didn’t show?” I ask, wondering what she was thinking. I did wonder why she didn’t run earlier, why she was going through with a wedding she didn’t want.

“I trusted you to show. I knew you would come for me. You just needed a little push,” she says with so much conviction, it is pulsating in my chest.

“And if I didn’t?” My fists clench at my sides. I am itching to touch her.

“I would have run. Then I would have gone into hiding somewhere.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal, that running from your arranged marriage is just part of life. Maybe it is for her. “It was very admirable to fall on your sword for me to get the CEO position, but AJ, I don’t need you to fall on any sword for me.”

“I will always save you in any way I can,” I tell her, ensuring she understands. My life for hers, always.

“But I don’t need you to save me like that. I just need you to be by my side and cheer me on while I save myself.” This woman is fucking amazing. There is no way that I will ever stand by when things get tough, but I underestimated her strength. She is strong, capable, and can do anything she puts her mind to.

“I can do that. And maybe I should have spoken to you before I took off. But sweetheart, there is no doubt in my mind that I will always protect you. My life for yours always.” It is the best she is going to get from me right now. I will always lose so she can win.

“Just promise me you won’t leave like that again,” she pushes. I can’t win this argument because I never want to leave her side again. I take in a deep breath and step into her, our chests touching, and her head tilts up so she can look at me.

“Fine. I promise,” I growl. “Now get this fucking dress off your body so I can burn the fucking thing.”

“I think I’ll let you do the honors,” she says, grabbing my hand and leading me into her bedroom. I kick the door closed, wanting privacy, as she turns and gives me her back.

“The zipper is in the middle.” She holds up her hair. I spot it, grip the material on either side, and pull, tearing the zipper from the fabric, and the dress shreds right down the middle.

“Oh my God!” she squeals, laughing, as I kick out the tulle, letting it pool at her feet.

“Step out,” I demand, and she steps out of the material that gathers at her ankles. I pick it all up, like it is a large bedsheet and walk to the windows.

“What are you doing?” she asks, confusion in her eyes and a small smile on her lips.

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