The English Billionaire

Chapter 43

Forest's POV

It was exhilarating, being out with Landon, and these three other people that I was able to call my friends. I had never really had friends. When my parents died I was shoved into a position that I had no idea how to run. So every turn I took was covered in roadblocks taking on the form of people trying to take advantage of my inexperience, befriend me to gain status, or try to take control of my assets. Landon and Milton were my friends before that happened. Making new friends, getting to know people, that was... different. But I was enjoying it.

"Music!" Alison said joyfully, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Ooooo, we have to go!" She grabbed Emma and started jumping. Emma looked slightly uncomfortable but amused. "Come on, we can go dance!"

Gerald grabbed Alison's arm, "then let's go!" He said and started walking towards the people playing music on the street. Alison did not let go of Emma so her other hand went out to grab onto something to steady her. I found myself stepping forward and taking her hand giving her a smile— a real smile, not the press smile— and then gripping Landon's shirt sleeve and tugging him along after everyone. She gave me a slow grin back and it surprised me at how such a simple expression could have such a large effect.

When I turned to look at my friend I found his eyes on Emma and my hands. He looked up at me and raised his eyebrows at me in what I assumed was an attempt to hide what he was just looking at so I mirrored the look back at him.

Before we had a chance to change expressions again Gerald had reached his destination. He let go of Alison and started doing a very bad and very exaggerated 'sprinkler' dance. Alison and Emma released hands and started copying him, laughing. Landon used the dance move as an excuse to jokingly slap my face when I didn't join in immediately. We all followed Gerald and Alison as they chose which silly move we would all do next. At one point Gerald attempted to moonwalk and ended up falling over. Emma and Alison burst out laughing so hard that they couldn't do much else for a few minutes afterwards.

The musicians seemed to be amused at their new fan club, weird foreigners who were dancing strangely to their beautiful music, so when we all become tired I threw a small handful of bills into their box for donations. Their eyes were wide when they saw that movement and it made me smile. They deserved it.

Alison seemed to be the leader of the pack. She was always the one to drag everyone else along after her go wherever struck her fancy. Gerald kept up a running commentary of whatever was happening throwing in jokes that Emma always laughed at—or rolled her eyes at, some were really bad. I didn't know why but my eyes kept returning to Emma whenever she would smile or laugh. She didn't seem to notice, but Landon did.

When we walked away from the musicians Landon side stepped me and took up the position by Emma's side and swung an arm over her shoulder adding in a witty comment to Gerald's most recent joke. Emma laughed easily, she looked up at Landon and scrunched her nose, then poked him in the side. He chuckled and held up his hands in mock surrender.

No one noticed the look he sent my way. And no one noticed the same grim look I sent back.