Page 8 of Enemies with My Brother's Billionaire Bestie

She chuckles softly. “Overreacting is practically a perk of being a Reed. Take Danny, for example. He’s more dramatic about the wedding planning than I am.”

Her words make me laugh, too. Daniel’s acting like the bride, obsessing over every detail. I know he’d lose his mind if anything went wrong, and I genuinely hope it won’t be my fault. “I get that,” I say with a sigh. “But all I’m saying is that I wish you could move past whatever bad memories you have of Elliot and see that he’s capable of being a good person. He’s been there for Daniel and me all these years.”

I know Elliot cares for my brother; I’ve seen it on the rare occasions when he isn’t trying to ruin my day. But after all the years of tension between us, it’s almost impossible to suddenly start seeing him differently.

It’s like asking me to believe that just because a snake isn’t showing its fangs, it’s suddenly a worm. Not the best analogy for Elliot, though—because, in my opinion, he’s a lot worse than a snake. But, yeah, hatred doesn’t just vanish overnight.

“Alright, I’ll try to give him a chance,” I mutter, trying to make her feel better. As she hugs me, I genuinely wish Elliot would stop making it so hard to like him.

While we’re still cleaning up the mess my fridge slamming caused, Daniel strolls in, his eyes looking puffy and exhausted, like he hasn’t slept in weeks.

“Hey, brother, which grave did you crawl out of?” I call out from the kitchen as he pulls Julia into a hug.

“The grave of trying to finish all our projects so we can enjoy a stress-free honeymoon,” he sighs dramatically, collapsing onto the couch, his arms still around Julia.

“The wedding isn’t for a few more weeks. Don’t you think you should take things a little easier?”

He looks over at me, one brow raised. “Is this coming from the same person who can’t wait for everything to be over? Come on, Ollie, we both know you’re ready for us to be married and out of your hair tomorrow.”

“The person I want out of my hair is your annoying best friend, but I’ll stop asking, because I think you’re secretly enjoying frustrating me,” I scowl. His mischievous smile proves I’m right.

After finally cleaning up the kitchen, I toss the towel into the trash and head for my bedroom when I overhear Daniel teasing Julia about her hair.

He shouts after me, “If you’re so mad at Elliot, Ollie, why not take a bag of flour to his restaurant? We need to feel safe in our own home!”

Julia calls out, “Don’t listen to him, Ollie,” but I can’t help the giggle escaping as I make my way upstairs and slam the bedroom door behind me.

I head straight to my wardrobe, pulling out a blue organza dress with white floral patches and a pair of white sandals from the shoe rack. As much as I’d love to stay inside and brainstormthe next topic for my blog, I have a meeting with the event planner—and Elliot.

I’ve been avoiding going out, knowing there’s a good chance I’ll run into him at the market in this tiny town. I want to explore the streets at night, go to the beach, listen to the seagulls at dawn... But Elliot is a major roadblock.

Slipping the dress on, I can’t decide whether to wear my hair down or up. In the end, I settle for a messy bun. After applying a swipe of bright red lipstick, I take one last glance in the mirror before heading out of the room.

“Whoa, what happened to you?” Daniel blurts out, wide-eyed, his gaze traveling up and down my outfit. Julia looks just as shocked.

“Don’t give me that look,” I say with a wink, shutting the door before my brother can dig any deeper. “Even duffs can be princesses with the right makeup and a fancy dress.”

I make my way to the car, a small smile playing on my lips. Starting the engine, I feel an immediate sense of relief—no more sharing rides with Elliot. Daniel must’ve realized that sitting through meetings with him is enough torture for his poor sister. The air feels fresh as I pull out, and the soothing notes of Ellie Goulding’sHow Long Will I Love Youfill the car, helping to push my earlier worries aside.

As I drive, lost in thought, I find myself wondering what Ellie means when she sings about loving someone for as long as the stars remain. Could I ever love someone like that? Could I ever find a love so deep and pure that I’d be able to put it into words like hers?

“What if forever isn’t just till death do us part,” I muse aloud, “but every moment shared with the person you love?”

There are a million questions swirling around in my head, but maybe the answers will come when I meet someone who makesme feel all of this. Someone who can make those kinds of words ring true.

When I pull up to the building, Elliot is waiting by the entrance. He’s in a foul mood—then again, when isn’t he with me? “Took you long enough,” he mutters as I step out of the car, already storming inside without a second glance.

Did I say he wasn’t in a good mood? Scratch that—he’s practically radiating grumpiness today. But I’m not about to let him ruin my mood. I’ve got better things to focus on than indulging his tantrums.

Miss Wilson is waiting at the reception. As soon as I walk in, she notices Elliot’s scowl when he fails to acknowledge her. “Thank you so much for the warm welcome,” I say, flashing her a smile and pulling her into a hug, like we’ve been friends for years—even though we only met a week ago.

She squeezes my hand and nods toward her office. “He looks angrier than a bull with a sore foot. Should we tread carefully?”

“Don’t worry about him,” I whisper with a playful grin. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t get enough attention as a kid, so he’ll jump at any chance to get some now.” We both laugh, the tension easing just a bit.

As we settle into the meeting room, Elliot’s scowl remains firmly in place, like he’s trapped in a permanent frown. Miss Wilson begins to lay out her vision for the wedding, and I can’t help but imagine every detail as she speaks. I see a soft, ethereal mist drifting through the ballroom during the couple's first dance, casting a romantic glow over the room. Hundreds of candles flicker, their gentle flames reflecting off crystal chandeliers, creating an intimate ambiance. As they leave for their car, delicate flower petals rain down around them like a shower of confetti, each bloom adding a touch of magic to the moment. The scene plays out in my mind as if it's straight out of a fairytale.

“Is there anything else you’d like me to add?” Emma asks, her voice softening as she finishes her presentation.

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