Page 79 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

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DORIE

Iwatched Kaisen leave the room, his jaw tight, his shoulders stiff. My chest ached, but I forced myself to sit down and focus on the conversation around me. Eliza was laughing with the bridesmaids about something trivial—something about the floral arrangements for the ceremony. I tried to smile, to nod along, but my mind was elsewhere.

A woman came by and asked what I wanted to drink. I glanced around the table and noticed the women were all drinking martinis.

“Martini, please. Dirty.”

“I ordered you the chicken,” Eliza said.

“Thank you. Sorry I’m so late.”

“No worries. Cullen had just toasted Kaisen before you walked in.”

“For what?” I asked.

Eliza laughed. “For the hotel. The dinner. The private jet and all the other things he’s been doing for our wedding.”

Of course.

Why did I feel like this? Why did I care so much about him walking away? It wasn’t like we were anything more than what? Friends? Acquaintances? I wasn’t even sure anymore. All I knew was that seeing Samantha draped over him like that had felt like a slap. And the way he hadn’t exactly pushed her away? It shouldn’t have bothered me. But it did.

“Dorie, you okay?” Eliza asked.

“Yeah,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just tired. Long day.”

Dinner was served shortly after. The conversation at the table buzzed around me, but I barely registered any of it. The martini arrived. I took a long sip, letting the sharp, salty taste wash over me. The chicken looked perfectly roasted, but I had no appetite. I poked at it with my fork, pretending to eat while my mind raced.

I was going to pretend like seeing Eliza’s friend practically draped over Kaisen’s lap didn’t affect me. I was going to act like it didn’t sting, like it didn’t make my chest tighten and my stomach churn.

But in the back of my mind, I knew Samantha was more his speed. They could attend the swanky parties in New York and pose for pictures on magazine covers. They were more suited for one another. He could buy her Escalades and whisk her away to a tropical beach and watch her parade around in a tiny bikini.

There was no way I was going to wear a piece of string and two tiny scraps of fabric. At least not in public.

I did my best to participate in the conversation. Eliza was carrying on about her dress.

“It’s everything I ever dreamed of and more. The fabric is this gorgeous satin that just cascades like water.”

I nodded along as I ate. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about Kaisen. Where did he go? I glanced down toward the other end of the table to make sure Samantha was still there. It wouldn’t surprise me to discover she had snuck off to be with him.

Kaisen never returned to the dinner.

“Okay, everyone!” Eliza stood after the dishes had been cleared. “It’s time to hit the club! Kaisen reserved the VIP section for us. And since it’s all in the same area, we can walk. No Ubers.”

The group erupted in cheers.

We walked through the casino toward the nightclub. I felt like I was walking through a fog. Eliza and the girls were chattering excitedly, their heels clicking against the polished floors, but I couldn’t focus on anything they were saying. All I could think about was Kaisen—his smirk, his hands, the way he’d looked at me before I left him standing on the sidewalk in the rain.

The girls were headed to one club, while the guys were going to another. I didn’t care where Kaisen was. Or at least, that was what I kept telling myself.

This wasn’t about me. I had to do this for Eliza. So, I pasted on a smile and did my best to look excited for the night.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Eliza said and squeezed my hand. “We never got to do stuff like this when we were younger. It’s nice to have you here, you know?”

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s nice.”

The VIP section was a blur of neon lights, thumping bass, and clinking glasses. I sat on the edge of a plush velvet couch, sipping my second martini, trying to blend into the background. The women around me were laughing, their voices rising above the music as they leaned in to share secrets and gossip. Eliza was in the center of it all, radiant and glowing with the smile of a bride-to-be.