The billionaire's Childhood Crush

Chapter One: The Man she Never Forgot ELENA'S POV "Elena, whatever you do, don't turn around." What?" I whispered. I froze as Mia's hands tightened around my arm. Don't. Turn. around." Her voice had changed and the playful tone she'd carried all evening was gone, replaced by something dangerously close to panic. I slowly lowered my champagne glass. "Why?" "Because the man standing behind you is the reason you've spent eight years pretending you don't believe in true love." My heart stopped and for one terrifying second, I couldn't breathe. There were thousands of people in Los Angeles, millions in California, there was absolutely no reason for the man behind me to be who i thought it was. "Elena." The voice came from directly behind my shoulder. It was deep, familiar and impossible. My fingers went numb and Mia's eyes widened. "Oh, hell." I didn't need to turn around because I knew that voice, I had heard it in my dreams and I had heard it eight years ago when he told me he didn't love me anymore. Alexander. I closed my eyes and for eight I'd convinced myself that if I ever saw him again, I would be prepared. I'd imagined the moment countless times; while in some versions I'd slapped him, some I laughed in his face but I had never imagined this. My head was pounding so hard that I was certain everyone in the ballroom could hear it. Mia leaned toward me "Do you want me to kill him?" Despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped me. "Not yet." "Give me the word." I finally turned around and the world tilted. Alexander Sterling stood less than three feet away. He was taller than I remembered. At seventeen, he'd already been tall enough to tilt my chin whenever we argued and now at thirty-two, he stood at an imposing six feet three inches, dressed in a black tuxedo that looked like it had been tailored specifically for him. His jaw was sharper and his cheekbones more pronounced but it was his eyes that destroyed me, deep hazel, almost brown from a distance, yet I knew there were flecks of green hidden inside them. I'd once believed I would spend the rest of my life looking into those eyes until he broke my heart and now he was looking at me as though he'd seen a ghost. His gaze moved slowly over my face then back to my eyes. It's you," he whispered. "Yes" My throat tightened and I forced myself to smile He swallowed. "It's really you." "You're here." "Clearly" Mia coughed beside me. I glanced at her and she was watching Alexander like he was a suspicious package at the airport. Alexander's eyes shifted toward her. "Mia Bennett." Mia Bennett." Mia blinked. "You remember me?" "I remember everyone who was important to Elena." My heart twisted. I hated that sentence, especially how easily it slipped beneath my defences Mia looked between us. "Well this is awkward." Alexander's gaze returned to me. "How long have you been here?" "Long enough." Why didn't anyone tell me?" I frowned. “Why would anyone tell you?” He didn't answer, instead his eyes searched my face again. “You look…” “Different? “Beautiful.” The words came too quickly, too honestly. It made my heart stumble and I looked away. “That’s not appropriate.” “Why?” “Because we’re at a business event.” “I wasn’t talking about business.” I looked back at him and his expression was serious, no teasing, no arrogance, just Alexander; the Alexander I remembered and that was somehow worse. I picked up my champagne glass, although I had no intention of drinking from it. “I should get back to my colleagues.” “Elena.” “I have work to do.” “You’re leaving?” “Yes.” “Already?” “Yes.” His brow furrowed. “You’ve been here less than an hour.” “You’ve been counting?” “I noticed when you arrived.” My fingers tightened around my glass. “How?" His eyes didn’t leave mine. “I notice everything about you.” Silence settled between us. For eight years, I had imagined him forgetting me, moving on, finding someone else, living a perfect billionaire life where the awkward teenage girl from Santa Monica was nothing more than a distant memory. And yet here he was, telling me he’d noticed when I arrived. I couldn't let myself believe it, not again. “You shouldn’t say things like that." “Why?” “Because they don’t mean anything.” His expression hardened. “They mean everything.” I laughed quietly. “That’s exactly what you said when we were seventeen.” “And I meant it then.” “You also told me you loved me.” “I did.” “And then you told me you didn’t.” His face changed and the color drained slightly from his expression. “I never said that." My smile disappeared. “Yes, you did.” “No.” “You wrote it.” His eyes narrowed. “Wrote what?” “I stared at him. “The letter.” “What letter?” The question sounded genuine. That frightened me more than anger would have. “The letter you sent me.” “I never sent you a letter telling you I stopped loving you.” “You did.” “I didn’t.” “You said you wanted nothing to do with me anymore.” His jaw clenched. “Elena…” “You said I was a mistake.” His eyes darkened. “I would never call you a mistake.” “You did.” “I swear to you, I didn’t.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to have this conversation.” “I do.” “Well, I don’t.” I turned away and his hand moved as if he wanted to stop me, but he caught himself. That tiny hesitation reminded me of the boy I used to know. Alexander had always been careful with me, even when we were teenagers, even when we were stupid and reckless and convinced we knew everything about love. I hate I remembered. I hated that I still cared. I started walking and Mia immediately followed. We had barely made it across the ballroom when Alexander’s voice stopped us again. “Elena.” I closed my eyes. Why would he just let me go? I turned and he stood several feet away. People were beginning to notice, of course they were. The billionaire CEO had stopped speaking to the woman who had apparently become important enough to hold his attention in the middle of his own event. His expression was unreadable and then he said words that changed everything. “I’ve been looking for you for eight years.” My breath caught and Mia stared at me. I couldn’t move. Alexander took one step closer. “I didn’t know where you went.” “You didn’t look.” “I did. “No.” “I did." “Then you should have found me.” His jaw tightened. “I tried.” “You should have tried harder.” “I know.” The answer silenced me. There was no defense, no arrogance, just regret. I looked away. “It's too late.” His voice dropped. “Maybe for you.” My eyes snapped back to his. “What does that mean?” “It means I’ve spent eight years wishing I’d done things differently.” “You’re a little late." “I know.” “You’re very good at being late, Alexander.” He flinched. Good. I wanted him to hurt, not because I hated him but because I needed him to understand that I had hurt too. “You look happy,” he said. The sudden change in subject caught me off guard. “I am.” “Are you?” “Yes.” “Do you have someone?" My eyebrows rose. “You don’t get to ask me that.” “I know.” “Then don’t.” He nodded but his eyes betrayed him. There was jealousy there; a flash of something dark and possessive. It should have angered me instead, it made my pulse race. I hated that too. “You’re married?” he asked. “No.” “Engaged?” “No." “Dating?” I stared at him. “That’s none of your business.” His mouth tightened. “I supposed it isn’t.” “Correct.” A silence stretched us. Then his expression softened. “I’m glad.” My stomach fluttered. “Don’t.” “Don’t what?” “Look at me like that.” “Like what?” “Like you still…” I stopped. His gaze sharpened. “Still what?” he continued. I swallowed. “Nothing." He took another step toward me. “Say it.” “No.” “Tell me what you think I'm looking at you like.” “I don’t want to.” “Why?” “Because I already know the answer.” His voice became barely audible. “What answer?” “That you don’t look at me the way you used to.” His face fell and I regretted the words immediately. But before either of us could speak, a woman approached. She was tall, elegant and breathtakingly beautiful. Long blonde hair, designer gown, designer earrings, the kind of woman who looked like she belonged beside a billionaire. Vivienne Laurent. I knew her face, everyone did. She was one of LA’s most photographed socialites and according to every magazine I'd ever accidentally read, Alexander Sterling’s former fiancee. Her eyes landed on me, then Alexander and her smile disappeared for half a second then it returned. “Alexander,” she said as she slipped her arm through his. My stomach tightened. He immediately looked at her hand and then at me. “Vivienne.” “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she said leaning against him. I stepped back. I shouldn’t have cared; I didn't, at least that’s what I told myself Vivienne looked at me. “And you are?” Before I could answer, Alexander spoke, “Elena Hart.” Recognition flashed across Vivienne’s face. “Oh.” Just one word, but it carried enough meaning to make my skin crawl. “You’re Elena.” I smiled politely. “Yes." Vivienne’s fingers tightened around Alexander’s arm. “I’ve heard so much about you.” I didn’t believe her. “I doubt that." Alexander removed Vivienne’s hand from his arm. “I’m speaking with Elena.” Vivienne’s smile faltered. “Of course.” Her eyes moved between us then she leaned toward Alexander, "I'll be waiting.” And with that she walked away. Mia appeared beside me. “Who the hell was that?” “Vivienne Laurent.” “Oh.” Mia watched her retreating figure. “I already hate her.” I sighed. “You don’t even know her.” “I don’t need to.” Alexander looked at me. “You believe we’re together?” I shrugged. “I believe what I see.” “We’re not.” “Congratulations.” “Elena.” “I really have to go.” He stepped in front of me. “Please.” The word stopped me. Alexander Sterling had just said please, to me. “Please don’t leave like this.” “How else am I supposed to leave?” “Talk to me.” “We’re talking.” “Really talking.” I looked at him and there was something desperate in his expression, something I’d never seen before. “Not tonight.” “Tomorrow.” “What?” “Meet me tomorrow.” “No.” “Coffee?” “No." “Lunch?” “No.” “Dinner?” “Definitely no.” His lips twitched. “You haven't changed.” “I’ve changed completely.” “I can see that.” He looked at me for a very long time then he said quietly, “But your eyes haven’t.” My breath caught. “What does that mean?” “They still look at me the same way.” I hated him and I hated that he could still read me. “You’re imagining things.” “Am i?” “Yes.” He smiled faintly. It wasn’t the arrogant smile I’d seen in magazines, it was the smile I remembered, the one he’d given me after stealing a kiss and the same one that had once made me feel like I was the only girl in the world. I looked away. “Goodnight, Alexander.” I walked toward the exit and this time, he didn’t follow but I could feel his eyes on my back. Outside, the warm California air hit my face and I inhaled deeply. I needed to calm down and remember who I was. I was Elena Hart, I was twenty-nine, had a career, an apartment in Santa Monica; I had a life, a life that didn’t include Alexander Sterling, at least, it hadn’t. Mia came rushing out behind me. “You okay?” “Fine.” “You’re lying.” “I know.” She linked her arm through mine. “Let’s go.” We walked toward the parking lot then my phone buzzed. “Unknown number”. I opened the message "You shouldn't have come back into his life" My stomach dropped and I stopped walking. Mia noticed immediately. “What?” I showed her the screen and her expression changed. “Who sent that?” Another message arrived. “Stay away from Alexander Sterling.” I stared at the words and a cold feeling crawled down my spine. This wasn’t Alexander and it wasn’t Vivienne either. At least, I hoped it wasn’t. Mia looked around the parking lot. “Do you see anyone?” “No.” “Let’s get in the car.” We hurried toward my vehicle and I glanced back once more. The hotel entrance was still visible behind us and Alexander stood beneath its golden lights. He was watching me. Even from a distance, I could tell. He lifted his phone to his ear and his expression changed. The billionaire returned, cold, controlled and dangerous. I couldn’t hear what he said but I watched his jaw tighten then he looked directly at me and for one strange moment, I felt as though he knew exactly what had happened, as though someone had warned him, as though he was already aware that my return wasn’t going to be as simple as an unexpected reunion. Mia unlocked the car. “Get in,” she said. I did, but before I closed the door, I looked back at Alexander one final time. Eight years ago, I had believed losing him was the worst thing that could ever happen to me, but tonight, standing beneath the California stars, I realized I might have been wrong. Because losing Alexander had hurt, but finding him again? That might completely destroy me.