Page 297 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 9
“We can catch up.” He gave me the smile I once found so charming. But now I realized how fake it was.
“Uh, yeah…no. Like I said, I have to get to work. I’m sorry you came all this way, but we have nothing to talk about, Aiden.”
“I just want you to hear me out.”
I shrugged. “A few months ago, maybe I would have entertained that idea.” I started walking away from him backward. “But I have better things to do with my time than waste another second listening to you.” I turned around and picked up my pace.
“Mila!” He called from behind me.
But I was already turning onto the boardwalk, disappearing into the crowd. I glanced out at J.J.’s lifeguard stand down on the beach. Aiden had wasted the extra time I had before my shift. And I didn’t want telling J.J. the good news to be tarnished by whatever the hell that just was. I’d tell him about my acceptance after my shift when he picked me up.
I took a deep breath and made my way to work. Aiden had impeccable timing. But I was relieved. Not that he’d come here. That was fucking stupid. I was relieved that I felt nothing when I saw him. Besides sick to my stomach. But there was no love there. Only regret for staying with a dick like him for so long. All that time I’d wasted. All the bullshit he’d fed me that I willingly believed. I wasn’t the same girl that he knew. And whatever part of me that used to love him, if I ever even had, was long gone.
This summer had been about bettering myself, and I had. I’d finally decided what I wanted to do with my life. I was exercising more than ever. And my heart had mended. Originally, I thought I could do all that myself. But J.J. and Kristen were the ones thatshowed me the way. They were my best friends. I loved them both so much.
I bit the inside of my cheek. Kristen knew I loved her. For some reason it was easier with friends to talk about your feelings. But J.J. was more than just a friend. He was…everything. I loved him so much. And I needed to tell him. If anything, seeing Aiden had just confirmed my feelings for J.J. Maybe I’d tell him that tonight too. Just lay it all out there and see what he had to say about it.
“Hey!” Becca said as I walked up to the ice cream shop. She leaned on the counter. “And what can I get for you today? A double scoop of Flavors of Love?”
I laughed as I came in. Ever since she’d met J.J. she’d been teasing me every time we worked together. The names of flavors at this shop were absurd and there were probably at least 30 that had to do with love. I grabbed my apron and tied it on. “How about a double scoop of I just got into the University of New Castle and I’m so excited I can’t even contain myself!”
“What? Ah!” She hugged me. “I didn’t even know you were transferring.”
Becca wasn’t the first person that I wanted to tell. Mostly because although we got along fine at work we never really hung out outside of it. But I couldn’t keep my news locked up for a whole shift. “Mhm. I applied last month and just heard back. I’m so freaking excited.”
“Well, I’ll tell Rory and Keira that we need a new flavor name. It’s lengthy but at least it won’t make me blush whenever a guy orders it.”
I laughed. “The worst is when a little kid orders something like Wet Dream.”
“I know!”
A family stopped in front of the shop, breaking up our conversation. I was focusing more on tips than I had in the past. I needed to save every dime if my restaurant was going to become a reality.
***
When there was finally a lull in orders, I pulled out my phone. It was tempting to text Kristen, but I wanted to tell her in person too. My shift was almost over. It could wait. There was one person that I needed to tell as soon as possible though. “Can you handle everything out here for a minute?” I asked Becca. “I need to tell my Dad the good news.” I said it like he’d care. Not like it was a formality.
“Of course.” She shooed me to the back room. “Go tell everyone. I got this.”
“Thanks, Becca.”
I disappeared into the storage room and clicked on my acceptance email again. I could read it a million times and still be grinning ear to ear. It would have been fun to call my dad, if we had that type of relationship. But it was better this way. Aiden was a perfect reminder that I was done surrounding myself with dickweeds. I forwarded the email to my dad and added a note about when tuition was due. No love or xoxo sign off. Simple. Formal. I was majoring in business now after all. I pressed send.
My mom would have been genuinely excited for me. She’d definitely be happy that I’d be so close to home again. I was about to call her but stopped myself. I tried to remember when she said she was going on that couple’s cruise. It was definitely at the end of July. Even if she did get service, I didn’t want to disrupt her vacation. I shoved my phone back in my pocket. My mental balloon still felt a little deflated. I just needed to get through this shift and then I could hand J.J. the air pump and I’d be as good as new.
I walked out of the back room and froze.Fucking shit fuck.What little air had been put back into my balloon by Becca’s optimism and the thought that I’d be seeing J.J. any minute popped again. Aiden was standing there talking to Becca. I was about to turn back and hide in the storage room when he called my name.
I turned back around.
Becca looked so uncomfortable. “Hey, um…this guy says he’s your boyfriend?” She lowered both her eyebrows, jumping to some horrible conclusion about me.
I swallowed hard. I was not going to let Aiden ruin my life here like he’d ruined my life back in Cali. “Ex-boyfriend,” I said as firmly as I could. “We broke up months ago. Right, Aiden?”
“It was a misunderstanding,” he said. “We’re still very much together.”
What the hell was he doing?
Becca looked back and forth between us. “Does J.J. know about him?”
