Page 19 of Falling for the Wrong Billionaire
Stella shrugs, leaning casually against the counter. “Oh, I don’t know. You two seem... close. I saw the way he looked at you.”
I’m at a loss for words. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I try to laugh it off, but it comes out as a little more of a nervous chuckle than I intended.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
Stella, however, isn’t fooled. “Oh, I think you do. Don’t play dumb with me. I’ve never seen Liam act that way around any woman before. And the way he talks to you? It’s different.”
I glance toward the window, and to my surprise, I spot him. Liam. He’s standing outside, talking to a local vendor. They’re laughing, and for a moment, it’s just him in his element, at ease with the world. And I’m... watching.
I can’t stop the smile that forms on my lips before I catch myself.
Stella notices immediately. She leans in, a teasing glint in her eyes. “I knew it! You’re totally into him.”
My cheeks flush even deeper now. “It’s not like that,” I say, but it’s barely a whisper.
Stella raises an eyebrow. “Then why are you blushing? Why are you looking at him like that?”
I turn my head quickly, trying to hide the smile I can’t seem to control. “I’m not looking at him like anything,” I say quickly, trying to cover my tracks.
“Uh-huh,” she says, clearly unconvinced. “if it's anything I’ve never seen him this interested in a woman. Not like this. He’s different with you.”
My stomach churns. I didn’t expect to hear this. I didn’t think anyone would notice. But hearing it from Stella... it makes everything feel so much more real. So much more impossible.
I turn away, pretending to look at the menu. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
Stella presses on, her voice softer now, but there’s still a teasing undertone. “Well, maybe if you like him so much, you should just go for it.”
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. I feel my chest tighten. I want to laugh, to brush it off, but I can’t. “It’s not that simple,” I say, my voice almost cracking.
“Why not?” she asks, her eyes gentle now. “If you like him, why not see where it goes?”
I feel my pulse quicken. “Because I can’t,” I whisper, my heart pounding. “I can’t because it’s not fair to him. It’s not fair to me. I’ve got…. I can’t let myself fall for him.”
Stella doesn’t press further, and for once, I’m grateful. She just gives me a long look, and I can see the understanding in her eyes, even though she doesn’t say anything else.
We sip our drinks in silence, and I watch Liam from across the street, wishing for something I can never have.
Later that evening, back in my apartment, I sit by the window, the weight of everything still pressing down on me. The engagement contract sits heavy in my mind, its words echoing in my chest. I pull my journal close, needing an outlet, needing to pour my thoughts onto the page.
I write the date at the top, then the title: “The Man I Could Love, If I Was Free.”
I pause for a moment, staring at the words. There’s so much I want to say. So much I wish I could feel. But I can’t. Not now.
I write:
If I had the chance, maybe I could love him. Maybe I could build something with him. But I can’t. The life that’s been planned for me doesn’t include him. It doesn’t include me, either. It’s not my choice to make, and I know that. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting something different. I want him. But I can’t have him. Not when I have this engagement looming over me. Not when I know I’ll break his heart before it even starts.
I close the journal and lean back in my chair, closing my eyes. The world outside is dark, quiet, and all I can hear is the pounding of my heart in my chest.
But I can’t stop myself from wanting more.
Chapter nine
Liam
I finish up the last details of the tech setup, my fingers flying across the keyboard as I enter the final specifications into the system. I should feel a sense of accomplishment, but instead, there’s an emptiness in me. The work is done, the job is complete, but something nags at me.
It’s Lucy.
