Page 335 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 5

“I’m not asking about James. I’m asking about you. What slack is James being forced to be pick up?”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that James always puts the weight of the world on his shoulders. Isabella’s father isn’t taking his calls and he doesn’t know how to make sure Scarlett is safe. We both know what the Pruitt family is capable of. James hired more security, but we’re not dumb. We know it’s not enough. And on top of all that, he’s worried you hate him.” It looked like she was going to cry again.

I swallowed hard.

“I told him that of course that wasn’t true. That he’s one of your best friends. But he just told me I didn’t understand. What don’t I understand? Why are you two fighting? Things have been weird between you two ever since we came to your game. I overheard something about loving Brooklyn last night?”

I couldn’t breathe.

“I didn’t even realize you ever lived outside of Manhattan. And James is focusing on your fight and he won’t tell me what’s going on.”

So she didn’t know? She thought we both loved living in Brooklyn or something? As in the place? Not my fiancée?

“James tells me everything. So if he’s not telling me this, it’s because you specifically asked him not to. And I don’t understand. You know everything about me, Matt.”

Not what it feels like to kiss you.“I don’t think that’s true.”

“I don’t keep stuff from you. Secrets are awful. God, if I learned one thing in that huge scandal with James, it’s that secrets are toxic. So what aren’t you telling me?”

I hated seeing her with unshed tears. I hated seeing her upset in any way. And I was pretty sure my brain short circuited, because somehow I’d gotten on the other side of the island and was standing right next to her. I didn’t want to talk about her husband. I didn’t want to talk about any of this. All I could think about were ways to silence her with my lips.

She looked up at me. “Just tell me, Matt. Tell me what you’re keeping from me.”

“You first.”

She pulled her eyebrows together. “I’m not…”

“You just said how toxic secrets are. But you’re hiding something too, Penny.”

“This isn’t about me. This is about you and James.”

“Fuck James.”

“That is so far from the answer that I expected. Fuck James? Seriously? How could you even say that? You’re one of his bestfriends. And I’m not here to listen to you hurl insults at my husband. Don’t you see that insulting him is essentially insulting me?” She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. Insult me all you want. I’m here because I love James and he’s upset because ofyou. I’m here to try to help fix whatever the hell is going on between you two. He cares about you and I thought you cared about him.”

“He doesn’t care about me. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”

“Excuse me?” She pushed her stool away from the counter and stood up. “James is right. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. You are trying to ruin his life. You’re trying to turn me against him. And for what purpose? We’re not pawns in some stupid game you’re playing. This is my life. James’ life. We’re two of your best friends. I had your back. I told James that he was wrong. I tried to stand up for you and I came here to try to help mend whatever is broken between you. But you don’t even care. So you know what?” She stood up a little taller. “Fuck you.”

I’d never heard her curse before. I’d never seen her as upset as she was right now. I should have just apologized. But instead, it was easier to throw more insults. “I’m not the one making you sad all the fucking time. You showed up at my doorstep wiping tears off your cheeks. Because ofhim. And don’t act like it’s the first time you came crawling to me when you want to escape from him.”

She opened her mouth. And then closed it again. She started blinking fast like she’d done the other day before she’d run off without explanation. “I’m not depressed because of James.”

I just stared at her. I never said anything about depression. Was she actually depressed? I just thought she was a little…sad. Her words made my stomach twist into knots.

She closed her eyes like it pained her to say her next words to me. “James is the love of my life. He’s my whole world. He’s given me everything. A life I never even dreamed of. I love him so much that it hurts. I love his friends like they’re my own family. And it hurts that I can’t give him anything in return. And I just wanted to fix what’s going on between you because I can’t fixme.”

What was she talking about? There wasn’t anything about her that needed to be fixed. She was beautiful and smart and funny. I stared at her as her eyes locked with mine again. She was perfect exactly the way she was. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

She wrapped her arms around her stomach liked she was afraid she was falling to pieces. “I’m not here to talk about me.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t have any siblings. But all of you guys? You’re like the brothers I never had.”

Ouch.I’d been worse than friend zoned. I’d been brotherized.

“And I know James thinks of you and Mason as brothers just as much as Rob. And until about ten minutes ago, I thought you considered him to be family too. I don’t know what’s going on between you. But I need you to fix it. If you care about him at all. Please, Matt. He can’t handle any more stress. And I can’t lose him. I don’t know what I would do if I ever lost him.”

She’d mope around searching for ghosts on the city sidewalks. Just like I did with Brooklyn. Forever stuck. I pressed my lipstogether. There was no way to work around what she just said. She definitely did not reciprocate my feelings. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to kiss her and she was supposed to tell me how unhappy she was in her marriage. I was supposed to save her. My heart ached. I’d just wanted to save her. I sat down on one of the stools. Because I couldn’t save Brooklyn. I just wanted to save Brooklyn.

“Matt?”