The Billionaire's Lie Page 7

  Abigail went on to explain to him about the storm while I went into the bathroom to turn on the shower. There was no way I was going back to sleep. I was wide awake now thinking about how bad this storm could get. I’m not a big fan of thunderstorms. Actually, I was afraid of them. I used to hide in the cabinet during storms when I was a small child. My dad, at first, made fun of me until he realized just how scared they actually made me.

  When I came out of the bathroom, Matteo was laying up in his bed with pillows behind him watching tv. He looked comfortable and not worried at all. “Well, looks like we are stuck in here all day. Renting movies, it is.”

  He laughed, but I could tell he couldn’t imagine anything worse than being stuck in a hotel room all day with me. It’s mutual. How the hell were we going to pass the time today? I guess I could grab the book out of my suitcase and read. I brought for the plane ride back but now was a good of a time as any.

  There was a knock on the door, and Matteo jumped up to answer, “Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it.” He lugged in a trolley that had food on it. “I figured I’d order in since of the situation. Are you hungry?”

  I attempted to say no, but my grumbling stomach said otherwise. I grabbed a plate and started demolishing it when he turned out a sappy romance movie. You know, the ones were you always know how it was going to end, but you keep watching it anyway? I despised these movies because they were so predictable. Life wasn’t predictable at all. Every day, lives changed for better or worse. Nothing like movies. “Do you really want to watch this?” I only questioned him because it didn’t seem like it was something he would want to watch.

  “Why? What’s wrong with it?” Matteo scoffed.

  I laughed so hard, food flew out of my mouth. Normally, I would be embarrassed but I wasn’t trying to impress him, so I could care less. I let him watch his sappy romance crap while I read the newest thriller novel that was on the shelf at the airport. Honestly, it was pretty good. I liked books that kept me guessing what was going to happen next. That makes for good writing. All the sudden I heard Matteo scream taking my attention away from my book.

  “Why did they get so close knowing they were only going to be spending a summer together? Why put themselves out there for so much hurt in the end? Why?” Matteo looked baffled and almost like he might shed a tear.

  “Sometimes it’s worth the risk,” I shrugged, not looking up from my book. Matteo fell silent, as if he were taking my comment into consideration.

  “We naturally want someone to be close too,” I suddenly said, interrupting his quietus. “This is why we seek out best friends. But having a committed partner is different. Spending a summer is better than never meeting each other at all.”

  He looked over at me for a moment, almost as if he had something more to say. But he quickly went back to watching the movie.

  The morning had proven that Matteo did have feelings and even liked the sappy stuff. I didn’t know the real Matteo but was coming too. At that moment, my heart fluttered, but this could never be anything more than a lie. It would never work. Maybe the movies were right, spending a lot of time together really can force people to fall in love.

  “Can I ask you a question without you being offended?” I asked permission before bursting his bubble.

  “I guess, why not, shoot.”

  “Why did you hide? Why are you such an asshole when around new people or women? People would be more prone to like you or your company if you were this way around them from the beginning.” I didn’t know how else to say without sounding horrible. So, instead of beating around the bush, I just said it.

  He began to explain a little bit about his past. I finally heard the story about Kelsey. His family had mentioned her a couple of times over the past three days, but I really didn’t know much about her or what happened. Although, if we were really dating, I probably should have. Poor Matteo, once madly in love with Kelsey, bought a ring and planned a big proposal the next day. When he came home from the jewelry store, he found all her things gone. The only thing left behind was a note from her stating she was grateful for the things he helped her accomplish, but there was no future for them. So, it ended in tragedy. He was mostly mad at himself for not realizing she was just using him sooner. He was too blind to see it. After that, he never really gave anyone a chance. He closed himself off from women and focused on his career. Scared of feeling that same pain again, he’d rather be alone. I understood what he meant. I had been thru my fair share of breakups. Nothing as crazy or bad as his but I still one day wanted a loving relationship with a man, get married, have little ones, and live happily.

  “Happily ever after isn’t real. Sorry to break it to you. It’s just a façade movies and books tell you is possible.” He said while a sad expression rolled down his face.

  Too bad, I don’t agree. I expressed my different opinion openly. “My parents met in the 9th grade and got married right out of high school. They are still happily married to this day. True love is a real thing, but you must be open for it when it presents itself. If you are always so closed off, who knows if you have already missed your opportunity?” It was true. His true love could have already shown up in his life, and he rejected her. Even Matteo deserved to be happy.

  Chapter 15

  Matteo

  How could she believe in happily ever after? I mean yes, they exist but only for a small percentage of people. It’s not like everyone gets theirs. Why was she, so hell-bent on me opening myself up to someone? If I did that, it could still end in tragedy. It could be the worst mistake I ever made like with Kelsey. Why should I let anyone in? The last thing I wanted was to be rejected or used again.

  One thing that I’m shocked by was even after all the horrible things I’ve done and said to Lacey, she was still willing to give me sound advice. Maybe, it’s just because we were stuck in this room together due to our impending doom outside.

  I could hear waves crashing onto the beach and thunder imploding on the island. I almost got up to look outside but figured maybe not a good idea. I wasn’t a fan of storms. I usually just stayed at home on the couch during them. They made excellent sleeping weather. I loved when it stormed on the weekends because that meant I could stay in bed and sleep.

  Lacey wanted to give me some advice, so I figured why not get to know her a little better. Might as well. “So, tell me about your worst breakup?”

  She laughed at the question, “Well, I haven’t had too many relationships, but I’ll tell you about my high school boyfriend.” She said looking only slightly up at me. I could tell I had asked her a question she wasn’t prepared to answer. “We were together for three years. I won’t say I was a prude, but we never had intercourse. I wanted to save myself for prom. That’s normal, right? He picked me up for Prom. I bought an expensive dress and was very excited. Little did I know, he was sleeping with my best friend for most of our relationship behind my back. When I asked him why his response was he needed something to get him by until I was ready.” She scoffed.

  Wow, what a dick! It’s sad to hear stories like that because I didn’t lose my virginity until college. I felt the same way. I was too interested in getting a scholarship and getting ahead in life than laying in bed with some girl I barely knew. “Wow, what a jerk. Most men aren’t like that. I don’t know what’s wrong with teenagers nowadays, but they are so quick to jump into bed. They should be more careful. I was.”

  “Yeah, well I’m glad I found out, or I would have lost it to that guy. Needless to say, I dumped him.”

  It really hit me when tears started flowing from her eyes. I couldn’t help myself, caressing her cheek wiping them away. Our eyes met, “Don’t ever let any man make you cry.” Our eyes stay locked on each other for a few moments, but then suddenly I looked away. The feelings that were forming were coming to a head. Her lips were all I could think about at this moment. I couldn’t help myself. Lacey pulled me close and planted a subtle kiss. One kiss turned into several. The next few min
utes were spent exploring each other.

  I found myself on the bed next to her, pulling her closer, her fingers ran through my hair. I found myself wanting more. I didn’t want to stop and think about it. Before I knew it, my shirt was on the floor as was hers. My back against the headboard with Lacey in my lap. As of now, nothing more than kissing was going on, but I knew it was going to become more than that. Not only that, I wanted it too. My desire for her at that moment grew stronger. My fingers ran up her back to her bra. I stopped kissing her long enough to get a wink to know it was okay and then she was free. Her breasts were no longer being held tightly to her body. I lowered her onto the bed underneath me as I gave them the attention they deserved. Soon after, I planted another kiss on her lips.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have too. It’s not required in our deal or anything.” I didn’t want her to think she had to sleep with me because of our arrangement. No hard feelings if she wasn’t to stop here. Honestly, part of me wanted her to say stop. If she did, then I wouldn’t potentially get my heart broken. This wasn’t just sex for me. Feelings were starting to develop, and sex was only going to make them flourish.

  She looked at me with a determined look, “I want this as much as you do. Now, stop talking.”

  Our bodies entwined, and moans became the familiar sound in our room. Her legs wrapped around my hips as her hands gripped the sheets underneath us. I knew I might regret this decision, but for now, I wasn’t complaining. I continued until we both fell back on the bed. Deep breaths were taken to gather our composers. The realization of what just happened was sinking into our heads.

  I picked up the remote and turned on another sappy movie. Lacey picked up her book, crawled back into the warm bed, and continued reading. I couldn’t help but stare at her out of the corner of my eye. It was like she was a whole different person from the one I met before our flight.

  Chapter 16

  Lacey

  Today was the last day before the wedding, and I was finally beginning to enjoy myself. What happened last night was unexpected. I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but should I have? After tomorrow, I’ll never see Matteo again. The last thing I needed to do was to develop feelings for him.

  I got up and ready for the day. We had to meet the family downstairs for breakfast. I walked out of the bathroom to find Matteo still fast asleep. The covers were covering half his body, and drool was running down his cheek. I laughed, but instead of waking him, I allowed him to sleep in. Something tells me he doesn’t get to do that often. I left a note on the nightstand and headed downstairs.

  My mind wandered a lot during breakfast. I couldn’t stop thinking about last night. It probably meant nothing to him. No need to get ahead of myself. The best thing I could do was act like it never happened. It did! Casual sex wasn’t exactly my cup of tea and because of that, the last time she had been intimate was about two years ago.

  “Earth to Lacey. Are you in there?” Abigail asked snapping her fingers to capture my attention.

  Good thing, who knows how long I had been sitting there in deep thought. Apparently, long enough for Matteo to show up and fix himself a plate.

  He smiled as I looked over at him. “Did you sleep well?”

  He gave me a huge grin and replied, “Like a baby.”

  Abigail went on to discuss last minute wedding stuff. On and off, I found myself smiling at him and not as a part of the façade but genuinely. What was wrong with me? I can’t be drooling over him. It looked good for our fake relationship but not for our real one. What does this mean?

  After breakfast, everyone went to the church where the wedding was set to be held. The church was breathtaking. It was gigantic and made of stone. The pews inside instead of being wood were dark red.

  When the pastor showed us around the church, Matteo took my hand. The next thing he showed us was the bridal and groom suite. It was two separate rooms with couches, chairs and two-floor length mirrors. From the look on Abigail’s face, she was happy.

  The last thing he took us to view was the reception hall which was huge. Nothing had been set up yet. That’s what we were there for. We had to help set up for the wedding and reception. At first, I wasn’t excited, but after getting started, it wasn’t so bad. We set up the tables and laid red table covers over them with gold runners as the men came around placing all the plates and silverware on the tables.

  Next was the name cards. I’ve heard the seating arrangements were the hardest to work out for the reception. As I quickly placed all the name cards on the tables, I came across mine. This was going to be our last moment together before I went home.

  Guilt started to consume me realizing how close I had become with Abigail over the last six days. How was Matteo going to explain my leaving to his family? I cared about what his family thought about me. I wish it were possible to still be friends with Abigail when this was all over. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t going to be possible. Whatever story he came up with was sure not going to make me look good.

  “Everything okay? You haven’t been yourself today.” Abigail asked me.

  No, everything was not okay. It sucked to get close to people only to leave them in a couple days. Matteo’s family was so accepting. Sometimes, I wished his family was mine. Not that there was anything wrong with the family I had. My parents were amazing. They were always there for me and always told me to follow my dreams. They were the ones that pushed me so hard during school, so I could make a future for myself.

  “I’m just not feeling so hot today. I’m sorry. What else do you need me to do?” I asked her because I didn’t want to abandon her today. There was still a lot more to set up. We had gotten the reception hall decorated, but we still needed to decorate the church.

  “All we have left is the church. We can do the rest if you need to go rest.” She replied looking at me like I was fixing to vomit all over the floor.

  I followed everyone into the church without hesitation when Matteo came up behind me, “What’s going on with you today? You are acting weird.”

  I knew he was genuine, but I couldn’t talk to him about it. He would think I’m crazy. Hell, I thought I was going crazy. I didn’t expect this to happen, but it did. All I could do was go about the day and hope tomorrow doesn’t go as bad as I imagined in my head.

  “I’m fine. Just been a long day. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  He looked at me like I just punched him in the face. He was worried about me. I had never seen this level of concern before last night. Did this mean he was interested in me? Did last night change things between us? This wasn’t the place to talk about it. I needed to get away from him for a little while and clear my head. Being so close to him wasn’t helping. I walked over to Abigail and helped her hang the flowers on the pews. The next thing I knew, everything was done.

  Chapter 17

  Matteo

  She was acting weird, and I didn’t like it. I’m aware of what happened last night, but I didn’t want it to be awkward. The kiss exchanged between us was passionate, and it made me feel. No girl had been able to make me feel that way in a while. I’m not in love with the girl, but there was something there. It was undeniable.

  I could tell over the course of the first few days, my disgust with her had worn off. I was getting to her for who she really was. She was funny, charismatic, thoughtful and cared about others. At one point, I was the same way before my heart got broke into pieces. I wanted to get back to the man again. Actually, I’ve become that man again over the last few days. It’s all because of her. She doesn’t let me feel sorry for myself or deny myself the chance for happiness. Like she said, I had to be ready when the opportunity presented itself. What if that opportunity was right now with her? Sure, it was the traditional way to find someone, but she was thrown into my lap. I can’t believe this was all just a coincidence. It had to be more than that.

  I was going to have to make some big decision
s since tomorrow was her last day here. I would have to make up some story about why we broke up. But the thing was, what if I didn’t want too? What if I wanted her to stay? The thought scared me because how could I know if she felt the same way without just asking her? That would be too forward. I don’t want her to feel like she had to reciprocate my feelings. If she did, that would be great, but if she didn’t, my heart would be broken again. Was I ready for that step?

  The church was finally all decorated, and everyone was hungry. The one thing I hated about my family was the fact that while being here they always wanted to eat meals together. What if I wanted to have dinner alone with her? To them, she was my girlfriend. We were in a romantic setting. How could they not think about that?

  We head back to the hotel to get changed before heading to dinner. I wanted so badly to just pull her close to me and ask her to stay, but I didn’t. I was scared. Instead, we both got dressed and headed to dinner. Not a word spoke between the two of us.

  All throughout dinner, all I could think about was how tomorrow was going to go. I had to come up with a plan. What story was I going to use when she had to leave tomorrow? Honestly, I had planned the big breakup scene for the reception but now, after the kiss, should I still do it? I didn’t want to hurt Lacey. She might take it the wrong way.

  Shawn pulled me aside at dinner, “What’s going on? You both have been acting really weird today? Is everything okay between you two?”

  “Yes, we are just tired and was up late. Don’t worry, we are fine.” I lied to him because we weren’t fine, either in the real or fake relationship but something had to give. I couldn’t be okay knowing that tomorrow I had to send Lacey away. She would indeed be upset with me tomorrow. All I could do was make the most of the time up to then. I was bound to do so.