Page 57 of Falling for the Wrong Billionaire
There’s a heaviness in my chest this morning.
I took the morning off work under the pretense of needing rest, but the truth is simpler — the dreaded day is drawing closer, and I needed space to think.
Two weeks.
That’s all I have left here.
Two more weeks to pretend this life is mine, to pretend I belong in this little town with its gentle rhythms and kind people. Two weeks to keep pretending Liam and I could ever really… be anything.
I press the pen to the page, trying to find the words, but everything I write comes out wrong. My mind keeps drifting — back to yesterday, back to the way Liam had held me on the dance floor at the gala like I was the only person in the room.
The way his smile had softened when he looked at me. The way his voice had wrapped around me like a promise.
A quiet ache spreads through my chest.
I can’t imagine saying goodbye to this. To him.
For weeks now, I’ve had a taste of the life I always hoped I’d have — a quiet life, full of laughter and warmth and a man who shows me, every single day, what it feels like to be loved.
I freeze at the thought.
Loved?
No. I shake my head quickly, closing my eyes for a moment. That’s not what this is.
I like him. That’s all.
It’s just a crush. A dangerous, consuming crush that I can’t afford to let grow into anything more.
I force myself to keep writing, my pen scratching against the page, but my thoughts keep slipping back to him. To last night,to his hands on my waist, to the quiet way he’d whispered into my hair that he was proud to have me by his side.
I close the notebook, letting it fall shut with a soft thump.
I can’t do this right now.
I stare out at the ocean, trying to lose myself in the rhythm of the waves, but my heart refuses to settle.
That’s when I hear footsteps.
My head snaps up, and my heart lurches when I see him.
Liam.
He’s walking toward me, hands in his pockets, his smile soft and easy.
I quickly snap my notebook shut and tuck it into my bag, trying not to look as startled as I feel.
“How… how did you find me?” I ask, my voice quieter than I intend.
He stops a few feet away, tilting his head slightly, his eyes warm as they meet mine. “Emma told me you took the morning off,” he says simply. “Figured you might be here.”
I blink at him, unsure what to say.
He takes a step closer, his gaze still locked on mine. “Is it okay if I join you?”
I swallow, my heart hammering against my ribs.
“Of course,” I say, my voice soft. “I don’t mind.”
