The Billionaire's Beloved (Key to My Heart Book 4) (6 page)

"Hello?" I called hesitantly as I entered the unlocked front doors of the bakery, marked with a 'closed' sign.

I glanced over my shoulder, taking in the sight of Sebastian’s white BMW just down the road.

I wasn't alone. I was going to be okay. He would come rushing in to save me if Lewis tried anything crazy.

"Um, Lewis?" I said, voice much softer than I wanted it to be. I was such a coward, there was no use trying to look calm and utterly poised. I wasn’t Karina.

I rounded the corner of the main hall of the bakery, blond head seated before me at one of the cream colored tables. He stared intently downward at a mug of room temperature coffee. How long had he been here already? All night?

A bottle of whiskey sat on the counter, answering my suspicion.

His green eyes shifted towards me, then past me towards the door as though he were waiting for Karina to bust through.

"Just me." I said softly, struggling to ignore the desire to wring my hands like the nervous little nelly I was.

Instead, I took a seat across form him at the table, chair rocking unprofessionally beneath me. Hadn't we gotten all of these fixed?

"Why are you here?" Lewis asked, crossing his arms as he leaned backward.

His cold gaze leveled with me, taking in my discomfort and my lame attempt at poised confidence.

"I'm here to talk." I responded casually, drumming my fingers on the table until his arched eyebrow told me to stop.

Folding my hands in my lap, I swallowed the thick lump in my throat, "We need to talk about what's going on."

"And what is going on?" He responded frostily.

There was not a twitch of a smile on the lips that had been so genial once, on the lips that had touched my own so tenderly. There was no dimple in his familiar cheek. His eyes were not kind.

My heart thumped painfully, tearing my gaze away from him. I'd wanted to believe so badly that there were no feelings of affection left for him inside of me, but there they were, springing up like little daisies of pain.

There was nothing left of that relationship of course. There had been nothing even at the start, but I cared for this man as a friend at the very least, and I had not been a good friend in return.

"I wasn't kind to you." I said regretfully, "I let you believe that you had a chance to be with me. I let you believe that we had something, that we had potential."

I'd truly believed that we did, at one point.

That felt like so long ago, like millennia ago, or a whole different lifetime.

When I turned my gaze back to him, he was still staring at me, eyes wide with sorrow. Had I really meant so much to him?

We felt like strangers now, basking in the pain that we'd inflicted on each other.

"I'm sorry." I offered sincerely, mouth opening and closing as I struggled to put my feelings into words, "You were there for me, always. When I went into labor, when I was so lonely and conflicted. I thought of you as a close friend, Lewis."

"Just a friend?" He asked, voice hollow and raw, "Was I always just a friend?"

"No." I answered honestly, fingers moving reflexively to reach out to him, to comfort him, but I refrained.

His eyes dropped back down to his coffee cup, mouth corners so deep it carved his face like a canyon.

"And yet, I lost to him." He said with a shake of his head, "Why did you choose him? Sebastian abandoned you. He didn't want you."

I closed my eyes with a flinch at the harsh words, "I chose him because...because I love him, Lewis." I responded softly, "I love that man, and I can't help it."

"Did you love me?" Lewis asked softly, voice so quiet I almost didn't hear him speak, "Did you ever love me?"

"No." I responded, grimacing at the painful honesty in my voice.

I was done lying to myself and to others. I was done refusing my own thoughts. I had spent so much time denying my feelings, and in the end, I had hurt so many people in the process. There would be no more denial, no more lying. Only the truth.

Lewis sharply grabbed the coffee mug in his hand, lifting up high over his head and hurling it down on the floor between our feet where it smashed into a million jagged shards. The coffee pooled into a brown puddle.

I struggled to remain calm, my hands latching tight. My heart began to thunder, glancing towers the silent front doors of the bakery. It was okay, everything was fine. I had this under control.

Right?

Inhaling deeply, I turned my face back towards Lewis, watching him, refusing to let my gaze dip away any longer.

"Why?" He asked, eyes gigantic on his pale face and voice gravelly, "Why couldn't it have been me, why couldn't you love me?"

I didn't respond to him, teeth gritted. I didn't owe him that answer. I didn’t truly have a response to that. It’d been a feeling, deep inside of me, that Sebastian was the one all along. These tantrums Lewis was throwing were all the more evidence that I’d made the right choice.

"Do you want me out of your life?" He moaned, every syllable choked with burden, "Do you really want me gone?"

"You threatened my husband." I whispered back calmly, "You tried to blackmail us. And to what, Lewis? What were you hoping to achieve? What did you believe was going to happen in the end?"

I stared at him, leaning back in my chair as I shook my head, "Were you hoping that if you made Sebastian lose his business and his wealth that I would come running back to you? Do you think I chose him only because of his money?"

Lewis stared back at me, jaw slack now, shoulders heavy and hunched.

"I don't know." He responded, finally his turn to be honest, "I don't know what I wanted. I don't...I don't know what I expected you to do. I just hoped…"

His eyes shifted towards the broken mug shamefacedly, staring at it as though he were hoping the shards would miraculously come back together, each glued into their own perfect place.

"I'm sorry." He finally whispered, long gaze coming back to me.

In the darkness of the bakery, lit only by outside sunlight, his green eyes looked so dark they were almost black.

"I know." I responded simply.

What was I supposed to say to him? That what he'd done was alright? That I forgave him?

I wasn't sure how I felt, I wasn't sure what the right words were. So, instead, I chose now to remain quiet. My heart was heavy and pounded painfully against my ribs. Each thud was like the dull ache of a tooth, but deep down inside my chest.

The despair in Lewis's eyes was incomparable.

"I'm going to leave." He finally said, drawing himself up so he was standing.

He stood in front of me, like a puppet held up by a loose string. His movements were stiff and rigid, his chin hung limply by his chest, hands at his sides.

He stood there gazing down at the top of my head, mentally pleading for me to jump up and wrap my arms around him, to absolve him of his sins and run away with him into the sunset.

"That's probably for the best." I whispered, staring down at my folded hands.

For another few seconds he hung there, suspended next to me, before he turned and walked slowly from the room.

It was only when I heard the back door swing open and then shut, that I felt the tears begin to well up in the corners of my eyes. They slid down my cheeks, burning a trail down my face as I slumped into the chair, burying my face harshly into my hands.

My shoulders quivered, my knees shook, my entire body trembled as the sobs rocked through me.

My heart ached with the loss of Lewis as a presence in my life, though I knew it was for the best. We’d been through so much together, but between him and my husband, there was no contest. Sebastian won in every round. The minute feelings I had for the blond manager had come from loneliness and desperation. The love that I had for Sabastian came from my very soul.

Still, I had never meant to hurt Lewis. I had never set out in the beginning to cause him pain. I never wanted him to feel that way, I never wanted to be the root of his despair.

Though Lewis had threatened to take everything away from my husband, wasn't Lewis himself that had wound up with nothing?

The front door creaked, Sebastian entering the bakery. He looked at me, hunched over the table, broken mug on the floor, tears streaming from my eyes, and walked carefully over to me.

He leaned down, lifting me up out of the chair and into his strong arms as easily as though I were a pillow made of down feathers or a child.

The billionaire held me tight to his strong chest, letting my tears soak through and ruin his expensive shirt.

He stroked my hair, planting kiss after tender kiss along the curve of my cheek.

"I'm here for you, Macy." He whispered softly, tilting my face so that his lips could graze against my own, "I'm here for you."

"I love you." I gasped, unable to hold those words back any longer, “Dammit, I love you.”

His blue eyes widened, just the tiniest bit. Uncharacteristic surprise in his tan face.

He opened his mouth, unable to answer before I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, mouth descending against his own.

"So, that's it, then?" Karina asked skeptically, "Lewis is gone for good?"

We sat quietly around the table at La Grange, my mother in law's favorite restaurant. I think the rest of us were too exhausted to eat out, but she insisted on a celebratory meal. Just her style.

"I think so." I shrugged, leaning over to where Lydia rest in her stroller seated between Sebastian and myself, watching us all as she sucked on a plush blue dog toy.

Newly fed and changed, we had at least 45 minutes before a baby breakdown. If we were lucky. Maybe she'd just fall back asleep?

I was hoping if I acted distracted enough, the subject would change. I didn't want to talk about Lewis anymore.

"We're going to need a new manager." Harry said glumly, his arm wrapped around the back of Karina's chair.

"He was amazing at what he did." I offered apologetically, to which Harry waved a hand dismissively. He was doing his best not to make me feel guilty, I could tell. I appreciated the effort.

Karina suddenly went rigid, staring over my head with eyes big, back stiff as a meerkat perking out over a ledge. I would have laughed had I not been vaguely frightened at her rigidity. Was she having a stroke?

Slowly, Sebastian and I turned to look over our shoulders.

There, with their backs turned just slightly towards us, stood none other than Karina's ex-husband and Alissa.

I swallowed, staring back at my mother in law, hoping she would stay calm. She hadn't seen George Davis since he'd served her with divorce papers. She acted as though it didn't matter to her, but you could never be sure with that woman just how deeply her pain went.

Alissa shook hands with someone, turning to get the attention of the waiter when she abruptly locked gazes with Karina.

The redhead froze, her own expression going into swift shock before she shook her head and worked up a great act of a joyful smile, tugging her husband's sleeve delicately and gesturing towards our table.

"Oh, boy." Sebastian murmured, rubbing his forehead as they approached.

"Um, good evening. What a surprise!" Alissa said cheerily, reaching out to shake hands with Karina, "How are you this evening?"

"Just fine. Thank you." Karina said tautly, turning her shoulder and ignoring Alissa’s outstretched hand.

Harry took it instead, giving her long, pale fingers a gentle squeeze.

"And how is Lydia?" Alissa asked after a long, painful silence, "Is she doing better? That was a scary afternoon at the hospital." The woman chuckled, struggling to keep up a calm face and conversation.

It was strange to see her so out of her element when she was normally so causal. Perhaps she was nervous I’d told all of them about the loss of her baby.

Karina turned sharply to stare at me, blue eyes all but piercing through me like a javelin as she pieced together the puzzle.

I cleared my throat, nodding quickly, "Not even a cough." I responded, laughing uneasily.

"Join us, please." Harry offered, pulling up two chairs from a nearby empty table.

Karina turned her death glare to him, but he only settled back beside her and wrapped his arm back around her shoulders.

"Macy, darling, you look absolutely exhausted." Alissa chuckled with a shake of her head, "That baby keeping you up all night?"

Nope. Not that baby. I could feel a blush warming my face as I avoided looking towards my husband.

“It’s been a long few days.” I said instead, sipping my water.

"Actually, I'm glad that you're here, Father." Sebastian said, leaning forward on his elbows, "I have a proposition for you."

"What is it, son?" George asked, ordering a bottle of wine for the table, "I'm quite enjoying my retirement."

"He's going crazy." Alissa responded with a roll of her eyes, "Please give him something to do."

"I wouldn't say I'm going crazy." George scoffed, though after a second of thoughtful brooding he responded, "I did have a rather enlightening conversation with the microwave last week though."

"He couldn't figure out the start button." Alissa murmured dismally.

"How would feel about opening a chain of businesses." Sebastian continued, "Say...some bakeries."

He glanced towards me as I stared at the young billionaire wide eyed.

What was going on?

"I'd love to get back into interior decorating." Alissa sighed dreamily, "It's been so long. George, won’t you think about it, at least?"

She turned her puppy eyes to him, and hapless to refuse his new bride, George sighed and gave a slow nod, “Whatever you want, Pumpkin.” He drawled as Alissa smugly sipped her wine.

"Good. So we've got a decorator, the funds, now we just need a manager for our home store." Sebastian responded, glancing back towards me, "Where do you think we could find one of those in such short notice?"

"You better stop looking at me!" I snorted, "Don’t you remember how much I ruined things last time?"

"So, I suppose you'll need a partner then. Someone to help you out." Sebastian continued casually, sipping his white wine.

I didn't respond, waiting for him impatiently to get to his point. With the Davis family, you had to wait them out. My patience skills were going to be through the roof.

"I'd love to give it a go." He responded with a grin, "A family venture. Wouldn’t that be nice?"

"What are you saying?" I gasped, leaning forward, "Spit it out, Bast."

He paused, head tilting just slightly. I'd never once called him 'Bast' before.

"Tell me!" I said impatiently, clapping my hands together.

"I decided recently that I was leaving our business venture, Father." Sebastian said, turning back to George, "Recent circumstances made me realize how little I'm invested in it. It’s too cutthroat, people are only out for themselves."

He waved a hand with blasé frivolity, as though they weren’t talking about millions of dollars at stake. It was almost unsettling, really.

Karina slammed her hands on the table, gaze shifting between her ex-husband and the son she looked like she was ready to disown, "Don't you know how important that business is to the family?" She gasped, "I’ll have you know that your father-"

Before Karina could go on another three hour tirade about how important the corporation was to the Davis name and to George, the man himself held up a hand to still her.

"Sebastian, if there is one that I've learned, it's that you must do what you want to do. If I had followed my heart years ago, I would have never hurt your mother." He paused to look at Karina.

For a moment, he frowned deeply before heaving a heavy sigh that rolled out of him like a train's roar.

"I knew we shouldn't have gotten married back then, my dear." He said softly to his divorcee, "And while I'm so glad we had our son, I was terrible to you, and you deserved better."

Karina, slack jawed, silently leaned back in her chair.

Harry squeezed her shoulder softly, and she glanced up at him with a slight smile. The closest Karina ever got, anyways.

“Sebastian has always had a keen eye for business. I’d follow that man into any venture. You have to go for what you want, my boy.” He continued, winking at his son.

"You’re' right." Karina finally obliged, shoulders slightly limp with realization, "You have to just go for what you want."

As Sebastian turned to beam at me, Karina slid out of her chair and got down on one knee in front of Harry.

"Harry Bircham." She began, wobbling on her knee uncertainly, "Will…will you marry me?" Her voice, usually so steady and strong and smooth, faltered.

She paused, befuddled look on her eye as she grabbed at his hand, "I don't have a ring, but-"

Harry leapt to his feet, his arms leaning to wrap around her as he lifted her up off the ground into an enormous squeeze, so tight her toes lifted off the fine floor of the restaurant.

"Karina, my love, I thought you would never ask." He teased, dipping her low, her back arching, as he planted a big, wet kiss right on her waiting lips.

A happy shriek came from me as I covered my face in my hands, in awe of what happened. Never in a thousand years did I expect Karina Davis herself to get down on bended knee for her old chef.

I pinched my arm, trying to rouse myself. Karina had just proposed to Harry, was I in the middle of some crazy dream?

Sebastian and I were going to be working in the bakery together and he was leaving his business? Plus, with George and Sebastian working together, that meant Alissa would be around more frequently as well.

I leaned back in my chair, head tilting upwards towards the ceiling.

It'd all worked out. The bakery was going to stay in the family. Though, I couldn't see my parents any longer, but I knew they were overjoyed. There was no doubt in my mind that they'd had something to do with this.

Sebastian, Lydia and I had a pair of guardian angels looking out for us. Now, everyone would know their names once we got those beautiful, homey bakeries lining the coast.

Their dream was finally coming true, and I owed it all to this family. When I agreed to marry Sebastian, it was out of sheer desperation. Now, as I sat with them all, I felt nothing but joy and eagerness for the future.

"Hey." Sebastian whispered, pulling my attention back to him.

Even though I felt as though I were so full of bliss and ecstasy I could float right away, his deep blue eyes grounded me, pulling me in like a vortex of sweet passion.

"What is it?" I asked softly, tilting my head.

He reached over, taking my hand in his own, thumb running over the band on my left ring finger.

He gazed at it, watching the way the diamond reflected the overhead lights of the glittering chandelier.

"Macy." He said softly, his eyes searching my own, his perfect lips pulled into a smile over his perfect white teeth, "Those words I’ve been looking for. They were so simple all along.” He paused, beaming at me sweetly, “I love you, darling." He murmured, "I love you more than I could possibly imagine."

I stared at him, swallowing, startled by the tears that leapt to my eyes.

I reached over, tracing the curve of his chin as he turned his face and tenderly pressed his lips into my hand.

That face belonged to me, the hand that held my own belonged to me, his every kiss and his whole heart belonged to me.

And I, to him, forever.

Though this chapter of our life was closing, ending the chaos and confusion that had reigned our lives for so long, I couldn’t help but believe that this was only just the beginning of something even more magical and sweet.

The End, Key to My Heart Book 4