Mr Reluctant Billionaire || BWWM

Sixty-seven

The next day, my phone is pinging with notifications. David shoots me a grateful text I don’t reply, I am sure he doesn’t expect one, we are not friends. My finger hovers over the delete option on his contact, I hesitate. It won’t hurt to have it so I save his number, something I had failed to do. Bored, I send Brandon an SOS and switch off my phone.

Time to take matters into my hands.

Bathed, shaved and clad in lace lingerie that barely holds my breasts and reveals my bump, I sit up, legs crossed while awaiting that click that will announce his entrance. He won’t talk to me like a normal person and now, I am pissed. And horny. And frustrated.

The click to signify his presence sounds, reverberating in the room. I shoot up from the bed as fast as a pregnant woman approaching her third semester can and saunter to the door, swinging my hips. Brandon eyes me from head to toe, the appreciative glint in his gaze is missing but I shrug that off. I am a woman on a mission, I will get what I want.

“How was work?” I ask, hands out to rid him of his tie. The subtle jerk of his upper body to avoid my touch, the way he grabs the tie from me stings and my hands drop to my sides. He mutters his usual noncommittal response, followed by a kiss to my forehead which I duck. Glaring at him, I say, “Kiss me on the lips, Brandon or don’t kiss me at all.”

His response is a nod. A curt nod that burns as much as being told to get out of his sight. Stifling the fast-rising anger, I lock the door and tuck the key in my bra. His jaw clenches, I hiss. Good. I am getting somewhere, I think until Brandon turns around and heads for the bathroom. I scoff, not today. He won’t get rid of me this easy and if he cannot talk to me about the issue niggling him, then we will have a big problem. His silence is draining.

Stomping behind him like a kid forced to stay home all day, I simmer quietly while he takes off his clothes without sparing me a glance. My breath hitches in my chest, a sob escapes me. What went wrong? I am the one who should be mad at him. First, he dumps Brianna on me. Josh dumps Brendan on me and David crowns it all with his suspicions.

He had his first real conversation with Josh because of me and I get the silent treatment in return for that. His singlet vanishes, I breathe in, out. What is wrong with this man?

“There’s only so much I can take,” I spit out when he makes to sidestep me. He pauses, his eyes scan my face. I sandwich one of his hands in mine. “Talk to me, what’s wrong?”

His frown dissolves, he kisses my knuckles then buries his face in my hair to sniff me. “Everything is fine.” I nod, half-believing him. He fakes a smile. “Bad day at work, okay?”

“Even yesterday?” He cringes, I am not dumb. “And the day before that?” He reaches for my hands which fall to my sides, I shake my head. This has gone on for too long. All I asked was for him to share his burden and communicate. “What did I do? I apologised for inviting your parents and you already punished me for that. Isn’t that enough?”

Pulling his hair from the root, he groans, hiding his face behind his arms. I want to slap some sense into his head so bad. With his hands still in his scalp, he says, “It’s not that.”

Annoyed with him and myself for caring so much about him when all I get in return is half-assed replies, secrets and more walls between us, I yell, “Then what is it?” Brandon whimpers. In a soft voice, I add, “You keep pushing me away. Baby, talk to me. Please.”

“I can’t...”

Fatigue hits me, I stagger backwards. I am done. “You can’t or you won’t?” His mouth opens, I raise a hand, enough with his excuses. “Don’t bother. Bath, then we will talk.”