Page 119 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and longing. “You should go back to the party,” he said softly. “Dance with that nice guy. He’ll probably worship you, deserve you, and give you everything I can’t.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. I shook my head. “I can’t stop thinking about you,” I admitted, my voice breaking. “It’s killing me, Kaisen. You put me under some kind of spell, and I don’t know what to do now. But I understand that you’re hurting. I know how you feel about love and marriage, and I don’t want you to force yourself to change for me.”

He looked at the ground, hiding a sad smile. “Dorie…”

“I loved you,” I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “I really did. More than… more than anything. More than baking. I’m hurt right now, but I’ll heal. I hope you can heal as well.”

His shoulders tensed. I could see the pain in his expression, the way his jaw clenched as he tried to keep himself together. It broke my heart all over again.

“I just want you to be happy,” I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. “Even if it’s not with me.”

I reached up, my fingers trembling as I took the earrings out of my ears. I held them out to him, my hand shaking. “Here. You should take these back. They’re special and I hope you find someone to give them to.”

He looked at the earrings, then at me, his eyes filled with so much emotion it took my breath away. “No,” he said, his voice rough. “Please, keep them. I gave them to you because I believe you deserve them.”

I frowned, confused. “Why? They’re yours. They were your mom’s. I shouldn’t have worn them in the first place. I’ll admit I was being a little catty. They are beautiful. Thank you for letting me have them for a couple of days, but I can’t keep them.”

He shook his head. “They were meant for you, Dorie. Please. Just… keep them.”

I hesitated, then nodded, slipping them back into my ears. He reached out, his thumb brushing over my cheek. I felt my breath catch in my throat. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. I closed my eyes, savoring the warmth of his touch. I could hardly breathe. My heart was lodged in my throat.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “But I can’t.”

I opened my eyes as he pulled away, my heart shattering all over again. He turned and walked back toward the party, his shoulders slumped as he moved. I stood there, alone with the sound of the waves and the ache in my chest.

What the hell was wrong with him? I’m right here. I’m ready to give him my whole heart. I feel like he feels something for me. But he’s just determined to be miserable. I don’t get it.

I stood there for what felt like an eternity, the cool night air brushing against my skin as I tried to steady my breathing. The sound of the party beckoned to me, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to go back. My fingers instinctively reached up to touch the earrings. They felt like a reminder of what could have been.

I needed to move. To do something—anything—before the emotions swallowed me whole. I bent down and took off my heels. My feet sank into the cool sand. I walked briskly along the edge of the beach, away from the party, away from him.

Why couldn’t he see what was right in front of him? Why was he so determined to push me away, even when it was clear that we both felt something? I didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand him. And yet, despite the frustration and hurt, part of me still wanted to fight for us. For him.

But how do you fight for someone who’s already surrendered?

I stopped walking when I reached a cluster of rocks jutting out into the water. For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine a different outcome—one where Kaisen hadn’t walked away, where he’d stayed and fought for us instead of retreating into his fears.

It wasn’t long before self-doubt and my own insecurities reared their ugly heads. I needed to accept the fact that maybe I just wasn’t the woman for him. He was looking for something else. Something more. Someone that looked like Samantha. Or had money. I didn’t know what specifically it was about me, but I wasn’t the one for him.

And that was that.

It was time to get back to real life.

I didn’t return to the reception. I couldn’t. Instead, I walked around the side of the venue and got an Uber. I went home, the weight of the night pressing down on me like a physical force. I kicked off my heels and sank onto the couch. I didn’t care if the dress was wrinkled. It wasn’t like I would ever wear it again.

Rick jumped up beside me, purring softly as he nudged my hand. I scratched behind his ears, grateful for the small comfort. But even his presence couldn’t ease the ache in my chest.

“Rick, what’s wrong with me?”

He purred louder, rubbing his body against me.

I thought about Kaisen’s words, about the way he’d looked at me, about the way he’d kissed my cheek. He’d said he couldn’t, but what did that mean? Couldn’t what? Couldn’t be with me? Couldn’t love me? Couldn’t let himself be happy? The man looked the way I felt—hurt. Like he was really struggling with something.

I reached up, touching the earrings still in my ears. They were beautiful, timeless, and they felt like a piece of him I wasn’t ready to let go of. But I didn’t understand why he’d given them to me, why he’d insisted I keep them. What did they mean to him? What did I mean to him?