A Game With The Billionaire

Chapter 7:

Emma:

The first thing I feel when I wake up is pain.

It starts aching right behind my eyes until it spreads to my temples and in the next minute, every part of my body is aching. My mouth tastes like whiskey; the light streaming in through the window makes me shut my eyes so tight.

I groan, dragging a hand through my already messy hair. “Damn it, what happened to me?”

Everything comes to me like a flash, I remember being in the kitchen, drinking....I remember seeing Jeremy, I remember crying....and then...damn it.

The kiss.

I sit up straight too fast and immediately regret it because the whole room starts tilting. I press a hand to my temples as the memory flashes in front of my eyes. Did I really do that? Oh great, just when I think it’s going to get better, it just outright gets worse.

I stumble to the bathroom, stripping as I go. Under the cold shower, all the memories punch me straight in the gut: my voice cracking, ‘I hate you. I hate you’ was what I kept repeating even when my words were slurred.

Shit, it’s so embarrassing to even face him, and the fact that I cried all over his shirt? Do I really have no filter? Okay, all I have to do is sneak out of the villa; maybe he’s even asleep right now. I come out of the bedroom dressed and ready for work. My head still throbs, but at least I look halfway human now.

All I have to do is grab coffee and go to the office, simple, right? Except when I step into the kitchen, Jeremy’s already there, and that’s not even the worse part. He’s freaking shirtless.

He is facing the counter as he stirs something in a pot, the morning light spilling over his shoulders and the lean line of his back. Even after six years, he is...built, like really built. His sweatpants hang low on his hips and it takes a complete five seconds before I know how to breathe again.

He glances over his shoulder, catches me standing there like an i***t, and gives me a small smile. “Morning.”

“Morning.” My mouth goes dry, it’s even more embarrassing pretending like nothing happened yesterday night and that I didn’t drunk-kiss him.

He turns back to the stove, ladles something into a bowl and sets it on the counter in front of me. “Hangover soup.” He says simply. “It’ll help.”

Of course he remembers.

I hesitate before sliding onto the stool. The smell alone almost makes me cry, I take a sip. It’s warm and salty, just right.

“Thanks.” I murmur, staring down at it. I gather enough courage to bring up what happened last night. “I’m...” My fingers tighten around the spoon as I inhale shakily. “I am sorry about last night.”

His brows lift slightly, but he doesn’t say anything.

“I shouldn’t have said all of that.” I continue. “I was drunk and emotional. I didn’t mean any of it.”

Jeremy studies me quietly, before he lets out a low breath. “I know.”

That’s it. That’s all he says?

“Still.” I whisper, staring at the soup in front of me. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

There’s a pause that makes me glance up at him, he’s watching me, his expression unreadable. “It’s okay. You were drunk. Let’s just forget it happened.”

Easy as that, as if forgetting is easy enough. Jeremy leaves the kitchen as I continue sipping my soup in peace. I still feel so bad about everything that happened.

“You don’t look so well.” Kathy says as we step into the office. “Oh goodness, did you end up sleeping with Jeremy so soon?”

“Don’t kid yourself.” I say with no humour in my voice as I hang my coat on the edge of my seat. “I am just stressed, that’s all. With the game launch, and the investors stuff.”

“And none of this stress applies to fake dating Jeremy Hart?” Kathy raises a brow, and for a moment, I almost want to scream in frustration but instead all I do is sit at my chair and seethe internally.

“If there’s nothing you have to report. Please leave my office.” I say and she makes a booing noise before she exits my office. Now that I am all alone in my office, it gives me the space to actually think.

I review the codes and storyline for the new game, I approve market campaigns all with the event of last night sneaking into my head. When it’s lunch time, Kathy comes to my office and asks if I want some coffee, I tell her I can do it myself.

I will do anything to escape this office. I bolt towards the nearest coffee shop and order the largest coffee. The barista gives me a questioning look but that’s the least thing on my mind. I mutter a distracted ‘thank you’ as I sit down in one corner, pretending to look at my phone while taking sips of the still hot coffee.

“Did you hear about Jeremy’s and Emma’s relationship?” One of the two women sitting in front of me says, their eyes wide. Are they talking about Jeremy and I? I strain my ear so I can catch bits.

“Ah. I heard about that. Lucky her really, have you seen that guy’s socials? He’s so damn hot, if I snagged him for a boyfriend, I will never let him go forever.” The blonde-haired woman swoons and I sigh.

As I exit the office, I ring up my twin brother, Ethan, he picks up in the third ring. “Yoo, Emma! Sorry, I’m at a party right now, let me find somewhere quieter.” Of course my brother is someone who attends parties during noon time. I hear some shuffling in the background and the music dies down a bit. “So what’s up? Do you need me to come save you?”

“No.” I sigh in frustration. “What are you even doing at the party anyways?”

“One of my friends is hosting a party, and you know me, I couldn’t decline.” I hear a heavy clatter of glass and I wince. “Sorry, I just broke a vase.”

“Are you drunk right now?” I hiss and I can feel him nodding his head. You’d think someone who has been gunning for the CEO position of my grandmother’s company would act like it. But no, Ethan works hard and parties harder, like he’s trying to prove that he can survive both worlds at the same time.

“What do you want, sis?” he asks.

“You know what, nothing. I just wanted to check up on you.” I say, I had initially called with the thought of asking him what I can do to avoid the awkwardness that’s looming between Jeremy and I after my drunken kiss.

“Are you sure?” Ethan asks me, he knows me too well. When we were little, he used to joke how we were the same, but I disagreed with him. I find the thrill in building something out of nothing, I am calculated, he’s impulsive, he’s reckless whereas I am careful and still somehow, he thinks that makes us alike.

If Ethan ever actually plays one of my games, he would skip the tutorial, ignore the rules and still find a way to win just to prove a point, that’s the type of person he is, wild, reckless and hella brilliant.

“Is this about Jeremy?” Ethan asks after ten seconds of silence.

“No.” My pulse races quicker than usual.

“Good, good because I still hate him for what he did to you.” Ethan has no idea that Jeremy stole my game, because if he did, he would never in a billion years let me carry on with my plan of fake-dating him. “Okay, I have to go. Talk to you later, twinnie!” The call disconnects before I even have the chance to scold him not to call me twinnie again.

I go back to the office and try concentrating on my remaining work. I try desperately hard to push away every thought as I work on the game designs, send out respective emails and finally when it’s closing time, I congratulate myself.

“Closing time!” Kathy comes to my office, pumping her fists in the air. “Are you going home now?”

I don’t think so, if I go home now, Jeremy will still be awake. I have to come home really late so he won’t see me tiptoeing round the house.

“Care for a drink tonight? It’s on me.” I say with a smile as I grab my coat.

“Really?” Kathy’s face explodes into a grin. “Let’s do this!”