Billionaire Romance Boxed Set 1(166)

“Ha, no. I popped all the money I had into the meter and hoped I wouldn’t get a ticket,” I said as I pointed to the navy four-door piece of shit that used to be my grandmother’s car. “I need to take my car, I’m sure the meter’s up. How about if I follow you to Joshua’s?”

“Sure, I’ll pull around to meet you,” she said before heading towards the parking lot.

I unlocked my car and slipped in behind the steering wheel, throwing the cap and gown onto the seat beside me. Turning the key in the ignition I felt my stomach drop when nothing happened. The car was silent.

“Shit! Not now! No, not now!” I yelled as I turned the key again. But the only sound I heard was the click of my keys against the console. “Please, please please start!” As Ashley pulled up next to me in her beautiful, expensive SUV, I shook my head and begged. “Not in front of her, please start. Don’t make her feel sorry for me.”

Pulling the key out then shoving it back into the ignition hard, the car suddenly came to life. I breathed a sigh of relief before pulling out into traffic behind Ashley.

After a quick drive on the freeway, we got off an exit that brought us closer to the center of the city of Canyon Cove. As we stopped at a red light, I looked over at the car stopped beside mine in the next lane. It was a shiny, black sports coupe and I slowly realized I knew the car. Doug? It couldn’t be…could it?#p#分页标题#e#

Doug Murray was my last boyfriend and at almost a year, my longest relationship. We met the first year of college and had an immediate attraction. He played lacrosse and had a laid back style I found irresistible. With spiky brown hair and dimples in his cheeks when he smiled, every girl turned their head to look when Doug entered the room.

Surprised to see him, I stared until Doug turned and looked back at me. I smiled and waved, but I could see by his face that he didn’t know who I was. As recognition slowly filled his face, he covered his mouth with one hand, pointed at me with the other, and laughed.

The traffic light couldn’t change fast enough. I knew I was heavier than the last time he saw me, but his laughter felt like he reached into my chest and yanked my heart out and stomped on it. Wishing I could say something to him and put him in his place, I lifted my hand up and extended my middle finger at him as the light turned green.

When Ashley and I reached the parking lot at Fashion Plaza, I stepped out of my car still shaken up by Doug’s mocking.

“You alright? You don’t look so good.” Ashley said as we followed the path from the parking lot into the shopping area.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said then sighed. “No, I’m really not. Its just my ex. I just saw him.”

“When? Now? What happened?”

“Yeah, just now. At the traffic light before. Its just so odd because he was just such an ass, but when we were together he really wasn’t. He was actually really sweet. We even stayed friends for a while afterwards, but I guess we lost touch.”

“Sounds like you’re leaving something out.”

“Yeah, I guess I ignored the obvious. I feel bad about that,” I said as I thought about the past. “Doug went to college full time so he graduated a couple of years ago. It was around that time that my grandmother took a turn for the worse. Between that and all the time I was spending with Doug while he decided what to do with his degree, my grades started to suffer.

“I guess I should’ve been more honest with Doug, but I was so upset about my grandma that I shut down. I broke up with Doug and we decided to stay friends. He’d invite me over and we’d hang out, it was nice.

“I should’ve seen the signs though. I don’t think he was over me. Maybe he thought if we stayed friends we’d get back together. I really don’t know, he never said anything.” I thought quietly for a moment before continuing. “I remember one day he played a song and told me to listen to the end, that those lyrics really made him think of me. Maybe I should’ve paid more attention.”

“What did it say?”

“Something about how he knew I would be the star in another person’s sky and why couldn’t it be his.” I shook my head as I realized what he was saying then. “Eventually he stopped returning my calls. That was about a year ago.” My voice trailed off as I mentally kicked myself. “Boy am I dense.”

“No Deb, you said it yourself, you were going through a lot. Don’t be so hard on yourself. He was an asshole for what he just did. Forget about him and just focus on now and meeting Joshua. You’ll love him, he’s great.”

Entering the store, all my worries slipped away. Ashley continued to talk, but I barely heard her. Mannequins modeled some of the most fashion-forward styles I had seen not only in Canyon Cove, but even on the cover of Vogue. Joyeux was everything I dreamed about for myself.