Page 54 of Billion Dollar Revenge

She’s smiling as if my story is the most interesting thing in the world. I haven’t felt like a woman was interested in my story?ever. My family, my money, yes, but never me. It unravels me from deep inside.

We finish eating and I realize it’s getting late, and we both have work tomorrow.

“We should go.”

She nods, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

I stand and hold out my hand, which she takes and rises. Our touching feels natural now.

“Can I visit your office between classes next week?” she asks, her voice pulling me back to the present.

I twist my body to face her. “I thought you were working?”

“I am, but during my lunch break?”

Her teeth nibble the corner of her lip. Again, she distracts me without trying.

I clear my throat, enjoying her initiative to catch up again. “Sure. I’ll check my calendar.” I pull out my phone and look at the schedule for next week. “Will one on Tuesday work?”

She scrunches up her face. “My afternoon class starts then.”

I nod and look back down to the meeting, and I know I can move it by an hour. “How about twelve?”

“Don’t move things around for me.”

“I’m not,” I lie, swiftly sending an email to Gabby to reschedule the meeting.

“Are you ready to go?” I step closer instinctively, unable to simply say goodbye.

Her hands grip my neck, holding me close and begging for me to kiss her. Her touch triggers a wave of doubt and memories of past betrayal.

But despite the alarms ringing in my mind about trusting people, I’m unable to resist her allure. What is it about her that I can’t shake?

She’s honest every time I’ve asked her a question; even the difficult ones she answers straight away with complete transparency. And compared to my ex who used to avoid my questions, or if I think about it, avoided me altogether.

Why was I so fucking stupid not to realize she was sleeping with another man. I didn’t see the guarding of her phone, thesudden changes in her work schedule…and the worst was the defensiveness when I asked a simple question like where she was going that night. She’d turn it around on me and make me feel bad for asking. When all I did was care.

I trusted her too easily because I’d known her all my life. We were friends. And now, looking back, it was only ever friendship. I wasn’t in love with her. I was in love with the idea of love. When I compare my ex-fiancée to the way I feel about Chelsea, it’s like fire and water. Two different elements. Chelsea lights me up from within. I’m attracted to her mentally and physically. I can’t get enough of her. We laugh and have fun together. With my ex, she never laughed with me or kissed me like she truly wanted me. My thoughts about Chelsea are so different. I don’t think about just being her friend or fake boyfriend—no, it’s more than that, which scares the fuck out of me. I see a future with Chelsea, but my emotional walls, built over eight years, seem too strong. It’s going to take some more time before I’m ready to take that risk again. These thoughts cause me to keep my head on straight. I clear my throat. “I’ll take you home.”

She bites her lip and nods, and I can sense the disappointment in her, so this time instead of her slipping her arm in mine, I grab her hand and entwine our fingers.

I turn my head and catch her pouty lips in a soft smile when her hand squeezes mine. My heart aches as we stand facing each other at her studio door, neither of us ready to let go.

We lock up and my driver takes us to her place, where I walk her to the doorstep.

“Thanks for tonight. I had so much fun,” she says, her cheeks flushed.

I stare down at her, my lips tugging up as I realize she’s nervous. “Same. I never have fun with people like this.”

“Work parties will never be the same for you.”

“Never.” Pulling on her hand, I bring her body close to mine, and as I’m about to give her a goodnight kiss, the TV turns on. Summer must be waiting for her.

I close my eyes briefly as disappointment she’s not alone floods me.

She whispers with a tremor in her voice, “I better get inside.”

I close my eyes, pressing my lips to her forehead, before I suck in a deep breath and reluctantly pull away from her. “I’ll see you soon.”

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