Page 50 of The Nanny's Bossy Billionaire

“I swear, Brooke, I did not touch him,” Stella says.

Ryan scoffs. “Yeah, only because you were too busy wiping the drool off your face.”

“As if.” She rolls her eyes, throwing the towel at his head. He catches it deftly.

I look from one person to the other. “Whenever any of you would like to explain what is going on?”

“He came in looking for you and offered to help with the leaky faucet I was trying to sort out. Turns out he doesn’t know his head from his ass and ends up flooding the kitchen. But it’s sorted now.”

Ryan hasn’t stopped looking at Stella.

“What are you doing here, Ryan?” I ask.

He tears his gaze from Stella. “Is there somewhere we can talk—”

“There’s nothing Brooke doesn’t tell me. And if it’s regarding her ex-boyfriend, then that’s even more of a reason I need to be there.”

Er… I don’t remember breaking up with my boyfriend but apparently Stella has gone ahead and done it for me in her head.

Ryan narrows his gaze at Stella. “It is about Xavier and Brooke, and it’s got nothing to do with you.” Stella glares back.

I can’t tell what’s going on between these two, but I’m suddenly too tired to figure it out. “Look, Ryan, if it’s about Xavier and Taylor, Zoey beat you to it. I know all about Taylor.”

I walk toward my room, suddenly wanting nothing more than to lie down. I’ve been too strung up all week, and on getting to know that Xavier is alive and well, I’m suddenly exhausted.

“He loves you,” Ryan calls.

That halts me in my steps. For the first time in the past couple of weeks, anger boils inside me. I’ve just about had enough. “You go back to that jackass and tell him to man up if he has something to say to me. Otherwise, he should keep the hell out so I can get on with my life!”

“Xavier doesn’t know I’m here. There’s a chance he’ll kill me if he knows I came by,” Ryan says.

“He wants you, Brooke, desperately. Six years and we were never able to get him to have therapy, and we tried everything. He refused completely. Until now. He started seeing the therapist the day after he left here.”

Ryan comes closer. “He’s only staying away because he thinks that’s the best thing to do.”

“How did you find him?” I ask.

“Gail, his secretary, called and told me. He’s been working like a maniac. Just like he did six years ago.”

Falling into old habits.But he’s getting therapy now, so maybe he stands a better chance?

“He’s not picking up his calls,” I say.

“Because he left his phone at home. I suspect he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist if you reached out to him. Brooke, please. I know he must have acted like a complete nut job, butI’ve known him since we were boys. Xavier is a wonderful person. He’s your boyfriend, and he needs you.”

Everyone keeps banging on about what Xavier needs. What about what I need? Does it even matter if what I need most is what they’re asking me to go get?

I look at Stella to see what she thinks. She wrinkles her nose at Ryan as if she smells something bad, then looks back at me. “I’m not buying that shit.”

“You’re a piece of work, you know.” Ryan glares at her.

Stella rolls her eyes. “Yes, well, you’re an—”

Whatever she meant to say was interrupted by the pounding on the front door.

Stella goes to the door. She looks through the peephole then promptly turns, putting her back to the door as if trying to keep whatever or whoever is on the other side from coming in.

“It’s him!” she whispers.

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