Mr Reluctant Billionaire || BWWM

Fifty-three

I should never have come here.

Josh takes a sip of his iced coffee, eyes perusing the documents he laid out on our table. I want to think this is a trap but there is nothing wrong with what I have read so far but he has been chilly. Frigid towards me like we aren’t friends. I should be the one upset.

Drumming my fingers on the table, I tuck a braid behind my ear. “I’m sorry for the other day, I swear it was a mistake.” He nods, I lick my lips and gulp. “How have you been?”

“Fine.”

On a good day, he would have returned the question, I would never feel awkward around him. I let my eyes roam the eatery to avoid the temptation of smacking him. He brought the papers, he should know the content but the seriousness etched on his face makes it easy to believe he hasn’t read them. My shoulders sag, will we ever be friends?

Most of the round tables are empty, there is no one behind the counter with pastries. A couple sit at the far end, the man has his back to me and the lady’s head is bent over a file they seem to exchange at intervals. It is my first time here, I came on Josh’s request. Maybe I should have picked a venue myself. Tucking my hands between my legs, I allow a few seconds pass before stealing a chip from his plate. He pauses to stare at me, I wait.

“How are you?” he finally asks and I chuckle.

“Stressed.” His eyes scan my face, his mouth opens, he closes it with a tight smile. I sigh. I wish he will ask the obvious question. We are like old friends struggling to reconnect.

My phone pings with a message from David, I open it without replying. The name he gave me leads to nowhere and I don’t feel like stirring a hornet’s nest to satisfy my curiosity. Casting a glance at Josh, all the questions from the past rise to the surface.

“Why did you kiss me?” I whisper. “Don’t lie.”

His hands run through his face, a typical Brandon move, he releases his breath and I feel bad for asking. I twirl my hair around my finger, he stares long enough for me to avert my gaze to the fashionable cuts on my jeans. I wonder how long until I can’t fit into it.

“I like you.”

With my head downcast, I say, “I am married.” Though Brandon warned me, his reply still surprises me. I raise my head, he is staring at me with open admiration, I clear my throat and pick another chip to keep my mouth busy until I can gather my thoughts.

He reaches for my hand but retracts it before it comes in contact with mine. “I’m sorry.”

The emotions running through his face has my heart slowing down. Anger prickles my skin. We were friends for so long yet I didn’t notice his glaring feelings for me. I don’t let myself dwell on this new realisation. Maybe it is a good thing, breaking up with him to be with his brother would have hurt. I would never have gotten married to Brandon. No one would switch my pills. Sinking my nails into my knees, I try to focus on the present.

“Josh, I don’t want to lose your friendship,” I tell him with a shaky smile and his lips curl into a grin that will have panties dropping. He is a good person, foolish sometimes but an asset. “But I am married now.” He nods but I don’t think he gets it, I push my chair closer like I am about to tell him a big secret. “I love your brother with all my heart.”

“I’m better than him, El, a better fit for you,” he says without a trace of arrogance and my heart hurts from the painful truth his words carry. “You know this. It’s easy for us.”

Masking my inner turmoil behind a practised smile, I shake my head until I can convince myself he is wrong. But traitorous thoughts continue invading my mind. Supporting his statements with memories from our shared past. Images of us laughing, fighting. We are compatible. It is easy for us to be friends which is a great start for a happy home. He has his fair share of troubles as we all do but communication will never be an issue for us.