Page 79 of Billionaire Romance

This is just like every other Valentine’s Day, ending up in tears. Only this might be worse because it started out so brilliantly.

“Jesus, Sally,” Eric says, and he sounds dejected. “This isn’t easy for me. This is the one thing, that one thing that causes me so much pain it makes me angry to talk about it. Hell, she’s still clearing out boxes. She had me come over and pick up the last of them this morning. This whole thing has been a process so long and drawn out and I’m tired and today of all days I’m just reminded of it.”

Boxes. Boxes usually mean people’s things. Shit. His father died. That has to be it. His father died and he has yet to get over it. “He’s gone?” I ask.

He blows out a breath. “Yes.”

“I’m so sorry, Eric. I honestly had no idea. That explains why you hate it so much. If my father died on Valentine’s Day I think that I’d hate it too. I didn’t know, and I didn’t mean to be cruel. I didn’t realize that’s what you were going through.”

He starts to laugh. Not just a little laugh but a big laugh, almost angry that fills the space around us and echoes out into the gardens. It’s a sound that makes me sick to my stomach. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because I wish it were that,” he says. “That bastard being dead would be way easier than this. But he can rot in hell. I’m glad he’s gone and I’m even happier that the last of his toxic shit is out of this house.”

“What?”

Eric turns away from me and runs his hands through his hair. “Three years ago we had a party kind of like this one. It wasn’t nearly as extravagant or as many people, but there were enough. My dad disappeared for a while, and he always gave the toasts at our parties. So I went looking for him, and I found him, in the middle of fucking his twenty-one-year-old secretary.

“And once I’d finished screaming at him and he’d put himself together and come out to talk to us, he informed us all that he was leaving my mother for her. That they were in love and that was the end of that. He’d hired her a week before. It was Valentine’s Day.

“That’s why I can’t stand this holiday.”

Oh my God. The tears that were welling up before spill over and I start to cry. Because I understand and every emotion that’s been built up in the last minute needs to come pouring out and because that’s so incredibly sad.

“Hey,” he says, “don’t cry. It’s all fine now. I’m fine.”

But it’s not fine. To have this day, something that’s supposed to be reserved for love and joy shredded in front of you, and on top of that have your family torn apart. That’s miles away from fine.

I understand why Eleanor said what she did now even though I still can’t believe that it happened. I let Eric pull me into an embrace, and I tuck my head into his chest. “I’m sorry,” my voice is muffled.

“I’m sorry too,” he says. “I should have just told you, but it’s just…easier to pretend that it never happened. And my mother, I thought she’d be more like me, that she would hate this day and what it stood for and not be interested in relationships. But it’s not like that.”

“That’s why she wanted you to bring a date?”

I feel him nod above my head. “She’s become obsessed with Bianca and me finding the perfect people to spend our lives with. To the point where if we’re not with someone she sees it as a personal failing. It got even worse when I split with my ex.

“I’ve been doing what she asks because last year she had a break down and we thought we were going to lose her. And Bianca asked you to be my date so we didn’t risk her spiraling into another episode. But I should have warned you that this could happen.”

I don’t say anything, and I let myself relax into the warmth of his arms. “Bianca lives here to take care of her, though she has a life in the city. Neither of us want her to be back in that place again.”

“Yeah.” That’s all there is to say. How else can you respond to sadness like that?

Eric pulls back far enough to look down at me, but not enough to let me go. His face is serious. “Forgive me,” he says. “I was an ass, and my pain isn’t an excuse to lash out. This is very real, and I want everything to be your business.”

I nod, still worried that another bout of tears is coming. Finally, I manage. “I forgive you.”

He looks relieved, and he leans toward me before stopping. “I would very much like to kiss you, Sally, if that’s all right.”

“Yes, please.”

His lips on mine are soft, gentle. It makes the space in my chest ache for him and for his family. This kiss is something fragile, just like us. It’s too new to take for granted, this thing between us, and it easily could have ended.

I don’t want that. All I want to do is be with him, without the pressure of everything else.

“Do we have to stay?”

He shakes his head. “No. I came. I brought you. I didn’t think she was going to speak to you like that, and I’m going to talk to her later. But even though you love Valentine’s Day, I would still love to get the fuck out of here.”

I allow myself to warm up to him, to let go of what just happened so I can recapture the joy of what I felt when we arrived. “Do you remember when I said I had a plan to get you to like Valentine’s Day?”

“I remember something about that. What about it?”

I take a breath, because there’s no going back from this. “Take me home, Eric.”

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