Reunion with My Billionaire Ex

My Only Truly Love

My Only Truly Love

Maurice's POV,

I quickly answered the call soon as it started ringing. “Hello?” I muttered on the phone with my face still stuffed with a fresh sour strawberry slice and a spoonful of the sweetened dairy cream. Some were on my lips and some were tasting the wooden table, I'm clumsy when I eat such delights.

“Happy birthday to you... happy birthday to you…” his voice has changed a lot since the last time. He was seventeen when I saw him for the last time. It’s muskier and bold now. It was loud as always, though, and bouncy. Every time we text or call, I imagine him as his old self. I know he is taller, sturdy, and more handsome now from the pictures he posts on his social media, but I can only imagine him as the cute little boy next door, with short hair and nerdy, dark-framed glasses sitting on the top of his nose, and the smile that can always make me happy.

“Sam my man,” I exclaimed after chowing down the food in a haste, “thank you so much. Glad you remembered. How are you?” My muddled words as I spoke. It reminded me about the invitation card he sent me last week. It was still on the table collecting dust.

“Peachy,” he snorted, “but I'll be splendid if you tell me when will I have the great fortune to welcome you to my home once again? You are coming this time, right? Weddings are off-limits. You can bail on me this time. You have to come. I haven’t seen you in years.” In years? It feels like we no longer exist in the same world.

“Congratulations on your wedding, but you know I can't come.” Dishearten, I responded.

“Come on Reese, it’s been years. How long will you beat yourself up for it? You guys broke up and that’s that. It doesn’t mean you’ll have to ignore each other forever; we have been friends, and that still hasn’t changed. You don’t have to stay away from us, too. It’s your home. And it’s time for you to come back to the place that has always been yours.”

“I can never come back home. It’s no longer a home for me.” It’s not that easy. I swore to never see Stan again. Moreover, I was scared that he might not want to see me. He’d hate me, curse me. I left him with the promise to never turn back. And that’s not easy to come back to the same place that had destroyed me once.

“It is easy.” I’ll send you the tickets. I can even come to pick you up.

I felt like he gutted me with his incoherent words. It’s hard enough to face Stan after the breakup, but to see him after what I did, it’s carving on my skin with a spade. It’s painful and that kind of scar stays forever. I've never felt at home anywhere, more than there with them. My friends were my family, are my family. They’ve always been. They are the only people left for me who still look after me. And those memories of home were the only reason I was holding on here in this strange land. Though the cold, I was warm there, secure. Anywhere else, I was just a mere immigrant trying to be a part of them, even after all those years of blood and sweat. Nothing here feels mine. It’s all begged or borrowed. But it doesn’t mean it won't ever be.

“I would love it if you can come. It will be the best wedding gift for me and Nina. Mom and dad talk about you every time they go past your house even though a new family has moved in. They miss their rabbit girl.” I chuckled at those words. Rabbit girl. He still won't shut up about my teeth all the time.

“Can't you just erase that from your memory?”

“Never. Nina would so love to hear the story.” He chortled at my misery.

“Come on. Not her too.”

“You should be proud of it. Not everyone has natal teeth. You are one of the luckiest.”

Yeah right! Who could be luckier than me?

“Anyway,” I groaned, and without knowing, my eyebrows pulsed. Like he was right in front of me, on the chair, but not him from now, but him from seven years ago. I was talking to him, and all the while, he was laughing at the wonder of my teeth. Teasing me endlessly about it. “Tell me about Nina. Do I know her?”

“Probably not. She is the daughter of my dad’s ex-partner. They moved to New York a few years ago. She is sensible and poised. Just like my mom. She is so much like her. You will love her when you meet her, AT MY WEDDING.” he spoke, and I listened to the numbness in his tone. There was no spark in his voice. Like he was telling me a story, a well-rehearsed line, with no emotions. How so? He is marrying her. He wasn’t like that when he told me of her crush on Samaira. His eyes twinkled and his lips trembled.

“Wait, is it an arranged marriage?” I exclaimed.

“Yeah, dad needed it to revive his partnership, and I thought why not help him. I can get married now if it’s good for business.” Never thought a dead-romantic like him would say something so sinister.

“But you love her, right?” I wanted to hear it from him, though I doubt. It’s his happiness on the line here. He and I very well knew what these business marriages do to people in our families. It’s just s*x and responsibilities with no love or gentleness towards each other. Living a life of numb animals. Those fights and arguments every day. It’s no life.

“I care about her, and she loves me,” he added, clearing the lumpy throat. “Maybe soon I'll love her too,” he replied, and it broke my heart into million pieces. “And I would love it if you will come. I'll wait for you till the time she walks down the aisle.” Sam added. I wish you do. “And don’t worry about Stan. He will soon be engaged. I don’t think he will be bothered by you anymore.”

“He is getting married?” what did I even think? He was always too good for me and now, I'm nothing and he is everything I don’t. he will marry the most perfect, the most beautiful girl in the world. I’ll clap from him with all the might I have, even when my heart will bleed seeing him with someone else.

I've dreamt about him for many nights. Sometimes I was staring at his deliciously gorgeous face. How in the hell will I not fall in love when I look at him smiling at me, caring for me, asking me all the time if I was comfortable? “Yeah.” Sometimes I was staring at him while he was kissing some other girl. It was a nightmare to live in, though in just dreams. It will happen in real life and I knew it held the power to set my body on fire.

“With who?”

“You'll have to come to know.”

Epilogue -

"Is she coming?" The man standing behind Sam snapped impatiently.

"I think she might. You better not mess this up this time, Stan," Sam replied, hugging him to his heart.

"I know, I won't." He nodded with confidence.

"Stan! Why are you still here? Go, the wedding planner is asking for the groomsmen." The lady said, by the door in the black suit, forcing Stan to make a run to his study.