Page 48 of Her Big Fat Dreamy Billionaire Ex

She stiffened. “Yes. I did say those words.” It sounded like she was choosing her words carefully.

He could tell she was getting upset, so he backpedaled a bit, moving to give her more space. “I guess I misunderstood that to mean it was more of an informal thing. I’m sorry. I know you arranged for Grams to be there, and she said you had gone to some trouble. She wouldn’t tell me exactly what, but I apologize for not showing up. I didn’t mean to ruin your special day.”

She wrung her hands as her jaw worked. “It wasn’tmy special day, Aiden. It wasour weddingday. The first day of the rest of our lives.” She shifted her weight and stared down at her hands. “When you didn’t come, I knew if I stayed and married you, I’d be standing alone, waiting for you the rest of my life.”

Her words hit Aiden like a slap to the face. “I was working a deal. It was going to set us up for life.”

“I know. And maybe if I’d known what you were doing, maybe things would have turned out differently.” She turned back to the pan of brownies and continued to cut. “However, something tells me that the problem would have still continued, even after the sale.”

What was she talking about? “What problem?”

She gave him a sad smile. “See? You don’t even realize what you were doing to me throughout the whole time we were dating.”

Aiden was starting to get frustrated. Do to her? He was working for their future. He was earning a billion dollars, for heaven’s sake. He didn’tdoanything to her. He was doing it allforher. But she was obviously upset as well, so he let that go. He exhaled and ran his hand over his five o’clock shadow. “I’m sorry.”

Her gaze softened as she lifted out brownies to the serving dish. “I know.” When the serving dish was full, she reached out and took a hold of his arm.

One simple gesture, and Aiden’s heart was in his throat. All his anger melted away, and what was left made his breath catch. “I never meant to make you feel unimportant. You were everything to me. The light of my life.” He stopped talking for fear his voice would betray the emotion swelling in him. He’d loved Felicity with all his being. That wasn’t something you just switched on and off like a lightbulb.

Felicity blinked, her hand tightening. “And you were my world.”

Hearing her say that brought back a rush of memories. Felicity’s lighthearted laugh. The way she closed her eyes when he kissed her. He felt himself drawn to her with a force he couldn’t stop. He reached up and cupped her cheek, almost without thinking. Her soft skin felt like heaven and his heart pounded. “Sweet Felicity.”

She lowered her lashes and snuggled into the palm of his hand.

“Aiden.” The way she’d said his name was a cross between a whisper and a plea. He leaned closer to her until his forehead touched hers. “I’ll always love you,” he whispered.

He wasn’t sure what exactly happened next except that his lips were on hers, moving in that slow dance they used to share. Felicity’s hand slid up his chest and he pulled her closer. How he’d missed this feeling. He had dreamed about this for the last five years. And now, here she was, in his arms.

And then reality hit him like a semi-truck. He couldn’t kiss Felicity. He couldn’t fall back in love with her. His heart couldn’t take another rejection. He broke away from her, his heart hammering out a loud staccato.

Felicity looked at him with wide eyes. He had to say something, but words didn’t want to come out. How could he have let this happen? He shouldn’t have let his guard down. “We shouldn’t...I mean, we can’t...I didn’t mean what I said.”

Wait, what was he saying? That he didn’t love her? He didn’t mean that. But the words were out and he couldn’t catch them and put them back.

Felicity blinked and nodded. “Right.”

Aiden wanted to dig a hole in the sand and jump in. “I’m sorry.”

She turned from him and grabbed the plate of brownies. “No problem. It was a mistake. It won’t happen again.” She brushed past him and out onto the patio.

He stood there, a Felicity-sized hole opening up in his chest. Did he still love her? He swallowed and allowed himself to admit that his feelings for Felicity had not lessened. But he didn’t mean to blurt it out like that. And then take it back?

What had he done?

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