Billionaire's Ex-bestfriend

chapter 2

"Since when?" I managed to ask.

"Two weeks ago."

"Two weeks ago? But I saw Mila kissing John in the parking lot just the other day. John even drove her home late last night."

"How long have you liked my sister? What about John?" I asked, confused.

"I think I've liked her since the year before Nicolas died, but I wasn't sure about my feelings back then because we grew up like siblings. I didn't want to ruin the good relationship we all had, especially since Kyla liked someone else at that time. And as for Terence, they're not together anymore," he explained.

"You've liked her that long and you didn't tell me!" It wasn't a question, but a realization.

"Is that why you were hanging out with the 'it group,' breaking your promises and standing me up? To confirm your feelings? You wanted to reconcile with me not because you wanted us to be friends again, but because you didn't want your relationship with Ella to be awkward because of me," I thought to myself. I felt an urge to break something.

"I'm so sorry," he sounded dejected.

"Sorry? Is 'sorry' always the way to forgiveness? Will your 'sorry' bring back everything that's gone? Well, your 'sorry' means nothing to me," my voice strained as I remembered my brother.

"There's no reconciliation that will happen. And by the way, are you sure Mila is your girlfriend? Because I saw her kissing John the other day. He even drove her home late last night," I said remorselessly.

"I know I hurt you, and I truly mean it when I say 'I'm sorry.' But is this how you're going to punish me? By making up a story to ruin my relationship?" he accused, his jaw clenched.

I didn't flinch under his glare. Instead, I looked him straight in the eyes without saying a word. He knew me well when I did that. He marched towards the door and slammed it shut. That's when all the emotions I had been holding in during our argument broke free from my chest. Tears welled up in my eyes as I clutched my chest.

At the same day, I received a call from my Dad informing me that Emiliano had been in a car accident on his way to our school. I suspected he was going there to confront Mila about the revelation I made. The accident left him blind, with a low chance of recovery. His parents were actively seeking specialists to help him regain his sight.

Emiliano's behavior changed drastically after he returned home from the hospital. He rarely left his room, avoided talking to anyone, and preferred darkness. I couldn't shake off the feeling of responsibility for his blindness, similar to how I felt after my brother's death. It wasn't intentional, but it seemed like I inadvertently caused tragedy to those I cared about.

I visited Emiliano once, but he coldly refused to talk to me behind the closed door. Undeterred, I attempted another visit, where I was mistaken for my twin sister. Desperate to communicate with him, I decided to pretend to be Mila. I studied her voice, mannerisms, and even used her perfume to emulate her. When I asked Mila about her social circle and her interactions with Emiliano, she grew furious.

"What are you thinking, pretending to be me? Are you out of your mind?" Mila whisper-shouted at me in her room.

"What am I thinking? What are you doing?" I retorted. "Do you think I don't know that Emiliano is your boyfriend and you're cheating on him behind his back? Don't deny it, because I saw you kissing John while Emiliano was away for a week. How could you do this to him? You haven't even visited him!"

I love my sister and we usually get along, but I disapprove of her choice in friends and their negative influence on her.

"I... I don't love him, sis. I was heartbroken and wanted to move on. So when they suggested I date him, I agreed. But I still love John and I want him back, so I made Emiliano jealous. He's nothing more than a brother to me. John and I are back together, and I want to tell Emiliano the truth. But how can I, in his current state?" Mila explained, sounding dejected.

My sister was usually carefree, and seeing her emotional was rare. While I understood her love for John, having liked him for four years and dated him for two, it didn't excuse her actions with Emiliano. But who was I to judge, considering it was my fault he had gone blind? If I hadn't told him about Mila's infidelity, he wouldn't have gone to school and had the accident.

"You have to help me, Mila. He rarely talks to anyone except for you, which is actually me. He's depressed and losing hope of regaining his sight. He might even harm himself. Dad and his parents are searching for specialists."

"You have to help me, Mila. He rarely talks to anyone except for you, which is actually me. He's depressed and losing hope that he will be able to see again. He might harm himself. Dad and his parents are searching for specialists who can help him, but they're out of the country. Emiliano needs someone to support him and assure him that everything will be fine and he will be able to see again," I said, my voice strained.

Mila, who was sitting across from me, approached and hugged me tightly. She rubbed my back, and when she looked at me, she wiped something off my face.

"You love him, don't you? Because you wouldn't go to this extent if you didn't," she said, as if helping me realize something I wasn't aware of. Instead of replying, I continued crying. After that heart-to-heart talk, she agreed to help. I decided that I would continue pretending to be her until the right help came.

Two months later, Emiliano told me that my father had called him with good news. My father had been in California, where he found the best specialists and the most advanced medical technology and treatments that could help Emiliano. They studied his condition, and according to their analysis, Emiliano had a great chance of regaining his sight. He would need to fly to California for further examinations before the surgery, and he would stay there until they achieved the desired results.

"You're leaving tomorrow. How are you feeling?" I asked, closing the book I had been reading to him as I sat at the edge of the bed.

"I'm nervous. I'm hoping for a good result, but I have doubts," he replied, head down. I gently reached for one side of his face and caressed it with my thumb.

"Don't be, Emiliano. Don't let doubt get to you and hinder you from the possibility of seeing again," I encouraged him. He remained silent. "Hey, say something." My hand was still on his face when he shook his head slightly.

"You sounded like Ella for a moment there," he noted. I froze. "Mila," I said, pulling my hand away from his face and placing it in my lap.

"D-Do you hate her?" I asked after swallowing the lump in my throat. I noticed the tense muscles on his jaw.

"I know it's not her fault because I was the one driving. But whenever I think about my situation I couldn't stop blaming her. When she told me you were cheating on me, I believed her because I know she would never lie to me. But you, always being here with me means you didn't cheated on me and you never will, right?" He asked and searched for my hand.

"Yah!" I looked at our interlaced hands.

"I'm sorry, she is your sister but she's my dear friend too. That is why I don't want to hear or be near her right now because I may not control myself and say something that might hurt her."

I looked at our hands and held it tightly as if my life depended on it. I felt helpless after hearing him that he hated me, I was heartbroken. He brought my hand on his cheeks and leaned on it, then kissed my palm and the back of my hand.