Page 65 of Bestie's Bossy Billionaire Brother
“I know,” I say. “But this will be in Pismo Beach. We’ve never been there before. Daddy is going to meet with a potential partner, but I figured since my birthday is approaching, we should turn it into our own little getaway.”
Catherine’s smile grows wider. “That sounds wonderful. I can’t wait.”
“I’m glad you’re excited,” I say, my voice low, taking her hand without thinking. Immediately, I pull away and dart my eyes toward Alice. Thankfully, she doesn’t notice.
Catherine looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “And you said we’re leaving tomorrow? What time?”
I raise my brows. “I’ll have to check with Jamie again. She arranged the flight. Why do you ask?”
She shrugs. “I might have a job interview tomorrow.”
My heart sinks at her words. I look away, trying to process what she just said. “A job interview? You’re looking for another job?”
Catherine nods. “Yes, I already told you I wanted to find a full-time photography gig.”
I nod slowly, remembering her mentioning it before. “Yes, you said that… but why now?”
She sighs. “It’s been months since I left my last job, and I don’t want to stay stagnant. It’s something that has been on my mind for quite some time now and this interview might be the perfect opportunity.”
I try to hide my disappointment, but I can’t help the feeling that she’s trying to escape from our life together. “I see,” I say, my voice tight. “Well, I hope everything goes well with the interview.”
She looks at me, concern etched on her features. “Oliver, is everything okay? You seem upset.”
I shake my head, trying to reassure her. “No, no, everything’s fine. I’m just a little tired from work, that’s all.”
She nods slowly, not looking entirely convinced. I can tell she’s worried, but I don’t want to burden her with my own emotions.
“Don’t stress too much about the interview,” I assure her. “I’ll make sure you can make it to both.”
Catherine smiles, relief clear in her expression. “Thank you, Oliver. I really appreciate it.”
I force a smile, trying to hide the sense of dread that’s still gnawing at me. “Of course,” I say. “Let’s not worry about it now. We have a trip to plan for.”
Alice cheers at the mention of the trip, and Catherine laughs, pulling Alice in for a hug. At that moment, I try to forget my worries and focus on the joy of being surrounded by my two favorite girls. But the thought of Catherine leaving our life together lingers in the back of my mind, a dreadful reminder that things might change a lot sooner than I initially thought.
Chapter 23
Catherine
“Catherine,pushmehigher!”Alice calls out to me as she’s on the swing, her feet leaving the ground as she swings higher.
“One second, Alice, I need to take a few more pictures first,” I tell her.
I focus my lens and snap a picture when I see her smile. Thankfully, I thought about bringing my camera to the park. The lighting is perfect here to get some wonderful photos of Alice playing.
She giggles, and I take another picture as she swings higher and higher.
Alice’s feet leave the ground as she swings up as high as she can.
I snap a few more pictures when I see Oliver returning from the rental car with a picnic basket in tow. I turn to him and aim my camera at him. He looks so happy, and I can’t help but smile as I press the button to take his picture. His eyes are lit up and his lips curve into a gentle smile as he looks around the playground.
I keep snapping pictures of Oliver as he gets closer and closer. The sun is setting behind him, casting an orange hue on everything that it touches, and Oliver is in its embrace. He’s dressed plainly in a white shirt and blue jeans, but somehow he still looks like he belongs in a painting.
He sets down the picnic basket when he reaches us. “We’ve got some sandwiches and fruits here for a picnic,” Oliver says to me, then peers over at Alice. “Honey, are you going to join us soon?”
“Daddy, can I please play for a little longer?”
Oliver nods as he situates himself at one of the empty wooden tables. I take the seat beside him as he unpacks a sandwich for him and me.
