Page 91 of Protected By the Billionaire Ex-SEAL

“What happened?” the shy blonde girl named Ruby asks.

“Charles got a school project and he became very busy. It was his dream to have this project and he was very excited about it. In fact, he was so excited about it that he didn’t have time to play with Rae anymore.”

There are several gasps before the kids quiet down.

“While Charles was busy with his project, Rae had a project of her own. A very special project. One that’s meant to be done together. But because Charles was so busy all the time, she thought he wouldn’t want to do it with her. So she left. Rae was excited but scared. She decided that despite being scared, she was going to do it anyway. All on her own.“

“And she still didn’t tell him?” Dean asks, already invested in the story.

Christian shakes his head. “She didn’t tell him. And while he was doing his project and she was gone, she didn’t know he was miserable because he missed his friend so badly. But he also thought she didn’t want to be his friend anymore, so he didn’t do anything about it until...”

Whispers break out among the kids.

“Until?” Ruby’s voice calls out over the rest.

“Well,” he continues, “he found out about Rae’s project.”

My heart drops into my stomach.

Christian is looking into my eyes now, and even though I want to tear my own away, I can’t. Mesmerized by the green, I barely feel the tears welling up until my vision blurs. I blink them away rapidly, but I still can’t look away.

“And when he did, he realized how lucky he was to have a friend like Rae. Someone who wanted to share something so special with him. And he made a horrible mistake letting her go without telling her how much he appreciated their friendship. He always thought that his project was his dream, but he was wrong. His dream was the one Rae wanted to do together. Turns out, it wasn’t a project at all but a gift. So…”

Dean is beside himself. “So…?”

Still looking at me, his lips lift in a half smile at the impatience.

“Charles went after Rae. When he found her, he apologized for making her think he didn’t want her gift. But he does. He’s worried it might be too late, but he hopes she can forgive him for letting her go and promises he won’t give up on her. Because he misses her and loves her.”

Christian all but whispers the last two words.

They replay in my head over and over before I realize that the kids are buzzing with excitement.

Blinking back more tears, I clear my throat and try to control my fast-beating heart.

“That’s…wow.” I clear my dry throat. “That’s a wonderful story, Mr.…”

“Christian. Christian Benson.”

Dean raises a hand. I nod at him. “Yes, Dean?”

“It’s kind of a confusing story.”

“What’s confusing about it, Dean?”

Dean’s brows furrow. “Why didn’t Charles just call Rae and ask why she left? If they’re friends, he should’ve asked her what happened instead of being quiet. And why didn’t Rae tell Charles about the gift? She should’ve told him before leaving.”

“I suppose that makes sense, Dean.”

“Also, why didn’t anyone fly to the moon?”

I blink and finally focus my full attention on him. “Fly to the moon?”

Dean shrugs. “If they fly to the moon and talk there, things will be brighter and they’ll understand each other better.”

Humor sparks Christian’s eyes, but he shakes his head morosely. “That’s very smart of you. I don’t know why Charlie didn’t just call, either. Maybe he was scared that she didn’t want to be friends with him anymore.”

Ruby wrinkles her nose. “If they talked, it’d be fixed!”

---