Page 296 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 9
Those Summer Nights - Chapter 25
Monday
When J.J. and I weren’t soaking up the sun together and dancing the nights away, I’d been spending most of my free time thinking about what he had said three weeks ago. And cooking. So much cooking. J.J. could put away a ridiculous amount of food. His compliments made me truly believe I could do something with the one hobby I loved. The answer had been right in front of me. I’d just been too blind to see it.
I loved cooking more than any college course I had taken. I really did. A culinary arts degree was out of the question at this point. But I could suck it up and finish a business degree like he said. Then I’d have the skills to handle everything behind the scenes, from the menus to the books. Behind the scenes at a restaurant was probably where I belonged anyway. I was great at working the slow shifts at Sweet Cravings, but I avoided the busy hours like the plague. I liked things calm and peaceful. Hopefully my restaurant would have that vibe all day long. Every time I thought about it I got more and more excited, which made J.J.’s smile even brighter too.
The fact that J.J. wanted me to follow my dreams was sweet. I just wished he’d follow his own. If I could start a restaurant, then he could certainly figure out a way to live life in this town. He could find something to do during the offseason. We could make it work.We.I smiled to myself. Neither of us had used the love word yet, but I felt it in his gaze. In his touch. And I definitely saw it in his smile.
I wasn’t falling anymore. I had already fallen. But I was still scared to say it. I was scared saying it out loud would somehow jinx it.
Especially because whenever I talked about the future, J.J. always seemed to change the subject. I knew it was hard for him to think about moving to the city at the end of summer. But I just didn’t understand why he wouldn’t even entertain the idea of doing something else. Like his bleak future was set in stone. Maybe I’d try to bring it up again tonight. He’d helped me figure out what I might want to do in the future. I owed him the same. And a suit and tie would never make him happy. We both knew that. I just needed to open his eyes to all the possibilities out there. Besides, it was a sin to hide his perfect body under so many clothes. Swim trunks suited him best.
My phone beeped. I lifted it up, expecting a text from J.J., but it was an email notification. I clicked on it and I was pretty sure my heart stopped beating. I read it twice because I didn’t even believe it.I got in.I felt tears welling in my eyes.I got accepted to the University of New Castle’s business college!
It was like I had willed the email to come today when I was thinking about committing to a business degree. If Kristen had been here I would have screamed and started jumping up and down. But it seemed weird to do alone. I jumped once anyway, because who the hell cared if I was being weird, and let the tears stream down my cheeks.I fucking did it.
I was coming back to the east coast for good. That dismal, empty life that I’d started in Cali was over. I let go of a breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding. The thought of going back there at the end of summer had been daunting. And now…not happening.Not a chance in hell. I never had to go back. I wiped the tears out of my eyes.I got in!
And now I’d be a short drive away from this beach. An hour tops. If I wanted to, I could come here all the time. Not that I wanted to be here without J.J.Oh my God, J.J.!
I was about to call him to tell him the good news, but I paused. This was an in-person conversation. I wanted to see his face when he found out I’d only be a few hours away from him. I glanced at the time. If I left now I’d have time to stop at the beach on my way to work. I couldn’t wait to see his smile. I could picture him hopping off the lifeguard stand and lifting me into his arms, twirling me around, and giving me the hottest damn congratulations kiss possible. Plus it was a perk that he’d do it in front of all those girls that tried to flirt with him every day at the beach. J.J. was mine and this acceptance email sealed the deal.
I pulled my hair into a messy bun as I slipped on my Keds. My mind was racing as I headed out the door. I couldn’t even wait to tell him. And I had so much to do. I needed to let my dad know so he could send tuition. I needed to call my mom and tell her I was coming back to Delaware. I needed to figure out where I’d live and what classes to enroll in. But telling J.J. was the only thing that mattered right now. God, he was going to be so excited.
I ran down the stairs two at a time and turned so quickly that I ran straight into someone. I started to fall but he caught me.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I wasn’t watching where…” The smell of expensive cologne hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the opposite of how J.J.’s skin smelled. J.J. exuded warmth and naturalsummer scents. He smelled like the ocean breeze and sunscreen. My stomach churned. My nose was currently being affronted by the smell of sleazy ass. Which was a fairly generous description considering who was wearing it. I couldn’t look up to confirm my suspicion.This can’t be happening.I was supposed to be celebrating. Not…whatever the hell this was.
“That’s okay,” said a deep voice that was all too familiar. “I wanted you back in my arms anyway.”
Fuck.I felt like I was going to be sick. I looked up at Aiden. My ex. The one that stomped on my heart, pissed all over it, and then punted it into a volcano just for fun. It was like all the good news had filled up a balloon and he’d just popped it in my face.
I pushed his arms off me and took a step back. “What the hell are you doing here?” I didn’t sound nearly as angry as I should have. It was just a casual question like you’d ask an old friend. But maybe that was for a reason. Because I felt nothing when I looked at him. Nothing at all. I wanted to pinch myself. Was it possible that I was imagining him standing there? That this was some sort of nightmare?
“It’s nice to see you too, Mila. You look…good. Tan. I didn’t realize how much you liked the beach.” His eyes trailed down my legs.
I was definitely going to be sick. I pinched myself just to be sure I wasn’t in that nightmare.Ow.“I didn’t like Santa Monica. I love Rehoboth.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Everything. It smells different for one.”
He laughed. “Okay. I’m not so sure that’s true. When are you coming back home?”
I am home.I wasn’t having this conversation with him. “I have to go to work.”
“Skip it. I came all this way to see you, babe.”
I shook my head. “You shouldn’t have.”And don’t fucking call me that.
“I told you I wanted to give us another shot.”
“And I told you to go to hell.” My hospitality had diminished rather quickly.
He smiled. “But we both know you didn’t mean that. Come on. Invite me up.” He nodded to my apartment.
I wished I could go back in time and not give him my address. Or go back in time and never date him to begin with.Definitely that one.I just stared at him. The books and clothes I’d left at his apartment had felt like a big deal at the beginning of summer. But now I didn’t want anything that had ever been associated with him. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t here to give me back my stuff. He wasn’t even holding a box. He came all the way out here for…what? I just stared at him.
