My Unexpected Vow: California Billionaires Book 2 by Harlow James (children's ebooks free online TXT) 📗

understand. She wanted to, but I wouldn’t let her. And although I stepped up because my father needed me and I didn’t have another choice, I still lost sight of what it means to share a life with someone—to go through the good and bad with them. And the last four weeks have been bad—so, so bad.

Being alone for the past few days has forced me to reminisce on when things were good, to recall the moments where our relationship shifted, but in a good way.

I remember the conversation that we had after she got home from that shitty interview when she asked me if I thought she was crazy for pursuing her dreams, and I told her no. I told her to keep fighting for what she wanted because it would happen. And it has. She’s made something for herself and nailed that design, and I just want to celebrate that with her.

I remember her taking me to The Rescue Mission and telling me the story of how and why she spends her time there, that all she’s ever wanted in her life is feeling like she has a place where she belongs with people that need her in return. And I missed sharing that with her. I completely fucking forgot about that dinner, and I know that was the nail in the coffin for me.

But I need her too. I fucking need her more than the oxygen necessary to breathe. I realize that now, and I have to try to fix it.

The only thing I feel could settle our fate is the job offer from Designs Unlimited. I know more details because I spoke to Ian about it after Waverly stormed out of the club and dropped that piece of information. I tried calling her, but naturally, she never answered. He told me that the owner asked for her information once she saw the inside of the club, and he didn’t think giving it to her was wrong since he knew Waverly was looking for employment. And if she takes it like she said she is, she’ll be moving, casting me aside and starting her new life with her new job, and our marriage will be just a memory.

I can’t blame Ian for passing along the message and granting her that opportunity, even though I want to—even though I want to blame anyone but myself for the mess my life is in right now. But after this weekend, after talking to Silas and having a long, hard talk with myself about what I want and what’s important, I’ve made a decision. I just need to talk to my father about it.

A harsh knock breaks me out of the staring contest I was having with my kitchen counter as I drop the hinge I was holding as well, forcing me to stand and make my way to the door. Another pound from the outside has me hesitant to open it, but when I see Wes standing on the other side, I realize I really don’t want to open it now.

Knowing there’s no avoiding my best friend, I pull open the door only to be greeted by a seething Wes, his eyes wild with anger.

“What the fuck happened, Hayes?” he demands, pushing inside of my house and shoving me when he enters.

“Hey, calm down, Wes.” I throw my hands in the air as his chest heaves.

“I told you not to fucking hurt her, and now I find out that she moved out and is filing for divorce. What the fuck did you do?”

I lower my hands and sigh in defeat. “We had a fight, a big one. I fucked up, Wes, in more ways than one.”

“No shit. You’d better start talking, and you’d better have food because I rushed down here from Santa Barbara and didn’t stop to eat and I’m starving.”

I follow Wes into my kitchen and travel straight to the fridge to pull out some leftovers of the dinner I made last night. Once I heat up a plate of pasta and pour Wes a glass of water, I wait for him to take a few bites before I recount the past few weeks and why Waverly left me. I’m honest with him because Wes has been nothing but honest with me in our friendship, and maybe he can help me.

“Well, my sister is right. You are an ass. But she’s stubborn too.”

“Noted,” I reply, taking down another sip of whiskey.

“And now she’s talking about moving to Vegas. Is that what you want?”

“No, that’s not what I fucking want.”

“I’m getting married in three days,” he says around a mouthful of food while pointing his fork at me. “You are both in the wedding, and I’ll be damned if you’re both miserable and causing a scene while you’re there. You need to fix this.”

“I know. I’m going to. I’m talking to my father tomorrow. I’m stepping down.”

Wes stops chewing. “Seriously?”

“Yes. That job is not what I want. I thought it was, but now I see that I don’t want a life that revolves around work. I thought I did, but that was before I married your sister.”

“I’m still pissed about that by the way.”

“Well, you hide your feelings so well,” I joke, but he doesn’t laugh.

“I really thought when you told me you had feelings for her, that this was a done deal. But I guess it’s not really love unless you fuck up and have to make things right, huh?”

“Speaking from experience?” I cross my arms over my chest and shoot my best friend a look that says, ‘you’re not so perfect yourself, man’.

“Hey. I’ll be the first to admit that I fucked up by not telling Shayla about Nolan and my ex-wife. And I almost lost her too. But the thought of life without her?” He shakes his head and I can see the same pain in his eyes that I feel in my chest right now.

“That’s what I realized, Wes. Business is business. There will always