Page 53 of Faking It with my Bestie's Billionaire Brother

"I'm really sorry for assuming the worst. I think it's a beautiful thing that you've done for Penny," she said, tears filling her eyes, "and I just can't believe that you had to go through what you did."

Normally, now would be the moment when I turned my face into a stony expression and changed the subject, but Ava wasn't allowing that. She swallowed hard and threw her arms around my neck. "Spencer," she cried softly, "when I think about what you've had to go through, I just want to go find a little boy and save him the way you saved Penny. I also kind of want to go back in time and kick your father in the nuts."

I laughed.

"I definitely would've liked to see that," I told her with a watery smile, fighting back tears of my own. God, she really was amazing. All this time, I'd been holding the weight of these secrets, and she'd put it all together through just a bit of digging, but she not only understood, she saw what I was trying to do, who I was trying to protect.

"Ava, I have been wanting to tell you. It's just a secret I've been holding so long, and it's so much to take in that I wasn't sure if you could handle it. Not because you're not strong enough, but because I've been barely handling it all this time. I’m glad you know. I'm tired of holding this truth all to myself."

She cupped my face in her hands. "Spencer, you don't have to do that anymore. I can share the burden with you. I'll do it to protect her," she said, and if I had any doubts before, they were completely eradicated now. At that moment, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was in love with Ava Moretti.

"Ava," I whispered, but she beat me to the punch by pulling my face down and kissing me until my toes curled inside my shoes.

Just getting to taste her again made me groan out in relieved pleasure, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, bringing her sweet curves flush against me. A wave of euphoria and relief ran through me at the way she responded. She was mine, and I was not going to let her go, not now. I couldn't.

After everything we'd been through together, I couldn't imagine ever doing that, but the reason I would have to let out a squawk of dismay.

Ava and I broke apart, surprised to see Penny standing there with her mouth open, looking at the two of us contemptuously.

"Penny," Ava breathed.

"I cannot believe the two of you," Penny said through gritted teeth.

"Penny, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall for him but—"

"But what? You decided that you wanted to fool around with your best friend's older brother? That's classy, Ava. God, you're my best friend, how could you do this to me? And you," she said, turning her anger towards me, "you have raised me practically as your own, and now, you're making the moves on my best friend? The person I consider the closest thing I have to a sister? I went along with this whole plan because we were trying to help you out, Spencer, but if I had known that you would use it as an excuse to feel up my friend…” She trailed off as a thought seemed to dawn on her. “Unless it's already gone past that?"

Ava and I glanced at each other.

"I see," Penny said. "I can't believe either one of you.”

"Penny, please," I said, finally, taking some action and moving towards her, but she put her hand up to stop me.

"No, stay away from me," she warned before storming off.

And just like that, in one fell swoop, I got the love of my life ripped from my arms, and my whole reason for being all these years stormed away for me. It was my worst nightmare come true.

Chapter twenty-one

Ava

The look of betrayal on my best friend's face cut me to the quick. I could only imagine what it was doing to Spencer.

I pulled out of his arms. "I need to go after her." But I was stopped by his fingers wrapping around my wrist.

"Ava, no, just give her some time. If you go after her right now…" And he was right. She was hurt and only interested in lashing out as well. I didn't blame her, but if I had any hope of getting back into her good graces, I would need to back off for the time being.

I didn't think things could get any more dramatic until Spencer grasped my hand and looked into my eyes. "Ava, I know that was awful, but…"

"But what?" I pushed.

He shook his head with an almost frantic look in his eyes. "I hate hurting her, but I don't want to let you go, ever. I-I know that wasn't the plan, but somewhere along the way, I—"

"Don't say it, Spencer," I told him, unable to hear those words right after Penny’s discovery of our betrayal.

He nodded his head. "I don't think we can be together," he said softly.

I looked up at him sharply then, understanding racing through me and sitting in my gut like a rock. I sniffed, trying to fight back the tears.

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