Chapter 109

Book:The Billionaire's Unauthentic Daughter Published:2024-5-1

“Please don’t misunderstand my intentions about Keith. Hear me out.”
“What other reason could be there for you to send him away? You were jealous and wanted him gone because you thought we liked each other, didn’t you?” I was still not looking at him. I couldn’t. I’d forget the whole reason why I was mad at him if I risked a glance into those captivating eyes.
“I’m not going to lie to you. It was one of the reasons albeit a small one. You remember the day we went to buy a birthday present for him and you scolded me for disrespecting him? I was feeling really guilty about it and I realized I was being immature and I didn’t want you to think of me like that because I really am not like that. So I observed him and he’s a good person. He’s also very talented and it frustrated me because he was just letting his talent go to waste here, just because of money. He has so much potential and so many things to learn. Staying here was just a hindrance to his growth. I didn’t want that for him. I wanted him to get what he deserved and so I arranged an interview for him. I asked him if he wanted to learn and become better and of course he said yes and I told him about the interview and he was happy. I could see that staying here was just a job for him and he was really passionate about cooking before he was offered to be the Jenson’s cook. I’m sorry I hurt you because of that.”
Hearing this made me feel a little at ease but it hurt me that Keith didn’t wait for me to recover to say goodbye, that he’d just go with a mere letter left for me. We were such good friends. I deserved more than that.
I thought back to the letter I read last night.
Dear Juliet,
By? the? time you read? this,? I? might be on a plane, on my way to Tokyo to fulfill my? dreams, thanks to Ethan.
I know you’ll be very mad at me for just leaving like that.? Believe? me, it wasn’t any less hard? for? me. If? I? had to say goodbye to you in person, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to do that.
Cooking is my passion but? unfortunately? working for the Jenson’s made me lose interest in it but not completely. Because of you, my little sous chef,? I? started to like cooking? again.
You are my best friend that? I? wish? I? didn’t have to part ways with. But life happened and now here we are, so far away from each other.
Anyway,? I? hope? you? don’t? forget me and? I? wish you the best in your life. Eat well, be? healthy? and stay? happy. That’s all I want? for? you.
I have been debating over this from the time? I? got accepted at the restaurant and? I? know I’ll regret it if? I? didn’t? tell you.
I like? you.
Not as a friend, but as a woman. I’ve liked you? for a? while? now. Do you? remember? we were sitting in the garden with the cherry blossoms around us and? I? thought it was the best day of my life. I was happy, just sitting next to you, even if we? weren’t? talking? I? was? happy? to see you. I told you? about? a woman then. That? I? liked her and that she chose a man who? wasn’t? me. It was? silly.
It was you. I’m sure you must have already figured it out. You had just gone for breakfast? with? Ethan at a café. It? wasn’t? a big deal but? I? still made a fuss? about? it in? my? head.
I’m? afraid? after? reading? this, you? don’t? see me as a friend anymore but? I? don’t want to know. I just wanted to tell you? because? this might’ve weighed me down for a long time if? I? hadn’t? told you.
But? I? think? I? know my answer. You? don’t? like me like that. You just see as a friend. You like Ethan. It’s obvious but be careful, he’s? dating? Heather. I just? don’t? want you to get hurt.
As for me,? don’t? worry. I’ll get over you. It? won’t? be? easy? as what I feel for you? isn’t? just an? attraction? or an infatuation or a crush. It’s much more? than? that although I’m sure you didn’t know that because I concealed it very well. It might take time to get used to your absence from my life but I’m sure I’ll get there. I’m sorry if this confession made you uncomfortable but? I? just wanted to tell you.
Goodbye. I? hope? we can see each other again. I’ll miss you.
Take care,
Keith.
I knew it. He liked me. And he was right. I didn’t like him back which made me relieved that he didn’t say that to me in person because I didn’t want us to part us like that, with me breaking his heart. But Keith was so much better. He deserved someone who wasn’t fake and so did Ethan. I was lying about my whole identity. I didn’t even know who I was anymore. And yet these two incredibly beautiful people liked me. And I liked one of them.
I liked Ethan. And I liked the kiss we shared and I wanted more of his kisses. That was just how selfish I was.
I was so lost in thought about the letter that I didn’t realize he was still speaking until I heard him say the two words again.
“I’m sorry.”
Conflicting emotions coursed through me. He was apologizing to me. What for? Was he apologizing for sending away Keith? Or was he apologizing to me for kissing me?
If it was the latter, it made my heart hurt a little but also feel relieved because he was getting a grip of the situation. We couldn’t do this. This wasn’t right.
Before I could respond, although I didn’t know what to say, he spoke again. “I’m sorry for surprising you like that. I should’ve had better control over myself. I didn’t plan it to happen like that.”
I still didn’t know what to say to him so he continued. “You were saying things I didn’t want to hear come from you and… and I didn’t think before I did what I did. I’m sorry for doing that without your permission.”
I give a stiff nod to him. “Just make sure this kind of mistake doesn’t happen again. We don’t want to regret things more than we already are. Just pretend it didn’t happen and we’ll be fine.”
He didn’t speak for a few seconds. “Mistake? Regret? Wait a minute… you think I regret it? That the kiss was a mistake for me?”
I jerked my head in his direction to give him a warning look. “Yes, obviously. It was a big mistake and we have to make sure we don’t do it again.”
He leans over the kitchen island and stares at me. “It wasn’t a mistake to me. I don’t regret what happened. At all. What I was sorry for was that I kissed you without your permission. You were so surprised, you obviously didn’t expect it. I was apologizing for startling you like that, not for kissing you because damn it, I didn’t know I needed it so much until last night, needed? you? so much in my life.”
“Ethan, what’s wrong with you? You’re scaring me.” And it was true, his unhesitant confession truly scared me because he seemed determined to not run away anymore, to not only stop but embrace his feelings for me. And that wasn’t good news for me because if he kept up with that, I might just give in and let him have me.
He grabbed my hand in his warm and soft ones. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I know you feel burdened by what I’ve just said but I want you to know that I don’t want to run away from you anymore because as you saw, I keep coming back to you. The truth is, I don’t want to run away. I want to be with you and see the beauty of what can be between us. I want to feel these emotions for you. So please allow me to like you.”
There it was, those words I had feared would come out of him someday.
I sunk my head down.? I? didn’t? hear it.? I tell myself.? Don’t? get swayed. You? didn’t? hear it. Remember what disaster this? would? create. You? heard? nothing.
I looked up at him with a smile. “You should go on a date with Heather. You sound like you miss her a lot.” I said, eating another spoonful of Nutella, a little messily as it spread a little on my lips. “Do you want some?” I asked, gesturing to my sandwich and the Nutella.
He just looked at me without his serious expression changing. Then his gaze drifted down and before I could lick the Nutella off my lips, he leaned over the counter, placed his finger under my chin, lifted my head up so I was looking at him and then pressed his lips against mine, leaving me stunned yet again. It was a small peck that lasted about three seconds and then he pulled away.
“Yeah, thanks. It’s delicious.” He said, running his tongue over his lower lip.
I wanted to scold him for what he just did but I was frozen in my place because just as he pulled away I saw something over his shoulder.
I saw someone looking right at us.