Page 64 of The Sexy Billionaire

“Oh my gosh, guys, just because he’s here, and we dated a million years ago, doesn’t mean I’m going back there,” I tell them, taking a seat back at the dining table and grabbing my glass of wine. I take a large gulp, needing it to get through their interrogation.

“I think he came here just for you,” Callie adds.

My head turns quickly toward her. “He’s here for business, with his sister.”

Callie lifts her glass and takes a sip. “I said what I said.”

“Wait, you dated?” Smith asks.

The room falls quiet.

Um. Yeah. That’s right. My brother didn’t know about that; he thought it was some Italian douchebag that broke my heart.

“For how long? Was he the guy that broke your heart? Fuck, Paige. Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have been so chummy with him,” my brother protests.

“I never told you because back then you would have ruined it. We are friends now. Oh, and I’m an adult,” I remind him.

He huffs. “Still would have liked to have known. I can’t believe you kept that from me all these years.”

His pouting makes me laugh. “Once I got over him, I wanted to forget it ever happened.”

“That’s why he stopped talking to me. Because you two broke up,” Smith says, slapping his hand on the table in revelation. “What happened?”

I roll my eyes. “I came back in the summer, and he was dating Bella Gallo.”

Smith’s eyes widen. “Oh, you hated her.” He chuckles.

No shit, brother, hence why I never wanted to see him.

“He did say that he did that because he thought he would mess up your life,” Callie adds.

Huh. What did she say? As I glare at my friend.

“I may have asked him what his intentions were toward you. Wanted to make sure you were protected,” she confesses.

“You did what? Does he think I have feelings for him? I’m so embarrassed. How could you do that?” I ask her.

“He broke your heart, and I wanted to make sure he wasn’t coming back into your life to do it again,” she defends her actions.

I frown at her. She didn’t have the right to do that.

“Anyway, he got into what happened all those years ago. He said that you had dreams and being with someone like him and everything that comes with his family would squash those dreams, and he didn’t want that for you. He thought you were both too young and that if he didn’t put distance between you that you wouldn’t have been able to thrive,” Callie adds.

“That’s so sweet. He loved you enough to let you go,” Savannah coos.

It kind of makes me angry that he never spoke to me about it.

“He said he was eighteen and didn’t want to do something stupid if you continued dating. He knows he would have messed up,” Callie explains.

“This man better have brothers because he’s so sweet,” Savannah adds.

“His brother is married, and his wife is pregnant,” I add.

“Dammit. Hope he has hot friends then?” She smirks.

“Why would he do that, though? He really hurt me,” I ask them all.

“Boys are stupid at that age, Paige. In his logic it made sense and I kind of agree with him,” Smith says, defending him.

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