Page 37 of The Billionaire I Left Behind

But Liz had insisted. And Nate? That smug bastard had just smirked and said, “BBQs are family tradition, man. No excuses.”

Family. The word has sat wrong in my gut since the moment it left Nate’s mouth.

Because this? This is the closest thing to a family I’ve ever had. And she’s here.

Emma shifts beside me, shoulders tense, before Liz turns and beams, arms already outstretched. “Emma!”

Emma barely has time to react before Liz pulls her into a tight hug, belly pressing between them. Emma laughs softly, hugging back. “Wow, you’re really showing now.”

“Six months of eating every carb in sight.” Liz grins, pulling back. “And you, look at you, you’re glowing.”

I glance at Emma out of the corner of my eye. I wouldn’t call it glowing. But there’s something different. Something about the way her shoulders have loosened in the past couple of weeks, the way the crease between her brows isn’t as deep as it was when we first moved into the house.

The way she laughs more now. I look away, jaw clenching. Not my business.

Nate claps a hand against my shoulder, grinning. “Glad you made it, man.”

I grunt in response, and Nate chuckles. “C’mon, let’s grab a beer.”

We move toward the cooler, the ice shifting as Nate pulls out two bottles and pops the caps with ease. I take mine, nodding toward Max. “Kid’s getting faster.”

“Yeah, he is. But don’t think I didn’t notice you watching someone else.”

I stiffen. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Nate smirks, taking a long swig of his beer before tilting his head toward the yard.

Emma stands near the fire pit, tossing a ball with Max, her hair loose and catching the sunlight, laughter spilling from her lips. She’s light. Carefree in a way I haven’t seen in years. My chest tightens.

“You’ve been staring at her since we got here,” Nate murmurs.

I scowl. “You’re imagining things.”

Nate just raises an eyebrow. “Am I?”

“She’s just…” I stop, lips pressing into a firm line.

“She’s just what?”

I exhale sharply, taking a long sip of my beer. “She’s Emma. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Nate leans against the porch railing, crossing his arms. “Because the way you’re looking at her right now says otherwise.”

I bristle. “Nothing’s happening. Nothing’s going to happen. I made a mistake with her once, and I won’t repeat it. She is always going to be a disaster waiting to happen.”

Nate smirks, clearly enjoying this too much. “Sure, man. Whatever you say.”

My grip tightens around the beer bottle. Because Nate doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand what it was like to wake up one day and find out the person you love, the person you thought you had a future with, vanished.

No warning. No goodbye. Nothing. Emma left me once, and I’m not about to let her do it again.

Even if it means keeping myself at a distance. Even if it means ignoring the way my gut twists every time she laughs.

Every time she looks at me like she still sees something in me worth holding on to. I run a hand down my face. This is ridiculous. I’m not some lovesick fool. Not anymore.

A sudden gasp from behind us makes us turn toward the house. I frown, scanning the porch, the back door, but see nothing.

Nate shrugs. “Maybe Liz dropped something.”

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