Page 58 of The Billionaire I Left Behind

I settle into a chair, still half-suspicious, and pick up my fork. “Alright, fine. But if this is some elaborate scheme to make me drop my guard, it’s not working.”

Bryan sits across from me, sipping his coffee like he’s completely at ease, like he hasn’t just sent my heart into a sprint. “You wound me, Em.”

I scoff but take a bite of the pancake. Fluffy. Buttery. Sweet. Holy cow, it’s good.

I chew slowly, conscious of his gaze on me, and then begrudgingly say, “Okay. Not bad.”

Bryan smirks. “I’ll take that as high praise.” We fall into an easy rhythm, eating and talking about things that don’t have to do with what this could mean. And yet, every time our hands brush when we reach for something, or our gazes linger just a second too long, it’s there.

The pull. The reminder that this isn’t just friendship anymore.

I should put the wall back between us. I should remind myself that I’m still unsure about all of this. But as Bryan watches me with that easy smile, as he leans back in his chair, completely at home in a space that once felt too big for just me… well.

I wonder if maybe, just maybe, this is exactly what I need.

Then he leans forward, elbows on the table, eyes locked on mine. “This was just part one.”

I frown. “Part one of what?”

His lips twitch. “You’ll find out this evening.”

I narrow my eyes at him, skepticism clawing at the edges of my curiosity. “What kind of surprise?” Bryan only grins. “You’ll see.”

***

The first thing I see when we pull up to the marina is the boat. Sleek, white with navy-blue trim, bobbing gently with the rhythm of the tide. The water glistens under the late afternoon sun, waves rolling lazily toward the horizon. Seagulls call in the distance, their cries carried by the salty breeze, and for a second, I just stare.

“What is this?” I ask, turning toward Bryan, my heart already hammering.

He leans against the truck, arms folded, a small, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He looks ridiculously good like this, effortless, like he belongs here among the waves and sun-drenched docks.

“You remember back how you used to talk about sailing?” he asks. “How we’d sit on the pier, watching the boats and you’d say…”

“One day, we’ll have our own,” I finish in a whisper, the memory washing over me like the tide.

Bryan’s eyes soften. “I never forgot. As a matter of fact, it inspired me to buy this boat some years back.” "You did what?" she shouts.

"Yeah, I know it's stupid. I mean you broke up with me and all, but somehow maybe a part of me was still holding on to you."

A lump forms in my throat, my fingers gripping the edge of my sundress as I glance back at the boat. The idea of this, of him remembering something so small yet so significant does something to me. I shake my head, trying to rein it in. “I don’t know, Bryan. I haven’t…”

He steps closer, the warmth of his body just inches away, his voice low, coaxing. “Trust me.”

Those two words. So simple, yet they hold so much weight. I lift my gaze to his, green eyes steady, waiting.

I should say no. I should keep the wall up. But what am I kidding myself? The sea has always been our place. And right now, looking at him, standing on the dock with the ocean stretched wide behind him, I want to step back into that world.

Before I can change my mind, I nod. Bryan grins, a real one, full and bright. He takes my hand, the warmth of his fingers wrapping around mine, and leads me onto the boat.

The wind picks up as we sail out of the marina, the hum of the motor fading into the sound of waves slapping against the hull. The world slows down out here, the coastline shrinking in the distance, the only company the endless stretch of sky and water.

I breathe it in. The sea air, the sun against my skin, the weight of the past easing just a little.

Bryan stands at the helm, steering with ease, like he’s done this a thousand times before. I watch him, the relaxed grip of his hands, the way the wind ruffles his hair, the golden glow of sunlight brushing his jawline.

He’s beautiful. The thought startles me. I turn away, focusing on the waves, but the warmth spreading through my chest lingers.

“You’re quiet,” Bryan says, his voice breaking through the moment.

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