FALLING FOR MY SECRET BILLIONAIRE BEST FRIEND

CHAPTER EIGHT: AFTER THE SILENCE

I woke up with that familiar weight in my chest again, the kind that made breathing feel like a job.

My eyes were swollen, my head throbbed, and every time I blinked, memories of last night replayed in flashes.

The whole thing left me emotionally drained.

And the worst part?

I still missed him. I missed him like he was air, like I’d been suffocating without him.

Clearly, it was something I couldn’t deny anymore, because the way we’d grown distant was driving me insane.

***

Saturday felt less heavy than usual. I dressed slowly, trying not to think about the way Josh looked at me last night, but I failed.

I picked my soft cream sweater. The one he once said made me “look like the warm part of winter.”

The thought of it made me smile.

I tried my best not to make it obvious that I was trying to impress him, so I kept my makeup simple. I wasn’t much of a makeup person, and Josh knew that too well.

The café was quiet when I arrived. I sat by the window, watching people pass like the world wasn’t falling apart inside me.

Five minutes passed.

Then fifteen.

Then thirty.

My coffee went cold, but my hope stayed warm. I let out a sigh, disappointment creeping in.

“Why do I feel like I’ve been fooled?” I muttered to myself, my hands wrapped around my cup.

Then a message buzzed on my phone, it was a voice note.

Josh: Ash, I’m sorry. Something came up. Please don’t leave yet.

Before I could even reply, I heard Sandra’s voice faintly through the voice note

“Jason, can you slow down? You’re driving too fast,” she said.

Anger burned through me. Of course, I felt jealous.

I used to be the only one who sat beside Josh in his car. The only one who knew where he kept his keys, how he liked his space arranged, what his silence meant.

But now, it felt like someone else had him.

I couldn’t wait any longer, not after hearing that.

So I left. I walked out of the café in rage.

***

The walk home felt longer than usual. I walked in silence as the cool breeze brushed a loose strand of hair across my face, the same hair I had spent hours styling.

By the time I reached my apartment door, tears were already rolling down my cheeks. The fact that I had already accepted my feelings for Josh to be real made me see things differently.

Knowing Sandra was with him hurt more than I expected, and his absence in my life left my thoughts scattered and heavy.

Just the idea of living without Josh alone made my heart ache uncontrollably.

Still, I hated that part of me that waited. I hated that part of me that doubted him. And I hated how distant we’d become.

Perhaps this was how life worked, handing you pain without asking for your consent, then leaving you no choice but to endure it and pray it wouldn’t stay forever.

***

It was almost 11 p.m. when I heard a knock.

A loud, desperate, uneven knock.

I opened the door…

And my heart skipped a beat.

Josh stood there, breathing hard, hair messy, eyes a little red like he’d run all the way to my place looking for me.

“Ash…” he breathed out. “Thank God you’re safe.”

I stood still.

He stepped inside without waiting for permission, his voice trembling.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve come earlier. I should’ve been here.”

His eyes scanned my face, worry written all over them.

“Ash… why didn’t you wait?”

“I did,” I whispered. “I waited until it hurt.”

He flinched as my words cut him.

“Ash, please… I need you to understand.”

I didn’t respond. Not even a word.

He stepped closer, slowly and carefully, like I was something fragile he was terrified to break.

His hand lifted, hesitant, then softly cupped my cheek.

“Ash… about that night,” he murmured, his voice low and shaky. “I know I was drunk, but I remember that we shared a kiss.”

My breath caught.

“I remember everything,” he continued, swallowing hard. “I tried not to… but I couldn’t control myself.”

His eyes stayed on mine, and my heartbeat raced faster than I could count.

The air between us grew heavier.

He stepped closer until our foreheads touched. His breath brushed my lips. His hand trembled slightly against my cheek.

His nose brushed mine, barely there, but enough to send heat rushing through me.

I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe.

His lips were inches from mine, soft, slow, intentional, the kind of almost-kiss that felt stronger than a real one.

“Ash…” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I’ve missed you.”

He leaned in…

And then my phone rang.

Loud. Sharp. Ruining the moment.

I jerked back, my heart racing.

Josh froze, like he was fighting the urge to pull me back into him.

“I have to answer that,” I whispered, fumbling for my phone.

The call was quick. Unimportant.

But when I turned back, Josh was watching me closely, like I was something he couldn’t take his eyes away from.

He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled shakily.

“Ash… about yesterday… Sandra… Jason… It’s not what you think.”

“Then what is?” My voice broke slightly.

He stepped closer again, slower this time, his hands resting on my shoulders, his eyes fixed on mine.

“First,” he said softly, “about Sandra, she’s an old friend. Our families were close. She was my only playmate when I was little because my family was very overprotective. She’s also my business partner.”

I couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth.

“Okay,” I said slowly after a moment of silence. “What about Jason? Won’t you explain that?”

“It’s complicated,” he replied quietly. “She calls me Jason because that’s the name she grew up knowing.”

I nodded, even though I knew he lied.

“Thanks, Ash,” he said, relief flickering across his face. “I promise I’ll set everything straight, and we can go back to the way we used to be. Right now, I just need to focus on fixing things. But when it’s done, it’ll be you and me, like old times.”

He smiled slightly.

“Just so you know,” he added softly, “I’m still Josh. The guy who walks you to the bus stop. The guy who remembers your coffee order. The guy whose day goes wrong when you’re upset.”

“You might not understand everything now,” he continued, “but everything I’m doing is to protect you.”

I nodded, even though I didn’t fully understand him.

He stepped closer and pulled me into his arms before I could react.

It was a tight hug, the kind I’d been waiting for, the type I desperately needed.

His hands rested gently on my waist, warming me up. I looked up at him, and he gave me that familiar smile the one that always made my heart flutter.

Even if it was just for a moment, it gave me a flicker of hope that Josh was still the Josh I knew. And though some things were still out of place, he remained the only constant person in my not so perfect life.

I closed my eyes, my head resting against his chest, unsure of what I was feeling.

But something in me felt safe. Like all the stress from work and life had vanished.

“Josh…” I whispered.

“You being here means a lot to me,” he whispered back.

And a single thought lingered quietly in my mind: What if he felt the same way I did?.