Page 66 of The Billionaire I Left Behind

I step out, inhaling deeply. Salty air, crisp and cool, fills my lungs. The sky is painted in watercolor hues, blending into the horizon like a masterpiece.

Bryan rounds the truck, stopping beside me. I glance at him, my throat tightening at the quiet intensity in his gaze. I swallow, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

Bryan wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his warmth. “It is.”

I don’t know if he’s talking about the view or something else. Maybe us.

We stand there for a long moment, just breathing it in. As I take in the endless expanse of blue, the town below, the winding roads that led us here, I realize something. He’s been coming here without me.

I turn to him. “You’ve been enjoying this view all alone since I left.” Bryan’s jaw tightens slightly, his thumb brushing absentmindedly over my shoulder. “Not really.”

I frown, looking up at him. “What do you mean?”

He exhales, looking out toward the horizon. “I only came here after you left because I hoped you’d show up, not to enjoy the view.” The confession knocks the air from my lungs.

I stare at him, my heart aching at the thought of him sitting here alone, waiting. I whisper, “Bryan…”

He shakes his head, offering me a small, sad smile. “It’s in the past.” But it doesn’t feel like the past. Not when the weight of it still lingers in his eyes.

“I am so sorry,” I murmur. Because I am. Because he had waited for something that never came.

His fingers tighten slightly on my shoulder, a quiet reassurance. “You don’t have to be.”

Maybe not. But I still am. We climb to the highest point, just like we used to, sitting on the large flat rock where the view is most panoramic. Everything looks so small from up here. The entire town stretches below us, the twinkling lights of shops flickering on as dusk settles in.

Bryan pulls out his phone. “We should take a picture.”

I smirk. “A picture? Since when do you care about documenting things?”

His lips twitch. “Since now.”

I roll my eyes but lean into him anyway, his arm wrapping around my waist as he snaps a photo. I glance at the screen when he shows me. The sunset glows behind us, his face is turned slightly toward mine, as if he’s looking at me instead of the camera.

My chest clenches. I suddenly don’t want this night to end. Ever. We sit there, watching the town below, the oceanstretching infinitely, the sky darkening above us. Bryan presses a soft kiss to my temple, his lips lingering. My eyes flutter shut.

This man. This moment. It feels too perfect.

My fingers grip the hem of my sweater, my thoughts running wild. I could get used to this. To him. The realization is both exhilarating and terrifying.

And when Bryan tightens his hold on me, exhaling like he doesn’t want to leave either, I know we’re thinking the same thing.

Chapter twenty

Bryan

The ball curves too far right. I mutter a curse under my breath, tightening my grip on the club as I watch my putt roll off target, landing nowhere near where I need it to be.

"That’s a darned shame," Liam chuckles, leaning on his club. "Your game’s slipping, man."

"More like his focus," Nate smirks, tipping back the last of his sports drink. "He’s lost in Emma-land."

Liam grins. "Yeah, you’ve been off all day, Kingston. What, you leave your brain at home with your girl?"

I roll my eyes, but there’s no real heat behind it. "She’s not my girl."

As much as I'm enjoying the moment with Emma, there is still a part of me that is scared. I’m scared because I know if she decides we aren't worth it or if she just leaves, I might not recover. I might not be able to pick myself up like I did before. So, the best thing is to hold back. Even though my heart doesn't seem to agree.

Nate snorts. "Sure, buddy. Tell that to your pathetic excuse of a putt."

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