starting the company, and his brother is a big part of that.
"Lillian...wait!"
I hear him coming up behind me, but I am starting to get a tad more upset than I expected. I know he didn't expect me to move to New York, but we shared personal information with one another. So, I feel he kept something that didn't really matter one way or the other. God, I need to sit down. I'm going to give myself a headache trying to figure this all out.
I feel his warm hand on my arm before he says anything. "Lillian, please. I didn't mean it to come out like that. I'm sorry."
I still don't turn to face him. This doesn't get us anywhere if I'm running off without letting him finish. I take a cleansing breath and walk toward another bench.
"Look, I'm sorry too. I don't understand what's going on with me. We came here to talk, and we need to do that. I have questions too. Let's just not throw accusations out there. Alright?"
He agrees as he takes the spot next to me. "Can I tell you what happened after I left Tampa?"
This was a big one. I knew it from the shakiness of his voice, but I also knew this was the time I had my biggest doubts about marrying Damon. Before I tell him about me, I need to hear what happened with him.
"Please."
"The five and a half months after leaving you were by far the worse time in my life. I couldn't concentrate on work. Brendan took as much of my work as he could while I did the menial tasks for both of us. Addison and I started to fight, and most nights I slept in my office. All I could think about was you and our time together.
"When your wedding day came, I didn't handle things well. I drank. I drank a lot. If Addy didn't find me after midnight, I probably would have died."
Tears stung my eyes to hear him voice how broken he really was, but you don't get that broken over a friend. I didn't get that broken over Nora and Damon, but that doesn't mean I was hurt any less by it. Maybe I just controlled it better.
"I told her about you that night. I told her how I met you, about the places we went, how we acted together. I explained we were just friends and you were getting married that day hence the reason for my drunkenness."
I close my eyes and imagined Brayden in an office with modern furnishings stumbling and drinking. If I was Addison walking in on that, I probably would have done anything to help him.
"She told me that I should go find you...and fight for you. She was willing to give me up, so I could be happy."
That's when tears started to stream my face. A person I don't know was going to make a huge sacrifice to make sure this man found his happiness. I don't even know her, but I know I respect her a great deal. It takes a person with a big heart and a lot of courage to willingly forego her own happiness for the happiness of someone she loves. It's then that I know I could never be anymore than friends with Brayden.
"She really does love you, Brayden."
"Yeah she does." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, and I knew he loved her too. "Brendan and I talked things through after that night. I went a brought a ring and proposed to Addy a few weeks later. It wasn't how I really wanted to do it, but the level of commitment she showed me that night..."
When his voice trailed off, I knew he was keeping something hidden, and after spilling out most of his secrets to me, I let him keep it.
Chapter 9
Lillian
The knock on my door woke me up from a deep sleep. When I open the door, the sight I'm met with melted my heart and made my stomach rumble.
"Hey, Lil."
"We brought you something."
"I told you we were coming."
Courtney, Gwen, and Riley were standing outside my door with a carrier of four coffees and a bag that smelled like fresh bagels with eggs and bacon.
"Please, come in with your sweet smelling bag of goodies."
They file in and head straight toward to breakfast bar. After I close the door, I retreat to the bathroom to brush my teeth and properly wake up. When I walk back in
"Lillian...wait!"
I hear him coming up behind me, but I am starting to get a tad more upset than I expected. I know he didn't expect me to move to New York, but we shared personal information with one another. So, I feel he kept something that didn't really matter one way or the other. God, I need to sit down. I'm going to give myself a headache trying to figure this all out.
I feel his warm hand on my arm before he says anything. "Lillian, please. I didn't mean it to come out like that. I'm sorry."
I still don't turn to face him. This doesn't get us anywhere if I'm running off without letting him finish. I take a cleansing breath and walk toward another bench.
"Look, I'm sorry too. I don't understand what's going on with me. We came here to talk, and we need to do that. I have questions too. Let's just not throw accusations out there. Alright?"
He agrees as he takes the spot next to me. "Can I tell you what happened after I left Tampa?"
This was a big one. I knew it from the shakiness of his voice, but I also knew this was the time I had my biggest doubts about marrying Damon. Before I tell him about me, I need to hear what happened with him.
"Please."
"The five and a half months after leaving you were by far the worse time in my life. I couldn't concentrate on work. Brendan took as much of my work as he could while I did the menial tasks for both of us. Addison and I started to fight, and most nights I slept in my office. All I could think about was you and our time together.
"When your wedding day came, I didn't handle things well. I drank. I drank a lot. If Addy didn't find me after midnight, I probably would have died."
Tears stung my eyes to hear him voice how broken he really was, but you don't get that broken over a friend. I didn't get that broken over Nora and Damon, but that doesn't mean I was hurt any less by it. Maybe I just controlled it better.
"I told her about you that night. I told her how I met you, about the places we went, how we acted together. I explained we were just friends and you were getting married that day hence the reason for my drunkenness."
I close my eyes and imagined Brayden in an office with modern furnishings stumbling and drinking. If I was Addison walking in on that, I probably would have done anything to help him.
"She told me that I should go find you...and fight for you. She was willing to give me up, so I could be happy."
That's when tears started to stream my face. A person I don't know was going to make a huge sacrifice to make sure this man found his happiness. I don't even know her, but I know I respect her a great deal. It takes a person with a big heart and a lot of courage to willingly forego her own happiness for the happiness of someone she loves. It's then that I know I could never be anymore than friends with Brayden.
"She really does love you, Brayden."
"Yeah she does." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, and I knew he loved her too. "Brendan and I talked things through after that night. I went a brought a ring and proposed to Addy a few weeks later. It wasn't how I really wanted to do it, but the level of commitment she showed me that night..."
When his voice trailed off, I knew he was keeping something hidden, and after spilling out most of his secrets to me, I let him keep it.
Chapter 9
Lillian
The knock on my door woke me up from a deep sleep. When I open the door, the sight I'm met with melted my heart and made my stomach rumble.
"Hey, Lil."
"We brought you something."
"I told you we were coming."
Courtney, Gwen, and Riley were standing outside my door with a carrier of four coffees and a bag that smelled like fresh bagels with eggs and bacon.
"Please, come in with your sweet smelling bag of goodies."
They file in and head straight toward to breakfast bar. After I close the door, I retreat to the bathroom to brush my teeth and properly wake up. When I walk back in
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