Page 16 of Falling for the Hot Billionaire

Tyrell

Justine ran off again, let's just call it like it was. She had opened up to me, told me things that she probably didn't want other people to know, and now she was worried about what that was going to do. Then we kissed, which was just as good as I remembered, because unlike Justine, I remembered every touch, taste, and detail, every word that came from her. The casual conversation we had about the movie we were watching, all of it. Tasting her again and getting the realization that it was just as good as any before, was probably the nail in the coffin for me. That's how I described it. I wanted things to be different, but I knew better.

When she left for work, I felt a mixture of emotions. I wanted her to stay naturally, because I thought she was already open to what I had suggested. I knew that it was probably a little freaky for her, considering everything was happening at the same time, but it was really hard to wait. She had been right about what men wanted from her, a bit clearer than I was probably comfortable with. I didn't want to admit that I was just like them, but I was. I wanted her company, that was just the end of it. I was focused on doing pretty much anything to be with her, including buying the house next door to her and twice now dictating her work schedule and where she even worked. I was going above and beyond, maybe way too far, but I couldn’t help doing everything in my power.

I could have been doing a million things, but none of it would matter when all I wanted was her. For a guy who had spent a large part of his life solely on the effort of making money, it was strange indeed to put in all that effort toward something else. For once, making money felt like a waste.

I was about to go out for a little while and get some provisions when I heard a knock at the door. I thought it was Justine, like she had taken a day off and decided that she had to be with me because nothing else mattered. Naturally that was pure crap, and even though I hoped to see her, I was out of luck.

I opened the door to find Monica, the last person I wanted to know that I lived there. There was a reason that she didn't know my new address. I didn’t want to see her again. I bought her a house. Wasn’t that enough?

“What are you doing here?” I asked, not as nicely as I could have.

She frowned. “Is that any way to treat your wife?”

“Ex-wife. You know, that's the reason you got the house. I paid a lot of money to hear the X in front of wife and I'm damn sure going to hear it.”

Monica wasn't fazed at all. She just smiled at me in that sickening sweet way and asked me how everything was going. She didn't care, I knew that much for certain, so there was a reason that she was asking. She knew something that I didn't know and like the cat that ate the canary, it was eating her up inside not to tell me. I couldn't help the feeling of dread that came over me. She was the only woman that could do that to me, so quickly, just a look. When Monica had something on her mind, it never ended well. She was obviously about to start something and so help me, I didn't have the energy for it.

“Well, it's no wonder that we're divorced the way you talk to me.”

“So, at least we agree on the divorce part. What are you doing here?” I asked again.

“Well, I wanted to see how you were doing. You know, how you're holding up with everything going on. They say that divorce is close to a death in the family.”

“Sometimes, divorce is like a great relief. You know, like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders and I am finally free again,” I told her with a smile on my face. She really didn't get it, I never wanted to see her again. I thought that was clear. I knew that I had been crystal clear about not wanting to do this anymore, this back and forth. I was not interested in it whatsoever, and Monica was going to have to find someone else to play these games with. I wasn’t interested.

“I was just going to ask you about your new girlfriend.”

“What new girlfriend?”

“You know, the woman who lives next door.”

That had me worried. How in the hell did Monica know about Justine living next door? I didn't say her name, just in case she didn't know, but it wasn't long before she was saying it for me. She took it as a personal affront apparently because Justine wasn't worth my time. It looked bad on her that I was dating a nurse.

“Why do you care?” I couldn’t help it. She was baiting me in using Justine.

“Because you will always reflect me a little bit. If you go downhill, what is it going to look like for me?”

I shrugged and told her that I didn't really care.

“I know that you're having some midlife crisis or something, but you can't let it drag you down. You are a billionaire, you are a powerful man, and you’ve given it all up for a nurse? Middle class at best. Is that really what your parents want for you? I know for a fact that they wouldn't like the dirtying of their blood. They are a lot like my parents in that way. That’s why we were such a good match.”

Monica had always been a bitch, but now she was sounding like an elitist, and I had to bite my tongue not to remind her that she came from a hairdresser and a vacuum repair guy. She didn't know anything about class or bloodline, and my parents were worried about it. They certainly didn’t want me with her. I hadn’t cared then either.

Monica was talking about Justine in a bad way, like saving lives was something to scoff at. Since I was one of those guys who was personally touched by her, there was no way that I could look down on anything that she had done or that she continued to do.

“So, you came here to warn me about what people think? Thank you for that.”

“I really did come here for more than just that. I just thought you would like to know how it looks on the outside. I know you, and I know you wouldn’t want to come across as pathetic.”

“I don’t care how it looks, Monica. I don't owe you any alimony and you got what you wanted. What more could there be?”

“How about the fact that you didn't tell me how much taxes and insurance would be?”

I chuckled, seeing where this was going. “What did you think? Did you really think that it wasn't going to take tens of thousands of dollars to upkeep it every year? You were so intent on having that house. All of it is yours, and now you have to pay for it.”

“I won't be able to,” she said simply, not her usually bitchy self any longer.

---