Page 121 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

“You don’t have to leave alone.”

“Yes, I do,” I said. “Goodnight.”

I didn’t need to say goodbye to anyone. I quietly left the hall and hailed one of the cabs waiting for drunk partygoers.

The house was quiet when I got home. I hadn’t seen Liam when I returned from the beach, but Marcus was there trying to get one of the single ladies to go home with him. I assumed Liam must have gone back to a hotel room with whoever he managed to snare at the reception.

I wandered aimlessly through the house. I walked outside, stuffing my hands in my pockets and staring out at the water. Watching the ocean was a lot like watching flames. It pulled you in and demanded deep introspection.

I turned and walked back inside. I found myself in the kitchen. I didn’t really know what I was doing. This was the epitome of feeling adrift. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, twisted the lid, and took a drink. That was when I saw it—the sticky note on the fridge.

It was the sketch Dorie had drawn of us, with Rick in the middle. I’d added my terrible attempt at drawing the cat, and now, staring at it, I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. The simplicity of it, the warmth, the love—it was everything I’d been too scared to hold on to.

I took the sticky note off the fridge, holding it in my hands as if it were the most precious thing in the world. And in that moment, something inside me broke. All the walls I’d built, all the fears I’d clung to, came crashing down.

“What am I doing?” I asked out loud, my voice trembling.

I didn’t have an answer. Not a good one, anyway. All I knew was that I’d made a terrible mistake, and I needed to fix it. Now.

In a sudden panic, I grabbed my keys and raced out the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I drove back to the reception venue a little faster than what the speed limit suggested. The parking lot was mostly empty, the party clearly winding down, but I didn’t care. I needed to find Dorie.

I burst through the doors, my eyes scanning the room. Most of the guests were gone. Eliza and Cullen were still there, swaying sleepily to the soft music playing in the background. They looked up as I approached.

“Kaisen?” Eliza said, her brow furrowing. “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Dorie?” I asked, my voice urgent. “I need to talk to her. Right now.”

Eliza blinked, clearly caught off guard. “She went home. Why? What’s going on?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I turned and ran for the door, my heart racing. Behind me, I heard Cullen shout, “Go get your girl!” and Eliza squealed excitedly, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I drove to Dorie’s condo, my mind racing with everything I needed to say. I knew I had seconds to get it out before she slammed the door in my face. I knocked on the door, my heart pounding in my chest, but there was no answer.

“Dorie, it’s me,” I called out. “Please. Just two minutes.”

I knocked again.

She wasn’t home. There was only one other place she could be.

The bakery.

Even though she spent the entire day with wedding prep and then the wedding itself, I knew she’d be there.

I raced there, once again risking a speeding ticket. I parked out front. The shop was dark, but I could see a light on in the back. That was where she would be. I pounded on the door, my fists hitting the glass with a desperation I couldn’t contain. “Dorie!” I shouted, my voice echoing in the empty street. “Dorie, please!”

I hoped like hell she answered the door before someone called the police. I knew I looked like a crazy person. Someone was going to assume I was trying to break in.

For a moment, there was nothing. Then, another light turned on. I saw her rounding the corner, her expression a mix of shock and confusion. She stopped when she saw me, her eyes wide.

“Kaisen?” she said, her voice muffled through the glass. “What are you doing here?”

“Will you open the door?” I asked, my voice pleading. I waited for her to say no, to banish me, to tell me to leave her alone. But instead, she walked over and unlocked the door.

I stepped inside, my chest heaving as I looked at her—really looked at her. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie with her bakery name on it. She still had on her full face of makeup. Her hair had been pulled from the fancy updo she wore earlier and was now in a messy bun. And she was still wearing the earrings. That alone was nearly my undoing. She looked beautiful. She always did. I couldn’t explain it, but whenever I looked at her, it was like my heart grew.

“Dorie,” I said, my voice breaking. “I’m so, so sorry. I was an idiot. I was scared, and I let that fear control me, but I was wrong. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you.”

She stared at me, her eyes searching mine, and for a moment, I thought she was going to tell me to leave. She should tell me to leave because that was exactly what I deserved.

But then she took a step closer, her voice soft but firm.

“Just shut up and kiss me,” she said.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I closed the distance between us. My hands cupped her face as I kissed her. It was soft at first, tentative, like I was afraid she might pull away. But then she kissed me back, her hands gripping the front of my shirt like she was a bully in a bad eighties movie and ready to throw me against my locker. She held on to me and kissed me like her life depended on it. It was like the world stopped spinning.

When we finally pulled away, both of us were breathless, our foreheads resting against each other’s. I could feel her trembling. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

“I love you,” I whispered, my voice rough with emotion. “I love you so much, Dorie. And I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that.”

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears, but she was smiling. “I love you too, Kaisen. But if you ever push me away again, I’m keeping the earrings and never speaking to you.”

I laughed, the sound shaky but genuine. “Deal.”

We stood there for a long time, just holding each other. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. In her arms.