Page 56 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

“Your husband?” Nolan asked. “No, he didn’t.”

“Thank you,” I said as I took the bouquet and I smelled it. I noticed Nolan’s backpack and muttered, “Are you leaving Richmond already?”

“Yes,” he affirmed and dipped his hands into his pocket. “I stopped by to say goodbye.”

I bit my lip and tried to fight back the tears welling up in my eyes. I had the opportunity to spend a whole week with my only brother and I’d blown it. My anger had subsided and turned into love and admiration.

“Why do you have to go?” I asked. “We still have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Yes, we do,” Nolan replied. “That’s why I’ll be back soon. I got this deal and have to be there physically to sign the contract.”

Nolan and I stood in silence for a few seconds. Then, he reached for a zipper at the side of his backpack. He brought out a perfectly rolled piece of paper tied with a tiny blue ribbon.

“It’s a gift,” he said. “You can open it when I leave.”

He pulled me in for a hug, his solid body almost swallowing me up. “I’ll see you soon.”

He turned to leave, and I watched him head to the elevator. He waved before the elevator door closed. This time, I let the tears flow. The connection between us was unmistakable. Nolan seemed like the male version of me, only a little more refined.

I untied the ribbon around Nolan’s gift when I got into my car. The paper slowly rolled out to reveal a well-painted portrait of me as a child. Then my phone buzzed. A message from Nolan said:

I’ve had this picture ever since I got to know that I had a sister in Richmond. Dad used to keep it in his wallet, and I’d stolen it from him when he visited. I couldn’t release the original because I take it with me wherever I go, so I thought I should paint one for you.

I remembered Dad taking this picture on my eighth birthday, but I never that knew he had made other copies. Mom had fashioned my hair into two pigtails, and I’d worn a blue princess dress before the party started. During the middle of the party, my dress was already torn. I was trying to step out of it by myself and hadn’t been able to move the zipper down.

I never knew that Dad carried the picture wherever he went. Nolan knew about me when he was still a child. I held the painted portrait and wailed inside my car. The beautiful picture and the memory it carried made me cry. I missed the beautiful sunshine girl I used to be. This picture reminded me that an eight-year-old me would have leapt for joy, knowing that I had a brother. An eight-year-old-me wouldn’t have held it against my parents. I buried my head on the steering wheel as the tears rolled uncontrollably. I allowed myself to cry out my frustration before turning on the ignition and driving home.

****

Henry met me at the doorstep. He was filled with remorse for having attacked my colleague at work, and now, he was sober.

“I’m sorry that I came at your colleague like that,” Henry said. “I was jealous, okay. I thought I’d lost you to someone else.”

“I’ll get Julia to take the DNA test,” he continued. “I’ll prove to you that I’ve been faithful all through this relationship.”

“I never doubted your faithfulness, Henry,” I replied. “I just want some space. I’ve had a lot to deal with these past weeks.”

“So, you don’t want a divorce?”

“Not yet,” I replied. “I want space, Henry, to get in touch with my feelings. I want to get to know what I want.”

“Okay,” Henry smiled.

Now that I looked at him clearly, I noticed he’s shirtless; it made me wonder if he had been hitting the gym since I had started taking double shifts at the hospital.

“You look tired. You should get some sleep.” Henry walked back into our room, and I got a quick flash of what that room meant to me.

The memories made my tummy tingle, remembering how Henry made me feel when he got down on me. I shut my eyes, trying to get the image out of my head. But the harder I tried, the more difficult it became. just let the image stay in my mind, as my head hit the pillow. I could feel my body begin to heat up as I slept. I blamed Henry for walking shirtless around the house. I’d left the room for him because I was trying to stay away, but his image was still vivid in my mind. I let the heaviness of my eyes lead me into a deep sleep, hoping that my urgent desire for Henry would have disappeared before I woke up.

****

The bright sun’s rays entered my eyes from the transparent curtain. I rubbed my eyes, murmuring as I opened my head to check the table clock. I had slept around the clock – an eleven hours sleep and, miraculously, my pager hadn’t gotten a call. I suspected that my supervisor had deliberately decided to exclude me from any ongoing surgery at the hospital.

Now that I was waking up from this long nap, I realized how much my body needed this rest. My thigh was greasy from the cream on my wet panties. I’d thought getting enough rest would stop me from thinking about Henry and his masculine grip. However, my desire for him only increased; like a magnet, I was drawn to him. I walked around the house in search of the one person who could quench this thirst.

I found him by the balcony, and my heart skipped a beat as I spotted him staring into the cool dark evening. He’d started drinking again. The house was empty; the house’s staff were either off for the day, or Henry didn’t want to have people in the house. He put away the red wine cup when he raised his head at me and sighed.

The view that always left me in awe suddenly paled in comparison to the sight of him, lost in thought, against the backdrop of the city's evening splendor. The fading sun casted a warm glow over his features, accentuating the contours of his face and the subtle lines of his fine features. Henry's eyes, usually filled with a fierce determination, now held a hint of vulnerability as he gazed out at the sprawling metropolis below.

---