Page 36 of Enemies with My Brother's Billionaire Bestie

She takes another step back. “I’d hate to cause you any more discomfort. We aren’t friends, so don’t.”

I almost laugh at the depth she’s trying to sink to with her words. “I want to do this, Ollie. It’s not discomfort, so just get in,” I plead, watching her stare at me, weighing my sincerity.

“Alright. But if you complain during the drive, I’ll punch you in the face, and if you speak to me at all, I’ll also punch you in the face,” she replies, her tone deadly serious, as she finally climbs into the passenger seat.

Typical Olivia Reed—always ready with a joke, even in the tensest situations. I respect her wishes during the drive, not out of fear of her punches or any imaginary jiu-jitsu skills she might have picked up while away. I stay silent because I’m still searching for the right words. Should I apologize for last time, or confront my feelings directly?

By the time we pull up in front of her house, I still haven’t found the right words, so I lock the car doors. When she triesto unlock her door to get out, it doesn’t budge. She turns to me, clearly annoyed.

Gripping the steering wheel tightly until my knuckles turn white, I respond, “Hold on. I have something to say.”

“No, you don’t. I will punch you if you dare speak to me,” she protests, curling her fingers into little fists.

Unbuckling my seatbelt, I turn to face her. “Then you might have to start now because I’m not letting you out until you know how I truly feel about you.”

Her face pales, as if she’s seen a ghost, and I know I have her attention—just what I need for what I’m about to say.

“You asked me why I kissed you, why I’ve been ignoring you and acting cold? It’s because I care a lot about you, Ollie, and I’m scared out of my mind,” I admit, sadness weighing heavy in my chest.

"I’ve been hurt before—by my dad and by others. Yet here I am, caught in the same loop I’ve warned myself about," I say with a scoff and a small laugh, while she listens quietly, likely trying to make sense of it all.

Her mouth opens. “I… I don’t know…” she stammers, her words trailing off as I gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Shhh,” I whisper softly, looking into her eyes with a vulnerability I’ve rarely shown. “I just want you to love me, Ollie. Promise me you won’t break my heart. I don’t know if I could ever recover if you did.”

Her eyes soften, and she leans in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “I would never do that, El. Never.” Her words soothe my anxious heart as I finally close the distance between us, pressing my lips to hers.

When I pull away, I notice the sadness has vanished from her gaze. She tilts her head slightly, a playful glint in her eyes. “Does this mean we’re exclusive now?”

I smile, teasing her gently. “Haven’t we always been?” The sound of her laughter, light and genuine, is like a soothing melody to me.

Her smile widens as she wraps her arms around my neck. “Care to come inside tonight?”

I raise an eyebrow, mischief dancing in my tone. “Why? So you can punch me for talking to you?”

She laughs, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Maybe. You’ll just have to find out,” she says, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

As I follow her in, I realize I’m taking a leap of faith, but for the first time, I’m not afraid. With Olivia, I feel like the risk is worth it.

Sometimes, the detour down an unfamiliar path leads to exactly where you’re meant to be.

Chapter twenty-three

Olivia

It feels like a dream, but it isn’t. Elliot Sharp is here, in my house, in my bed, staring at me with those intoxicating brown eyes. Sometimes, I fear it’s a dream I’ll eventually wake up from, but it’s been a week—an entire week of loving this man and discovering sides of him I didn’t think existed.

Is this how he is when he’s in love? Smitten and even more breathtaking than I ever imagined? How could anyone ever think of hurting a man like him? Maybe it was the many curveballs life threw at him that led him to me, and I have no intention of letting him go.

“I can tell you’re deep in thought. Care to share?” he asks, breaking the silence. I stretch and sit up, noticing the breakfast tray he set beside me.

“When did you do this? You barely got enough sleep last night with all the changes you’re making to your new restaurant,” I say, gently massaging his shoulders.

“Well, everything is almost set up. Maybe I should send Aaron over there; he’s becoming a pain in my neck,” he grumbles.

His love-hate friendship with Aaron is amusing to watch. Although Elliot would rather dress up as a princess than admit he loves Aaron, I know he does—just as I know he secretly enjoys Aaron’s snarky comments.

“I think Aaron is cool. He’s not grumpy like someone else I know,” I tease, and Elliot leans over to tickle me.

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