BILLIONAIRE’S HEART

Chapter 7

Tamara stepped back into the restaurant, her pulse still quick from the moment of reflection in the bathroom. She hadn’t expected the tension with Justin to feel so… thick. As she approached the table, Justin’s eyes flicked up to meet hers. His expression softened, but there was something in his gaze—a flicker of hope that made her stomach churn.

“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice gentle, though there was an undertone of concern.

“I just needed a moment,” she replied, offering a tight smile as she sat back down. She didn’t want to get into it. Not yet.

She’d spent the last few minutes questioning herself. She didn’t want to hurt Justin—he was a part of her past, someone she once loved. But she couldn’t deny the truth anymore. She’d moved on. There was no going back to that life. Not for her, not for the woman she was now.

Justin picked up his fork and took a bite of his meal, seeming to watch her closely as if waiting for her to speak. It made her uncomfortable, like she was being scrutinized, like he was trying to read her in a way that felt too intimate for the circumstances.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier,” Tamara said, her voice a little shakier than she intended. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. “About us. And… I don’t think we can just go back to what we had. It’s not that simple.”

Justin put his fork down, leaning forward slightly, his expression hardening. “Why not? Tamara, we were good together. You know that. We had something real. We were planning our future, remember?”

She felt her chest tighten at the mention of their past. Planning a future. That was a lifetime ago. And yet, his words hit harder than they should have. She swallowed, choosing her words carefully.

“I thought we did too,” she said quietly. “But we were different people back then. Things changed. I changed.”

Justin stared at her, his face unreadable for a moment. Then, his eyes softened, and he let out a long breath, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t want to lose you, Tamara. I know I messed up. I wasn’t there when you needed me, and I regret that. But I’m trying to make things right. Can’t you see that?”

Tamara’s heart twisted in her chest. She hadn’t expected to feel so torn. She’d spent so much time convincing herself that she was past this—that the hurt, the betrayal, had faded with time. But hearing his voice, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, brought everything rushing back.

“I can’t just forget everything,” she whispered, her eyes dropping to her lap. “I can’t forget how you walked away. How you chose your career over me, over us. I can’t go back to that.”

Justin’s face tightened again, and for the first time that evening, his facade cracked. “I made a mistake,” he admitted, his voice thick with frustration. “I know that. But you can’t pretend like everything was perfect with us either. You never let me in, Tamara. You were always so focused on your responsibilities, always putting everyone else first. What about me? What about us?”

His words hit her harder than she expected. She looked up at him, and for the first time, she truly saw the pain in his eyes. It wasn’t just about what happened between them—it was about the gap that had always existed. The distance she had kept between them, the walls she’d built up, even when things were good.

She swallowed hard. “I had to focus on my family. On my mom. I had no choice, Justin.”

“I get that,” he replied quickly. “But you never gave me a chance to help. You never let me in. I couldn’t just sit back and watch you put everything on your shoulders while I stood by and did nothing. You pushed me away.”

Tamara’s breath caught in her throat. He was right. She had pushed him away. She had kept him at arm’s length because she didn’t want to burden him with her problems. She hadn’t wanted to lean on him the way she needed to, the way she had needed someone. And in the end, it had driven a wedge between them.

“You’re right,” she said quietly, her voice almost lost among the murmurs of the other diners. “I didn’t know how to let you in. I didn’t know how to let anyone in.”

There was a heavy silence between them, the weight of their words hanging in the air. Justin seemed to consider this for a moment before speaking again, his voice softer.

“I don’t want to lose you, Tamara. I’m not asking for us to pick up where we left off. I’m asking for a chance to start over. To make things right, even if it takes time.”

Tamara closed her eyes, the emotions swirling within her. Could they start over? Was that even possible?

The sound of her phone buzzing on the table broke her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name on the display.

Lucas.

Her stomach tightened, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to do. She felt a rush of guilt, as though she was betraying Lucas by even being here, by allowing this conversation to happen. She quickly silenced her phone, tucking it back into her bag.

Justin’s gaze followed the motion, his brow furrowing slightly. “Everything okay?” he asked, his tone cautious, but something else in his eyes—a flicker of jealousy, maybe—caught Tamara off guard.

She swallowed, her mind racing. “Yeah, just… work stuff,” she replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

But Justin didn’t seem convinced. He eyed her for a moment, and then, without warning, he leaned in a little closer.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,” Justin said, his voice low. “About us. And what we could’ve had.”

Tamara’s chest tightened. “Justin—”

Before she could say more, the waiter returned, offering them dessert. The distraction was welcome, but as she glanced at Justin, she couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. The unresolved tension, the lingering questions, all of it threatened to spill over.

The night wasn’t over, but it felt like she was on the edge of something, something she wasn’t sure she was ready to face.