Page 7 of Billionaire Enemy's Baby
“It’ll show you how you can have a successful business here,” Dad continues. “You can start out small and work up to something bigger. It might even be a good idea for you to do that. You don’t want to be one of those people that tries to take over the world right away.”
I gulp audibly. “I… I don’t think that’s what I’m going to do. I have a business plan in place and I know what I’m doing. I worked it all out in London.”
Dad holds up his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t trying to say you don’t know what you’re doing. I would never assume that. I just want you to consider all your options.”
I scoff, because I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.
“Dad, I don’t want to be stuck here. I don’t want to be stuck in Beaufort. I know that might sound like I’m being an asshole, but while South Carolina might be good for you and Mom, Wyatt too, I don’t think it’s right for me. I need something bigger. I’m destined for somewhere like New York.”
God, I really do sound like an asshole, don’t I? I don’t mean to. I’m just trying to make my father understand where my head is at. Truth is, I’m scared of getting stuck here. Small town America has always been something that I wanted to get away from. I told everyone in London that I was taking over New York. I can’t let Luke’s graduation party change my mind completely.
“I’m not saying to stay away from New York,” Dad continues quietly, trying to defend himself. “I’m just saying to take things slowly. I’ve known plenty of people who’ve tried to rise too quickly just to come crashing down in a horrible way. I don’t want that for you.”
I rise to my feet, because I can’t take this chat anymore. It’s too much for me. Iknowwhat I want to do, and what I need to do.
“I have to get some sleep, Dad. I’m still jet lagged. Can we talk about this in the morning?”
I don’t give him a chance to answer. I leave before he can question me more. I don’t think I should have gotten so defensive, but I have to admit that he pissed me off. I’ve annoyed myself as well. My head is all mixed up and I guess it has to be the booze…
Urgh I need to sleep this off. Seriously.
ChapterTwo
LEXI
“You willneverguess who I saw last night,” Emily cries down the phone, excitement radiating through her tone. “I saw Madonna. Actually Madonna… at least, I’m pretty sure it was Madonna. It’s hard to tell, but I was in Hollywood, so it’s possible, right?”
“Mhmm.” It’s hard to keep the bitterness out of my voice when my best friend talks about all the parties that I should have been attending with her. Although I can’t imagine myself at any fancy Hollywood parties.
Not now. Once upon a time I used to dream about it. I used to think about it all the time, it was my greatest wish. But things have changed. My life isn’t what it used to be anymore.
“Sounds cool.”
“Yeah, and then today work is sending me to a pool party where I heard one of the members of One Direction might be there. Who knows which one.”
Eighteen-year-old me would havekilledto be there with Emily. Eighteen-year-old me would murder me for not being there with my best friend right now. But then eighteen-year-old me made some pretty big decisions that made LA and even college impossible, so she can’t blame me too much.
“Iloveworking for a fashion magazine,” Emily continues, not sensing my inner turmoil at all. “It is so cool. I really am living the dream. I cannot wait for you to come and visit me. Have you sorted things out with your parents yet?”
“I’m getting there,”
I lie because I don’t know how to tell her the truth. Because the reality was, I can’t afford it. I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to afford a plane ticket to LA, because I have more important things to spend my money on. Also because I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle seeing Emily living the dream.
Mydream. Or at least the dream I thought I wanted. “I will let you know.”
But Emily is not listening to me anymore; she’s talking to someone else who’s physically with her in LA. I don’t know why, but that makes my heart sink more than anything else. Maybe because she’s with someone who is living a similar life to her. Someone who understands her now.
I don’t, and she doesn’t understand me and my life now.
We’ve drifted apart and that makes me sad. We used to share everything with one another once upon a time, but now we have almost nothing in common anymore.
It really is a shame. My life is busy, day to day. So I don’t need to think about everything like this all the time, but when I reallydothink about it, it damn near knocks me off my feet. My plans really did go awry, huh?
“Oh well I have to get going now, Lex,” Emily declares. “But let me know, okay? As soon as you know when you can come out to see me, I promise we’ll have an awesome time.”
She hangs up before I can even say goodbye, leaving me stewing with the awkward thoughts the conversation has left behind. Just knowing where I could be and what I could be doing, it’s odd. It leaves me feeling a little lost, what the hell do I do with myself now?
“Mommy, look what I did! Are you finished on the phone now?”
