Page 56 of The Runaway Billionaire's Inconvenient Baby
It’s almost like you can hear the collective raised eyebrow in the room as everyone waits to see what he’ll ask for.
“I would like to stay,” he says, so quietly that everyone has to lean in to hear him. “If that’s okay with you. I want to stay. I want to live here and embrace Havenridge life. I don’t want to be a loner. I want the community. I want…” he trails off, his words failing him.
I swallow hard, my imagination running wild with all the ways he could end that sentence.
He never gets to, though, because a few people in the front row start applauding, and then suddenly everyone’s clapping, the noise of hands together deafening in the hall. His cheeks flush, his eyes shining with tears as he takes it all in. That right there, is the Jacob that I fell in love with.
Has he just proven to me that he can be that person again?
CHAPTER 28
JACOB
The applause takes me by surprise. If I’m honest, I didn’t think this was going to work. I expected everyone to be mad at me. And they have been. But I expected everyone to be so mad that they would run me off the island before I even had a chance to say anything. I kind of thought they’d see my ship coming in and start throwing rocks and eggs and toilet paper at me and forbid me from even docking.
But they didn’t. As they always have, the people of this island showed me more grace than I have any right to.
So, I stand open-mouthed, blinking at everyone because I don’t have anything else to say.
I thought I would have to beg for them to let me stay. I thought they’d want me on my hands and knees before they even considered allowing me to move in. I never thought they’d accept me as more than a hermit on their most distant shore.
But they’re applauding me. I haven’t even done anything except tell them I’m stupid.
If this is what it takes for them to let me stay, I won’t complain.
I look around at the crowd, seeing some people nodding, some people glaring. There must be hundreds of people in here. There isn’t space for all of them. And there, at the back, it looks like people are getting crushed against the wall. They all came to hear what I had to say, even if they hated it. No doubt many of them were planning to riot at the idea of me boasting about owning the island.
Maybe in a past life I would have done that, but the me of today finds it inconceivable. What use is there in bragging over taking their happiness away?
And then I see her at the back of the room, her eyes wide, her mouth open in shock, sheltering behind someone as if she’s trying not to be seen, her golden hair falling over her face like a veil. Billie. My Billie, the person I’ve wronged more than anyone.
I stare at her, trying to make eye contact, but she’s either avoiding my gaze or thinks I don’t know she’s here. Maybe she’ll forgive me in the long run for coming back like this. Maybe she might even tolerate having me around on her island.
But I don’t want that.
These weeks without her have proven one thing to me; I need her in my life. Not just as a colleague or someone I see every now and again. I need her as a friend. I need her as a lover. I have one chance to make this right. I won’t forgive myself if I throw that away.
I clear my throat into the microphone and wave my hand, trying to get everyone to be quiet. It takes a few minutes, but eventually, a hush falls over the room again. “Thank you, everyone,” I say, the microphone buzzing as I speak. I move backa little, making a mental note that the sound system in here is something I’m going to upgrade.
They might not be comfortable with it, but I’m putting my money to good use around here, and this hall needs help.
“It means so much to me that you’re willing to give me another chance. I promise I won’t throw this away. I’m going to spend every day proving to you that I mean everything I say. I’m going to use my resources to help this island.” Someone starts clapping again. I make a sharp signal for them to stop.
A murmur of laughter ripples around the room, and I smile too. I will let them make me brave. “I really don’t deserve your applause,” I say. “But there’s someone in this room who does.”
Again, people turn to each other and mutter, wondering what I’m talking about. I take a deep breath and grip the microphone stand to steady myself. Now or never.
Then I let my eyes fall on her, letting her give me the strength to say what I have to say. “There’s someone in this room who loves this island more than anything. This is a special person who you all know, someone whose life is so essential to the daily rhythm of this island. I hope you’ve all thanked her recently, because she deserves the entire world. I’m sure you all know who I’m talking about.”
The people look at one another again, asking each other who I could mean. There’s no way Billie is that invisible to them, is there? If she is, then I’m going to have to do some serious work making them see how important she is.
But I can see in her eyes that she knows I’m talking about her. I can see it in her flushed cheeks, the way she bites her lip. Her eyes meet mine, and I smile. “Billie,” I say, the wholeworld narrowing down to just her and me because nothing else matters. I’m not talking to the other people in the room anymore.
I’m talking to the woman I love.
“You are the most special woman I’ve ever met. Nobody else in this town can claim they love it as much as you do. You stepped up to the mark when I first came here. You had the bravery to tell me to my face what an idiot I was. No one had ever really spoken to me like that before, not in a long time, anyway. And then you showed me why I should love this place. You showed me why I should love you. Because…” I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest.
I can’t back out now. I can’t stop. Billie deserves the whole truth. “Because I do love you, Billie. For being exactly who you are. For being the kind of person to speak your truth with your whole heart and mean it. I don’t expect you to forgive me, not right now, anyway, or not at all if you don’t want to. But even if you never forgive me, I have to say it at least once. I love you. You’ve made me a better person. I needed you to make me a better person. Thank you.”
