Hate the Player: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy(107)

Billie giggles. “That’s so true.”

“Bye, pretty Daisy.” When he presses a gentle kiss to Daisy’s forehead, that discomfort inside my chest only grows, and it turns into a constant ache after he tells Luca and Billie goodbye and meets my eyes one last time. “See ya later, firecracker.”

And then, he leaves.

Thankfully, a nurse comes in a few moments later to distract us all. She takes Billie’s blood pressure and feels around on her belly to make sure everything is doing what it’s supposed to, and eventually, she takes Daisy from my arms for a quick assessment.

But when she finishes her rounds and heads on to the next patient, my sister doesn’t hesitate to let me know exactly what’s on her mind.

“You’re being so stupid, you know.”

“Uh oh,” Luca mutters and busies himself with checking on Daisy, who is now sleeping in the hospital crib.

I tilt my head to the side and meet Billie’s steady gaze. “I’m being stupid? Pretty sure I’m not the one who planned a whole party with the intention of butting into something that’s none of her business.”

“Kind of like how you butted into my business when I was being stupid about my relationship with Luca?”

Touché, sis.

“You need to let it go, Billie. Just let it go.”

“Nope,” she refutes. “I’m not letting it go, because you and I both know he’s your person. It’s so fucking obvious. The way the two of you are absolutely miserable, and yet, when you’re in the same room, you can’t take your eyes off each other.”

“That’s not how it is.”

“Oh, trust me, I know,” she remarks. “I planned a whole party with the intention of bringing you together. Needless to say, I’ve spent several hours simply watching your every move.”

“You realize you sound insane, right?”

“Not as insane as you.”

“Well, I was nothing more than a challenge to him. A challenge that he succeeded in,” I retort, but the words feel all wrong coming off my tongue. Because I know they’re total bullshit. A man doesn’t do all the things Andrew did for me without it meaning something.

My sister also knows this. “You and I both know that’s total crap. God, sometimes, I wish stubborn didn’t run so deep in our family.”

I know Billie is prepared to go on and on about this, but right now, she needs to rest and spend time with her husband and baby and just be cocooned in happiness. Not worry about my complicated love life.

“How about we reconvene this conversation at a later date?” I suggest with a smile. “You need to get some sleep.”

“And you need to open your fucking eyes.”

“God, Billie.” I sigh. “I’m not having this conversation with you right now, but I promise I will be back tomorrow morning. And for the next three weeks’ worth of mornings after that, I’ll be around. So, you’ll have ample time to tell me how stupid I am.”

“Three whole weeks?” she questions, and her voice loses its frustrated steam. “But I thought you were going on a trip to Fiji soon?”

“I am, but I told Neil I didn’t want to go right after you had the baby. I want to be around to help you guys out and just spend time with my niece.” I step forward to press a kiss to Billie’s forehead. “So, have no fear, you’re going to have lots and lots of time to tell me what you really think. But right now, I just want you to rest and enjoy the bliss bubble that is your beautiful family.”

“Okay. I’m holding you to that.”

I laugh. “I know you will.”

After one last kiss to Daisy’s forehead, I tell Luca goodbye and head out of Billie’s hospital room and toward the hospital exit, where I figure I’ll have to call an Uber to get me back to their house so I can pick up my car.

But I only make it two steps outside before I’m stopped in my tracks.

Cameras flash, and what feels like twenty paparazzi stand just outside the lobby entrance.

“Birdie! Over here, Birdie! Did your sister have the baby?” One shouts toward me, and the rest follow.

“Is it a boy or a girl?”

“What’s the baby’s name?”

“How much did the baby weigh?”

“What did Luca say when the baby was born?”

Just a barrage of questions being shot in my direction from every angle.

Hospital security tries to push the small crowd back, but it’s no use.

I have a feeling they won’t be able to get them off the premises without LAPD assistance.

But before I can attempt to find an exit strategy, I spot the one person I really fucking want to see right now just to the side of the paparazzi crowd.

Andrew.





Andrew



I want my future to start right now.

When I left Billie’s hospital room, I had the intention of just heading home.

But when I got to my car, I realized I can’t go home when my fucking home is in that hospital.

So, I waited for Birdie.

And while I waited, I replayed everything I wanted to say to her over and over again in my mind. I had it all planned out in my head, but apparently, it didn’t take long for Billie’s birth news to spread to the media vipers. Before I knew it, several paparazzi found their way to the hospital and camped out just outside the entrance.