BACK WITH OUR BILLIONAIRE DADDY

CHAPTER TWO HIS EXCUSE

Elena stared at Damien.

"You weren't completely innocent in what happened either."

For a moment, she thought she had misunderstood him.

"so this is my fault?"

"I didn't say that."

"You just did."

"No. I said there were problems between us."

Elena folded her arms.

"Then explain."

Damien rubbed the back of his neck.

"We haven't been happy for a long time."

"That's interesting, because nobody told me."

"You knew."

"Knew what?"

He hesitated.

That was when Elena understood.

Her stomach tightened.

"This is about sex."

Damien looked away.

Elena laughed once.

"Oh, wow."

"Elena—"

"No. Go ahead."

"You asked for the truth."

"And apparently I've finally earned it."

Damien's expression hardened.

"I tried to respect your decision."

"My decision to wait until marriage?"

"Yes."

"I told you that before we even became serious."

"I know."

"And you said you were okay with it."

"I thought I was."

Elena stared at him.

"You thought you were?"

"For three years, Elena."

Her eyes narrowed.

"What does that mean?"

"It means three years is a long time."

"For what?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"No, Damien. Say it."

He exhaled sharply.

"I have needs."

The words sat between them.

Elena looked at him in disbelief.

"Needs."

"Yes."

"And because I didn't sleep with you, you slept with my sister?"

"I didn't say it like that."

"There's no better way to say it."

Damien stepped closer.

"You kept pushing me away."

"I wasn't pushing you away."

"Every time things went further, you stopped."

"Because I wanted to wait."

"I know that."

"Then why are you acting like I surprised you?"

Damien shook his head.

"You don't understand how frustrating it was."

Elena's anger rose again.

"Then you should have left me."

"It wasn't that simple."

"It was exactly that simple."

"I loved you."

"Don't use that word."

His face tightened.

"I did love you."

"Men who love women don't sleep with their sisters."

Serena flinched.

Damien glanced at her, then back at Elena.

"We were having problems."

"Every couple has problems."

"You never wanted to talk about this."

"I talked about it plenty. My answer just wasn't the answer you wanted."

Damien went quiet.

Elena nodded.

"That's the problem, isn't it?"

"What?"

"You thought if you waited long enough, I would change my mind."

He didn't answer.

She already knew.

Serena spoke softly.

"Elena, he isn't blaming everything on you."

Elena turned toward her.

"I don't remember asking you."

"I'm just saying—"

"You're just saying what?"

Serena swallowed.

"Damien was unhappy."

Elena stared at her sister.

"And you decided to comfort him?"

"That's not how it started."

"Then tell me how it started."

Serena wiped her cheeks.

"We talked."

"About me."

"Sometimes."

"About our relationship."

Serena nodded.

Elena laughed bitterly.

"So my fiancé complained to my sister that I wouldn't sleep with him, and somehow the solution became sleeping with you."

"Stop making it sound like that."

"How should I make it sound?"

Serena looked away.

Elena stepped closer.

"What was your excuse?"

Serena's eyes returned to hers.

"Excuse?"

"Damien has needs. Apparently that's his excuse. What's yours?"

"Elena..."

"You were my sister."

"I still am."

"No."

Serena froze.

Elena's voice dropped.

"You don't get to say that right now."

Tears filled Serena's eyes again.

"I never meant to hurt you."

"But you kept doing it."

"I know."

"Why?"

Serena didn't answer.

"Why him?"

Silence.

Elena felt something cold settle in her chest.

"Did you want him?"

Serena looked at Damien.

That look again.

Elena hated it.

"Answer me."

Serena whispered, "Yes."

Elena stopped breathing.

"For how long?"

"I don't know."

"Before you started sleeping together?"

Serena nodded.

Elena looked at Damien.

He said nothing.

Everything suddenly made sense in the worst possible way.

This hadn't happened because they were drunk.

It hadn't happened because of one reckless night.

Serena had wanted him.

Damien had wanted her.

And both of them had looked Elena in the face for months.

Elena reached for her engagement ring.

Damien noticed immediately.

"What are you doing?"

She pulled it off.

"Elena."

She placed the ring on the table.

"I'm done."

Damien stared at her.

"Don't be ridiculous."

Her head snapped up.

"Ridiculous?"

"We've been together three years."

"And?"

"You don't throw away three years in one night."

Elena looked at him for a long moment.

Then she shook her head.

"I'm not throwing anything away."

She pointed toward the bedroom.

"You did that every time you took my sister in there."

Damien's expression hardened.

"We can fix this."

"No."

"People survive affairs."

"Then go find one of those people."

"Elena."

"I'm not marrying you."

Serena began crying harder.

Damien stepped toward Elena.

"You're angry. Take a few days."

"I don't need a few days."

"You aren't thinking clearly."

"For the first time tonight, I think I am."

Damien reached for her arm.

Elena pulled away immediately.

"Don't touch me."

He stopped.

She picked up her handbag.

Behind her, Serena said, "Please don't tell Mom and Dad yet."

Elena slowly turned around.

Serena looked terrified.

"I just want a chance to explain."

Elena stared at her sister.

"You had four months."

Then she opened the door.

"Elena," Damien called.

She didn't look back.

For three years, Elena had imagined walking down an aisle toward him.

Instead, she walked out of his apartment alone.

And left her engagement ring behind.