Page 34 of Enemies with My Brother's Billionaire Bestie

“We both know I’m more capable of harming you,” I argue, bumping him playfully with my shoulder.

“Ouch, so aggressive,” he teases, and I smile.

The rest of the walk remains silent, and I simply embrace it. The silence is better than saying the wrong things and ruiningthe perfect night. The town is asleep, apart from the lights shining on porches, but my house, on the other hand, is dark.

Elliot stares at my dark house with concern in his eyes. “You know my mom will happily let you stay with her, right?”

“I know, but I’m fine. I’ve lived alone for years, so I can manage until the lovebirds return.”

I want him to stay and say something different from his usual words to me—I want him to tell me that, like me, he is sad about tonight's ending. I want to know that I am not the only one feeling this way.

With a long sigh, he slips his jacket off my shoulders. “See you around, Ollie. Goodnight,” he says, turning away to leave, and I just can’t let him go.

“Wait! I have a gift for you too,” I blurt out, and without a second thought, I lean upward and press my lips to his.

He looks stunned, caught off guard by my actions, but instead of pulling away, he holds me in place and kisses me back before stepping aside. His eyes burn with anger and something else.

“Goodnight, Olivia,” he says sternly, turning on his heel.

It takes me a few minutes to recover, but by then, he’s long gone. After spending the last few months insisting he doesn’t believe in love, he kisses me back and then vanishes without a word of explanation? How does that make any sense?

As I enter the house and get ready for bed, I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. I try calling him twice, but it goes straight to voicemail.

I decide to send a text instead:Don’t you think we have something to talk about?He reads it but doesn’t respond.

“Are you going to ignore me and pretend like tonight didn’t happen?” I text again, and he still doesn’t respond. His silence is all the response I need: he’s ignoring me. But what I want to know is why—why did he kiss me back?

I spend most of the night wondering about his reasons and don’t realize when I finally drift off to sleep. Now it’s past noon. I stare at my phone screen, and there are still no calls or texts from him.

“Care to meet up later today so we can talk? Pretty sure you had an exhausting night,” I text again, and I feel foolish for forcing things, but a part of me is still holding on to hope. He reads the message but doesn’t respond.

Now I’m fuming with fury. “Oh wow, you kiss me and then leave me in the dark. Hell no, Elliot Sharp!” I seethe through my teeth as I march into the shower.

It takes me less than thirty minutes to get dressed and storm out of the house, heading straight to his restaurant. “Let’s see if you can ignore me now, you evil Grinch.”

Fortunately, the restaurant isn’t as crowded as usual, and I spot him near the kitchen area as I walk in. When he finally notices me, it’s too late for him to back out. He approaches with an expression that’s a far cry from the smile he had last night.

“What are you doing here, Ollie?” he asks dryly, and I feel slightly insulted.

“You were ignoring me, and I said we needed to talk,” I pout, my arms folded across my chest.

He looks unamused, as if he wants me gone instantly. “There’s nothing to talk about. You kissed me, and I forgive you.”

“Forgive me? Forgive what…” I sputter in disbelief. “You’re forgetting the part where you kissed me too,” I bark, my voice rising a few decibels.

“It meant nothing, and I apologize. Now can you stop bothering me while I’m working?” he says, his words laced with irritation.

Elliot Sharp is a lot of things, but he isn’t impulsive. That’s why I don’t believe what he is saying. “You’re lying. I know it meant something.”

He drags his hand through his hair, visibly angry, but I don’t care. “Why do you want it to mean something, Ollie? Not everything has a motive, dear.”

“Because I know you,” I spit back, and his mocking laughter echoes all around me.

“That’s the problem, Ollie. You act like you know me after just a few weeks of pretending to be friends, but you don’t.” I’m staggered by his words but try not to show it because I truly believed we had a connection. “Alright, I’ll leave you alone. Sorry for bothering you,” I mumble, heading for the exit. I resolve not to see him again, at least until he’s ready to be honest about his feelings.

I bump into someone outside the door, nearly knocking them over. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Mrs. Sharp. I didn’t see you,” I apologize, steadying her.

“You sure are strong for such a petite lady,” she teases, and I smile, trying to mask my anger, but she sees through me.

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