Business Always
CHAPTER 15—AMELIA POV

"You may kiss the bride." As soon as he says those words, Leroy pulls Jodie closer, pressing his lips into hers.

She goes onto her tiptoes, to match his height better. I turn to the side, not wanting to intrude in their special moment.

When I look away, my eyes lock with Xavier's. Instantly, my mind goes dark, but I plaster on a smile.

"You're just as tempted as I am."

His words from the bachelorette party rang in my ears, burnt into my head. He wasn't wrong.

I was tempted, especially when he made it so easy.

I knew I could always run back to him.

He would always be there, ready to welcome me back into his world.

After all these years that's something I learned, but there was always something holding me back.

I never carelessly and freely fell for him again, like the first time. I never knew what would happen with him.

I never felt safe.

As much as I hated on Xavier, I knew my own demons were playing a part in this as

well. He had his arms open for me, but I wasn't running.

I held myself back from him every time and I didn't know why.

Perhaps I was expecting everything to fit back into place, just as easily as it fell in the

first place, but this wasn't the same anymore.

Slowly watching him, I saw him change.

Soften.

He wasn't the hard shell he used to be, around me at least, although he had his moments where he would spit straight venom.

Was he making himself more vulnerable to me?

More open to attack.

The more his defence dropped, the harder I held my guard up.

But there were many cracks, and he easily fit into them. As if he could manipulate the

air around me. Whenever he was around, I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

But flames burn.

I'm not going to fall. I'm not going to burn.

I have a plan. I have a fiancé.

A perfect life, which I'm not going to risk.

I look back at Leroy and Jodie, who are still totally engrossed in each other, and I can't help but think of my own 'wedding day.'

It was completely different to this one, but no amount of money can ever compete

with the amount of love that this wedding has.

"I had an orchestra write brand new music for our wedding."

I chuckle to myself remembering Xavier's words from that day.

I was just a nervous girl, doing whatever it took to get her chance in the world. That's

what I told myself every time I thought back as to why I ever agreed to marry him.

But I would never forget the way my heart skipped a beat when he lifted my veil and looked at me.

It'll be the same when Alexander lifts your veil, I sigh to myself.

I steal another look at Xavier, wondering what it would be like if we never got divorced. If he never lied.

Would I still have made Eva Enterprises?

Right after I left his office 6 months ago, after he let me go, I bumped into Alexander right outside his building.

"Miss Davis." He put his hand out for me to shake but lowered it after he saw my face red with dripping tears. "Is everything alright?" He gave me a soft smile.

"Yes, e-everything is fine," I choked out through tears. He didn't believe me but didn't push it any further.

He began walking into the Kings Corp building. "Chopra?" I stopped him. "Can we get a cup of coffee please?"

He turned back around to face me and nodded. My tear-filled eyes and hopeless face probably persuaded him.

I didn't want to get a coffee with him. I didn't want to be near him, but it was the first thing I could think of to get him out of Xavier's office.

Xavier needed space after our split, and seeing Chopra, who he already despised, wasn't going to make things better.

"I'll drive," he offered, and I nodded, following him to his car.

When we finally arrived outside my favourite café, Bean, I completely broke down in Chopra's passenger seat.

It was the cafe where I had first met Xavier.

"Hmm. Miss Davis?" Chopra awkwardly touched my shoulder.

I took my head out of my hands and wiped away my tears, taking a couple of breaths

to steady myself.

We sat down in a small booth style stable in the back. Luckily, the cafe was quite empty. Otherwise, there would be paparazzi and people here in no time.

"What's going on?" Chopra asked, his British accent making him sound much more caring that he actually was.

"Nothing." I sipped my cappuccino and averted my eyes.

"Is it about Mr King?" he asked softly.

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"Mr King and I are just business partners," I whispered. "Nothing more."

"Come on. Even a blind person could tell you guys were" He stopped himself. "Is it over?" he asked lowly.

"Yes," I breathed out, holding my tears back as much as I could. "It's over."

I took the tissue that was wrapped around my cup and dried my eyes and face. I laughed at myself, knowing I already looked like a mess, and this was making it worse.

After that day, we met continually. Whether it was coffee or dinner or a meeting, I always found myself seeing him.

He wasn't shy to hide his interest in me, and eventually I gave in. Nothing was going to

be like what I had with Xavier, and I was never going to have that again, so I gave him

a chance.

"Amelia, it's time for the dances." Jodie's soft hand on my shoulder pulls me out of my trance.

"Yeah," I mumble.

"Are you ready?" Xavier's low voice and tall frame stands in front of me.

I nod, not looking up at him. Whatever I felt it didn't matter, I had too much pride and too much fear too ever tell him.

The slow music plays, as everyone grabs a partner to dance. Looking around I'm not sure why Jodie had us take dance lessons when no one else had taken any.

I thought I'd get used to Xavier's touch by now since we practiced a couple times, but every time his hand rests on my waist or my fingers interlock with his, it's like putting a hot pan under cold water.

The silence is awkward between us. Does he want to say something?

Should I say something?

Our feet move to the music, one step forward, one step back.

As I'm about to take a step back, I lean too hard on my heel.

Oh no.

My left foot loses balance, and my tightened grip on Xavier's shoulder doesn't seem to

keep me from falling.

I can feel it—I'm about to drop onto the floor at my friend's wedding.

In an instant, Xavier's hand moves from my hip to the small of my back. He pushes my back forward, fighting the force of me falling backwards.

I lean on his chest, rotating my ankle and steadying myself onto my feet confidently.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall," he mutters, moving his hand back to my waist as we get back into position.

"Thank you," I mumble, I let out a breath of relief knowing I didn't embarrass myself or Jodie and Leroy.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, a dinner party filled with embarrassing stories of Leroy's childhood and Jasmine being overly emotional.

"We're off." Jodie hugs me tightly, before walking hand in hand with Leroy. They get into the car that Leroy and Xavier had arrived in.

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"Have fun!" I call to them as they leave to go to their honeymoon.

Their wedding is intentionally small because they wanted to spend most of their money on their honeymoon. I offered to pay for the rest of their wedding, but they obviously refused.

The sun was beginning to set, even though it was barely 6 o'clock but November in New York was always dark.

I watched as the azure waves crashed across the grainy sand. I had taken my heels off, wiggling my toes in the sand whilst the water washed them.

"Was she nervous?" a voice asks me. It's Xavier. His eyes were fixed on the ocean, but

he stood a few feet behind me so his feet wouldn't touch the water.

"What?" I ask. I barely heard what he said.

"Was she nervous...to get married?" he repeats himself.

"Oh...not at all. She was so excited." I smile.

"Good, Leroy was a nervous wreck." He chuckles.

"Really? He seems so confident," I reply. I was quite surprised, I expected Jodie to be

the nervous one today.

"He's nervous around her, scared he'll make a wrong move and she'll leave."

His words hit harder than they would've.

"Were you nervous...you know when we got married?" I ask him awkwardly.

I don't know if he's looking at me or not and I don't want to turn around to check.

"I should get going," he says, and I hear his feet shuffle away.

"Do you need a ride?" I ask. "I know they left in your car and my house isn't that far

from yours."

I turn around to see he had taken his suit jacket off, his tight shirt making his muscles

stand out, especially in the darker lighting as the sun set.

"No thank you," he says.

"Oh OK." My shoulders slump.

"It's not because of what you think," he clarifies, probably sensing my defeated mood.

"I need to go to the airport."

"The airport? You're going on holiday?" I ask.

"I don't have time for holidays Miss Davis. I'm meeting Mr Takahashi for business."

"Oh right, I'm in Tokyo in a couple days too," I say.

"Perhaps I'll see you there," he says before calling his driver.

"Maybe you will," I whisper, but more to myself than to him.