Page 29 of My Ex's Billionaire Brother

That was the most well-rehearsed lie of my life, but it was enough to convince her.

“Alright, but if you need anything, let me know, okay?”

“I’m okay,” I said.

I looked at her and tried to play it off, smiling a fake smile, pretending it was all right. So that was what I did.

I deleted Caleb’s number from my phone, trying to pretend that he didn’t exist. He didn’t bother to contact me either, so I figured he didn’t want anything to do with me.

I guess that was the way shit happened, I suppose. Two people who were fated to be together ended up separating. Ain’t that some shit?

I continued to distance myself, keeping it this way. That way, I didn’t get hurt, and neither did Caleb.

In a way, it was best for both of us to live our separate lives and be in our own worlds. Nobody encroached on the others, and that alone made it worthwhile.

Chapter 12: Caleb

NottalkingtoTinakilled me. For the next few days, my father and Leo hyped me up, telling me that Abby would be in town at the end of the month. I talked to her a little bit, and she seemed nice over the phone.

She didn’t say much but instead listened to me. So I figured I could at least get through this date and then go from there.

Telling Tina that I couldn’t see her hurt me more than I thought. I missed going out and seeing her with the cows and horses. I missed having her around, checking on the animals for me.

Sariyah came over and checked on them until it was time to slaughter. She told me the animals were nice and healthy, and I wanted to be excited, but I wasn’t.

I only thought about Tina and how much I missed her.

The day of our first date was nigh. I wanted to feel some inkling of excitement, but I couldn’t. My dad made all the arrangements. We’d drive over to the next town, go to a fancy restaurant there, and I’d get to know her. I looked in the mirror, smiling a fake smile as my thoughts muddied.

“Why the hell am I doing this?” I asked myself.

Was it for fame and fortune? Or to make sure my dad didn’t get pissed off? Either way, it upset me knowing I told Tina everything I did.

It made me wonder if there was any way for me to overcome these lingering thoughts.

After a bit, I got in the car and drove to the hotel where Abby was supposedly staying. When I got up there, I saw her walk out, and immediately, my face fell.

Her pink kitten heels clicked against the pavement; her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore a pastel pink dress, which added to all the pink that was there.

She was cute, I suppose, but she didn’t hold a candle to Tina.

She got to the car, slinging her purse to the floor. “There you are! I was wondering if you’d show up.”

“Hey, I wanted to make sure everything was good for you.”

“Well, I suppose this is all right. Dad said your father had everything arranged for tonight. I hope it’s good.”

Her bored expression already bothered me. What was the point of coming out here if you didn’t want to be here? I didn’t say a word, instead driving to the restaurant. It was only twenty minutes away, but it was the longest twenty minutes of my life.

Unlike the time with Tina, which flew by, being around Abby made time come to a screeching halt. It didn’t help that Abby only talked about herself.

“So yeah, that was the story about the one time I partied at the top of this skyscraper in New York! God, I miss that place,” she said.

“It seems alright,” I said.

“You should move out there. Get rid of the farm and all of that. It’s fun,” she said.

I pulled into the restaurant, looking at her. “I thought you liked being on the farm?”

---