Page 46 of Faking it With A Grumpy Billionaire

“Are you all right, sir? Did something happen?” Anthony asked out of concern.

“I’m fine, why?”

“You just seem a bit out of it today, as though you’re worried about something or can’t seem to get your thoughts out of a matter,” Anthony said as we walked out of the elevator and into my office.

“I’m fine, Anthony. You don’t need to worry. Is there any other thing I need to know?”

“Well, not at the moment, sir. You don’t have any other meetings scheduled for today. If you like, you could close work early today.”

“I see. That sounds like what I would like to hear.”

“Yes, sir. If you may?”

“Yes, you’re free to go, please.” I dismissed him as I settled on my seat, rubbing my forehead with my fingers.

I sighed, realizing he had a point. My thoughts had indeed been fixed on only one thing, or rather person, and that was Elizabeth.

Ever since the kiss we shared two nights ago, my head space had not been in the right place. Every minute, my head was replaying the kiss over and over again. And it was scary to an extent, especially because there were mixed feelings attached to it.

A part of me ached to have her with me again—holding her hand, witnessing her smile, sharing a meal, and watching the sunset together.

To be honest, the time I had spent with Elizabeth at the beach house was one of the best moments I had ever shared with a woman—not that I had gone on many dates in the past. After my breakup with my ex, I had only permitted myself to blow off steam once in a while without any emotional attachment.

Considering my physique and the wealth I had acquired, women tended to pursue me solely for what they could gain, nothing more.

Elena was just like the others, even though it didn’t seem that way at first. Lydia helped me open my eyes to see that all she was doing was being manipulative.

Oh, I had loved Elena so much; she had been my first in everything. But I guess she saw through the feelings I had for her and thought it best to use it to her advantage. I didn’t blame her anyway. Love can make even the smartest person become a fool in the blink of an eye. I guess it’s true what they say that love makes one blind. Certainly, I was blind during the two years we were together. I had given her my time and attention, but I guess that was not enough for her. She had to betray me still by cheating on me with another man.

Given such an experience in the past, it’s understandable I had no friends and trusted no one. Truly, no human being could be trusted. Apart from the relationship with Elena, there was also my parents’ failed relationship, which was a total disaster. To be honest, I still question myself daily, wondering where it all went wrong.

When we were younger, Lydia and I used to believe our home was perfect. With both parents around, we had spent a lot of time together. Mom was always there, when Dad had business meetings. I remembered my classmates complaining about not having enough time with their parents, but I could not relate at all. That’s how great things used to be. Everything was good until it all went south. My mom asked for a divorce, and that was it. At the time, I didn’t understand what had happened between them. Later on, I learned that my mom claimed she no longer loved her husband.

I still remember how disappointed, angry, and hurt I was when I found out why they ended their marriage. Apparently, my mom no longer felt the same way toward our father. I often wondered if it could be so easy to fall out of love with someone who you had married and had two children with. That was the last time we were all together as a family.

My mom tried reaching out to us once in a while, but after some time, she stopped. It made me wonder if she cared about leaving her children behind in her marriage. Sometimes, I questioned if she had also fallen out of love with her children. That seemed to be the only explanation for why she would abandon her own children without bothering to check on them and see how they were doing.

Seeing the kind of person my father changed into after the divorce scared me. It was as though every bit of joy was drained from him, leaving only his work as his sole focus. Imagine living a life devoid of any happiness. I definitely didn’t want that kind of life, so I decided to give love a chance, only to end up hurt. I realized why my father had become the man he was, and he, like me, understood that love led to nothing but pain, hurt, and betrayal.

I let out a sigh as I walked around my office, looking out the expansive views from the ceiling-to-floor windows. Reflecting on my past experiences with love was just what I needed to shake off this growing feeling I seemed to harbor for Elizabeth.

I was sure it was nothing but infatuation—nothing that a good time out with some random ladies at the club would not solve. But I had made a vow not to go down that path again, and I was bound to keep that vow.

Chapter twenty-one

Elizabeth

“I think I like you, Elizabeth. I think I have feelings for you.”

Those words kept repeating themselves in my head, causing me to smile and blush as I mixed the pancake batter in the bowl.

I rose early to prepare breakfast, but as I began, a hot breath escaped me, bringing back a rush of images from the kiss. However, along with the memory came a wave of anxiety. I felt confused about the status of our relationship.

What were we now? Were we still a fake couple? Was he interested in an actual relationship? Or was the kiss just a mistake?

The last option seemed to resonate with me more, regardless of how painful it sounded. It appeared to be the only plausible explanation at this point, especially considering the fact that Will and I hadn’t exchanged a single text message since that night, and honestly, it bothered me. I mean, how do you confess your feelings to someone and then suddenly ghost afterward?

I sent a message once, but Will gave no response. Of course, the pride in me would never make me text again, but at the same time, I hated the anxiety and the uncertainty that I was stuck in. Now, I had no choice but to just go with the flow, whatever the flow was.

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