Something Gained: A Billionaire Romance

Chapter: 48

ELENA

"Elena!" He looked surprised to see me there at his doorstep, unannounced. I immediately regretted my decision to not call before I set out.

"Uhm you are going somewhere."

"Well yeah, I was gonna meet some friends." He dragged the sentence.

"I'm sorry. I should have just called and asked you if you were free. I'll see you later."

"Wait!" He grabbed my wrist, stopping me exactly where I was.

"What's wrong?" Concern shone in his eyes as he swiftly took a glance at my whole face.

"Nothing. You're gonna run late." He wouldn't budge. That wasn't in his nature.

"I'm not going." He declared pulling me in and closed the door behind us.

"What? But you said-" He cut me off mid-sentence.

"I'll let them know that I'm canceling." His phone was already out in his hands while he at once started typing.

"No. Don't!" He looked up after what seemed like hitting the send button.

"Yes and you're gonna tell me what's wrong." I stood there seeing him stroll into the kitchen and at that moment the reason I came here felt petty. It wasn't worth canceling his weekend plans

"Nothing's wrong. I was just here to see you. You don't need to cancel." I mumbled feeling extremely stupid.

"Well I realized we haven't had a proper talk in a while now and that's exactly what we're gonna do." He set down the tray filled with cupcakes and cookies.

"You think this will do?" I bit my lips looking at the food generously laid out. My stressed ass could easily shovel down all those in a few minutes.

"Yeah!" I shrugged and looked at him, sighing at the fact that he knew me way too well.

"So what is it?" This nudge just made me swallow the whole piece in my mouth. I was killing time and I knew it. I was just confused if it was even worth discussing.

"You look fidgety. Just fess up." He waited a second before he had some kind of realization.

"Does it have something to do with Liliana?" The underlying confidence in his tone as he asked the question was too noticeable.

"She is nice." I blurted at once causing him to raise a suspicious brow at me.

"She is. She is good with Ava. Ava loves having her around." He must have realized the sincerity in my words as he nodded before leaning back against the couch.

"How often is she at your place?"

"Everyday?" His forehead creased lightly.

"I guess that's okay. I mean she is Ava's mother and I told you all about her past, how everything happened. It should have been her in my place all along." He shook his head in disagreement as soon as I finished.

"But it isn't. She chose and she left. It's you there." I exhaled before leaning back to rest my head on the couch.

"Today before I left, I saw them all in the kitchen. Rylan, Liliana and Ava. When they bake together, do movies together, they look happy, they look like a family. I felt like that wasn't somewhere where I belonged. I feel like if I was not there, they would have reconciled and that's what is eating me away." I hadn't realised that I was bouncing my leg out of stress before he placed a firm hand on my knee.