Page 126 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10

Friday

She was staring at me like I’d lost my mind. But for the first time in weeks I was finally seeing everything clearly. And I was pretty sure she’d be seeing things a lot more clearly if Tyler hadn’t gotten her wasted.

"You're drunk,” I said.

"I'm not drunk!" she yelled. Pretty much confessing to me that she was indeed drunk out of her mind.

"Penny, we need to talk. And I don't want to do it here." I tried to lower my voice. A few people were already staring over at us.

"You've had weeks to talk to me. You don't just get to show up tonight and ruin my birthday party. Why tonight of all nights?"

"I thought you'd be happy to see me." Honestly, it was the truth. I thought she would be. I never even considered the fact that she’d actually move on. I’d hoped she would have, but it was all a lie in my head. I couldn’t bear the thought.

I was selfish and I’d always be selfish when it came to wanting her.

And I’d seen her face in class. I’d seen her pain.

But she’d just done a complete 180. I came here tonight thinking I’d be making her smile again.

That she’d be leaning on me. Kissing me.

Not someone else. She was supposed to be jumping back in my arms, not glaring at me like I was a monster.

Which was fitting. Because she was finally seeing me for exactly what I was. I swallowed hard.

"I'm not,” she said. “Please just go."

I shook my head. "I'm not leaving here unless it's with you."

"You forgot my birthday." She started blinking faster and bit her lip, like that would somehow make the tears stop from forming.

God, I’d give anything to bite her lip for her.

And now that I was thinking about her lips, I was picturing them wrapped around my cock.

I tried to focus. "I didn't forget." How could I possibly forget her birthday? She was the most important person in my life. I just needed a few minutes to tell her that. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.

She shook her head. "Fine. You ignored my birthday then.”

I winced.

“I feel like that's even worse."

That did sound worse. "Please just let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain. You're my boyfriend, you should have at least wished me a happy birthday. Sorry, ex-boyfriend." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Ex-boyfriend. The words echoed around in my head. "Well that explains a lot."

She looked up at me. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Mr. Stevens don't seem to be acting like just friends anymore."

She glared at me. "That's really none of your business."

"Everything you do is my business." I clenched my jaw. Every single thing she did or said was my business. Everyone she talked to. Everyone she even looked at. It was all my business.

"Nothing I do is your business. We're done. You've made that very clear."

"We are not done." Maybe she could quit me. But I couldn’t so easily quit her.

"Yes we are. You ignored me for weeks. And now you finally show up. Apparently just to make me feel like shit because I don't hear you offering an apology."

"I told you that I wanted to talk." Somewhere other than here. Anywhere other than here.

"Then talk. Tell me why you acted like I didn't exist. Do you have any idea how hard it was to go to class and feel invisible?"

"Yes, I do." Every time I saw her in class I felt like death. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I could barely breathe.

"No, you don't." She looked down at the ground and started blinking faster.

I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her it was going to be okay now. That I’d make it all better. But everything about her body language screamed that she’d rather slap me. And I really couldn’t afford to make a scene here. I didn’t want anyone else staring at us.

"It's too late to talk,” she said. “You waited too long. I can't. I don't want to. Not anymore."

No. It wasn’t too late. It couldn’t be. I just needed one minute. One minute to fix this mess. "Penny, come on, let's go." I reached out for her hand.

"Stop." She pulled away like my touch repulsed her.

And shouldn’t it? Penny is better off without me in her life. She’s good. She’s pure. She’s perfect. She deserves more. I’d ruin her life. I’m sick. I’m twisted. I’m fucked up in the head. I deserve to be alone.

Stop. She wasn’t better off alone. Tyler had taken advantage of her. And if I’d been here, I could have stopped it. I could have protected her. I could be better for her. And I would be.

Tears finally formed in the corners of her eyes and she just stared at me. Completely lost.

I just needed a second to explain. I’d give her the letter. It was just sitting in my back pocket waiting for her. It would explain everything better than I could in this crowded room. "Penny." I put my hand on her elbow.

"Don't touch me." She took another step back.

Every step she took back felt like my heart was breaking in two. I wasn’t going to let her run away from us. I’d seen what my life was like without her in it. And I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t. The darkness would swallow me whole without her. "Penny." I closed the gap between us.

"She said stop." Tyler put his hand on my chest and lightly shoved me back.

I looked down at my chest and then back at him. He did not just shove me. He did not just put his hands on me because I was talking to my girlfriend. When he’d had the audacity to get her drunk and take advantage of her. I wasn’t in the wrong here. He was. This guy had a death wish.

"Tyler," I said and nodded my head at him. I hoped he realized that what I was actually saying was, “If you don’t step back I’m going to kill you.”

"James, is it?" he said sarcastically.

Fuck off. Seriously. It’s for your own good. "Look, she's drunk. I'm just going to take her home." My home. Because she belonged with me.

"Jesus, I'm not drunk," Penny said.

Yes, she most definitely was drunk. And this dick was to blame. Was I the only one looking out for her? Where the hell was Melissa right now? She was surrounded by immature idiots. It had never been more clear that she needed me. And I wasn’t going anywhere this time.

"She can spend the night if she wants to,” Tyler said. “Don't worry about it.”

Yeah, he definitely wanted to die. "That's exactly what I'm worried about. Penny, let's go. Now."

It looked like she wanted to come with me. But she hesitated again. And her feet stayed firmly rooted in place.

Tyler put his arm out in front of Penny even though she didn't move. "She's not going anywhere with you. Why are you even here?"

I swear, if he touched her or me one more time, he wouldn’t be walking tomorrow. "Because my girlfriend invited me."

"She's definitely not your girlfriend. Get the fuck out of my house."

Penny wouldn’t have rubbed this in my face.

But Tyler clearly had no problem doing it.

I wanted to hear it from him. I wanted him to tell me he fucked my girlfriend right to my face.

And then I’d be in the right when I punched him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I looked over at Penny.

I wanted to hear it from her too. I wanted her to confess that she cheated on me with this imbecile.

"You know what it means," Tyler said.

What a pussy. He couldn’t even look me in the eyes and tell me. "Tyler. Get out of my way." I took a deep breath. I knew I was seconds away from snapping.

Tyler just stared at me. "Or what?"

I took another step toward Penny, but Tyler shoved me in the chest again.

Harder this time. I took a few steps back to steady myself.

Don’t do it. Don’t do it. I said the words over and over again in my head.

But no mantra was calming me down tonight.

I shook my head back and forth like I could knock the idea of murdering him out of my head.

But it wasn’t going anywhere. It was as frozen in place as Penny.

"Tyler," Penny said quietly. She reached out and touched his shoulder.

I stared down at her hand on Tyler’s shoulder.

Her hands were mine to hold. No one else’s.

But Penny was trying to calm him down. She was going to him . She was choosing him .

And I finally snapped. I balled my hand into a fist and cocked my arm.

“James!” Penny screamed.

But she was too late. I was too late. I didn’t care about making a scene.

I didn’t care that I was probably about to be fired.

It felt like I’d lost Penny. And nothing else mattered.

All I could feel was this pounding in my head.

And I just needed a release. Tyler’s face was just begging to be rearranged.

So I punched him. Square in the nose. God that felt good.

Tyler cursed and stumbled backward. His nose immediately started gushing blood.

I smiled. I’d been dying to do that ever since he’d given her a “friendship rose.” Friendship rose my ass.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Penny touched the side of Tyler's face. "Oh my God, Tyler."

She was about to be a hell of a lot more worried about Tyler. Because I’d only just started.

Tyler wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "Hold this for me," he said and handed her something before charging toward me.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Penny yelled after him.

Asking to be killed.

Tyler dropped his shoulder at the last second, slamming into my stomach. It was a cheap shot. He knocked me into a few couples dancing as we fell to the floor.

I punched the side of his face again before my back hit the hard cement. I groaned. I was too old for this shit.

“I said get the fuck out of my house!” Tyler yelled.

“Not without Penny.” The music was so loud that it didn’t matter what I said. No one could hear me but him.

People started screaming around us as we rolled and almost knocked into more people.

I grabbed the collar of Tyler’s shirt. “I will kill you if you ever even think about touching my girlfriend again.”