Page 35 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
Oh, how Gabby wanted that. The very thought that he did care for her was dangling a carrot in front of a mule. It was all she could do not to strap that wagon on and hike the highest hill. “What if you’re wrong?”
“What if I’m right?”
“I don’t know, Carrie Anne. When he said we should just stay friends, it would have hurt less if he’d outright punched me.”
Taking her by the shoulders, Carrie Anne locked eyes with her. “Gabby, my brother has always sought you out. When it came to his problems, he’d find you. When he was excited and happy about something, you were the first person he’d want to tell. You’ve always been first. A man doesn’t put a woman on the top of his list for no reason, even if he doesn’t know it yet.”
“But I’d do the same when it came to him. If he doesn’t feel that way about me by now, then what hope is there?”
“He just needs time to put two and two together. Right now, he can’t even figure out there’s an equation to solve. Give him time. You’ve never dated anyone seriously. Never once. At no point in time have you been unavailable. You need to be unavailable so he can see what it would look like if he couldn’t seek you out anymore.”
That was true. Gabby had never dated anyone. Okay, yes, a date here or there, but it was never anything serious. How could it be, when all she did was compare them to Wyatt? His great smile, his dark blue eyes, the way he walked…everything. There wasn’t an inch of him that didn’t make her knees weak.
“Trust me on this. You’ve been convenient. He’s never had to think about losing you. Well, now he does, and he needs to.” Carrie Anne dropped her hands to her lap. “You are an amazing person. You are kind, sweet, and loveable. If Wyatt doesn’t come to his senses, then you deserve better. This thing needs to end one way or another. You deserve to be loved.”
Gabby lowered her gaze to the bed. As much as she wanted to disagree, she couldn’t.
Even dating in Charleston hadn’t been the cure for getting over him. The guys who asked her out were nice, but as much as she tried, there was never a spark. Of course, when you were still hung up on someone in another state, it was like trying to light a match underwater.
Carrie Anne took her hand. “Trust me. I’m not wrong about this.”
“Okay, I’ll…try.” Gabby lifted her eyes to Carrie Anne. “But if he doesn’t want me, then I’m done.”
“You have my word. If he doesn’t, it’ll be his loss. He might be my brother, but if he’s too dumb to see the best thing in his life is staring him in the face, then so be it.”
Chuckling, Gabby nodded. “Okay.”
With that, Carrie Anne smiled. “Then we stick to the plan and let him think you and Bandit are an item.”
“Okay.”
“Good. Let’s get you cleaned up and start planning. You and Bandit are going out this week.”
Gabby’s eyebrows knitted together. “What?”
“You’re going on a real date.”
“I am? Did Bandit agree to this?”
Carrie Anne rolled her eyes. “No, something’s going to come up, and he won’t be able to go. Wyatt, on the other hand, will see this gorgeous knockout, ready for a night on the town, and he won’t be able to resist.”
Groaning, Gabby palmed her forehead. “I’m so going to regret this.”
“It’ll be great, and Wyatt won’t know what hit him.” Carrie Anne grinned. “Please tell me you brought a dress. Something that will go with those red boots of yours.
This so-called date was either going to be great or horrible. Gabby could see no way it could fall in the middle. What would happen if Wyatt did think she was unavailable for once in his life? Maybe it was time to find out.
What could it hurt to play the part? Every time Wyatt came around, she’d drop everything for him. Everything. Papers that were due, science projects…not to mention taking out the trash forever just to see his events.
Squaring her shoulders, Gabby decided it was time she stopped allowing her heart to be broken. Maybe it was time to do a little heartbreaking of her own. Maybe she could even “Achy” dance to it. With red boots.
Chapter 14
“Are you playing or sleeping with your eyes open?” Wyatt’s dad asked Josiah. “I ain’t got all day.”
Wyatt barked a laugh. Josiah always slowed a rummy game down. Granted, he almost always won it, but it still took him forever to play. Card games were a staple between the Wests and the Fredericks. It was always tense but fun because Josiah and King were the most competitive.
As desperate as Wyatt was to keep his mind occupied, he’d have put up with anything. Kissing Gabby had messed with his head. Since their kiss, anytime she was around, it was awkward and tense—something he’d never felt between them before. Sure, they’d had arguments as all people do, but it didn’t feel anything like what had been going on since that day at the orchard.
