Page 26 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
When an answer didn’t come, he headed for the shower, hoping hot water and quiet would help ease the war going on in his mind.
* * *
Glancing at Gabby,Wyatt tried to think of a way to start a conversation. It wasn’t nearly as hard before he found out she was dating Bandit. Leave it to his sister to muck with things that were perfectly fine the way they were.
“Why do you keep staring at me?” Gabby asked.
He startled, and the truck swerved a little. “What?”
Gabby grabbed the dash and squeaked. “What is wrong with you this morning?”
He took a deep breath as he focused on the road ahead. “Nothing’s wrong with me. Is something wrong with you?”
“You’ve been acting weird since breakfast.”
“Have not. I just didn’t sleep well last night, and…” What could he say? That finding out her new relationship status with Bandit had hit him wrong? He sure couldn’t answer the inevitable “why” if he did.
She twisted in the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve been grumbling since your feet hit the first floor after your shower, and now you’re staring at me and trying to put us in a ditch. What is going on?”
“I didn’t know you were dating Bandit.” It slipped out so fast that Wyatt was blindsided.
Her eyebrows knitted together. “Why would you care?”
“I don’t.”
“Then what else are you upset about?”
He cut a glance at her. “I’m not upset.”
Dropping her hands to her lap, she took a deep breath and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “You are too. I’m sorry you were the last to find out. It’s always bothered you.”
“I’m not bothered. Just…” He scratched the back of his neck. “I just didn’t know you thought of Bandit that way.”
“Why not? He’s a good guy.”
“I don’t know. I guess I pictured you dating someone different.”
“Like who?”
Shrugging, he tried to think of an answer. “I…”
Gabby’s eyebrows drew together. “Did you think I’d stay single forever? Or is that you can’t stop seeing me as a little kid?”
Now that she was asking, he hadn’t really thought about it at all. Her dating someone had never even crossed his mind. Why hadn’t it, though? She was a beautiful woman. Intelligent, caring, warm, and wonderful. Honestly, she’d always been one of his closest friends. The person he trusted with all his secrets. But he’d never considered another man enjoying her company.
Of course, he’d thought ofherwhile she was gone. Felt her absence. Missed her smile and her laughter. How comfortable he was when he was with her.
When she’d first announced she was leaving for South Carolina, it had taken him off guard, gutting him, since she’d stuck close to home until then. At the time, he’d chalked it up to not liking change, but soon after, he’d realized it was that he didn’t like her living so far away. She was another fixture in the family like anyone else.
“Well?” she asked, pausing a beat before adding, “You thought I’d never date, didn’t you? When I left for South Carolina, you’d asked Lori to marry you. Did you think you were the only one allowed to have a future with someone?”
“No, and…”
“I’m not the same little girl you teased as a kid.”
“I know that,” he huffed.
Of all the things that were true, that was the truest. Gabby was very much a grown woman. Not just gorgeous, but someone he enjoyed being with, kid sister’s best friend or not. And despite his effort to ignore what his sister had said, he’d been simmering on her words more that he liked to admit. Especially sitting this close to Gabby. He was most definitely not seeing her as a little kid. Not by a long shot.
