Falling for My Billionaire Best Friend

BASH

My eyes bulge, and my pulse races the moment I recognize him. I can feel the sound of my heartbeat thrashes in my ears in terror.

I’m still glued in my place, and I am unable to move a muscle even if I want to. My jaw is locked up even if I want to scream for help. Everything just freezes.

He slips his right hand inside his coat. The only thing that comes to my mind is maybe he’s pulling out his gun. Is he going to kill me now? My parent’s words flash right into my face.

He’s a psychopath!

“Bash, I’m not gonna hurt you.” His deep voice makes me blink and brings me back to reality.

I’m in front of a fucking murderer for fuck sake, yet I can’t do anything. He’s blocking the only exit I know unless I jump from the rooftop. And there’s no way I will survive, or maybe I end up with a couple of broken bones.

When panic strikes me, I raise my hand and drop the half-empty bottle to the floor.

“Don’t come closer to me, Mr. Tennings, or I will call the cops!” I warn him. I know it doesn’t affect him because my voice is trembling.

“I need to tell you something, Bash,” he says in a calm but firm tone as if he’s running out of time to convince me to believe him.

“I’m not gonna listen to your lies, Mr. Tennings. I’ve heard enough lies for tonight!” I shout at him. This time my voice is a little bit louder.

He looks hurt, but it’s gone in a second. He knows how to mask his feelings. He’s a real psychopath. He saunters in my direction cautiously.

I’m still standing in my place, and I can’t step back because I’m already at the edge.

“Bash, listen to me, and I don’t have much time. The people are on their way over here looking for me.” He takes a deep breath and he stops when he’s a yard closer to me. “Bash, I’m not—”

I gasp when a hissing sound passes through the air.

There’s a moment of deafening silence, and my heart stops.

My eyes grow wide when Mr. Tennings’ hand grasps quickly on his left chest. Blood starts to ooze from his hand, then he falls slowly to the floor with his face fills with horror.

“Tennings!” I quickly kneel in front of him, shrugging off my suit jacket, and forms it into a ball, and presses it against his bleeding chest.

“Don’t dare die, you fucking old mutt!” I yell at him. I don’t know why I can’t let him die when the fact is he’s a bad man.

His face grows paler, and I know he’s not going to make it. I fish out my phone, but I feel a hand places on top of my hand that I pressed against his chest.

I look down at him, and he shakes his head. “I need to call 911.”

He shakes his head again. I can’t do anything but swallow hard. I want to shout out loud out of frustration. Never in my life, I watched people die, especially like how it happened to him.

“T-take.” He swallows blood that slips from his mouth. “T-take it.” He swallows again and coughs. Blood spits out from his mouth.

“For fuck sake, Tennings!”

His hand slowly tap the floor. My brows furrow in confusion. What the fuck is he telling me?

“T-take my journal.”

My eyes widen. I quickly search for a pocket of his coat. I find a phone and a notebook that is folded into two.

I watch his head drops to the side, then he stops breathing, but blood continues oozing from his mouth. His blue eyes turn glassy, indicating his death. I just stare at him in horror, and I forget my own life that whoever shot him, I might be the next target.

The door slams open that has me startle. My head snaps to see Edmund and my new bodyguard name Derek come rushing towards me when they see me in front of the dead man.

“We need to get you out of here, Bash! ” Edmund says, grabbing my arm. They’re now on full alert.

“Now, Bash!”

I jerk my arm off from him. “I could have long dead if they targeted me, asshole!” I snarl at him. I realize I might be right. I sniff and wipe my tears that unknowingly fell. I don’t know that I cried for that old man who put my mom’s life in danger.

Derek is busy scanning the area as he presses his phone to his ear. He is probably calling for my family or an ambulance.

“I need you to get up, Bash. He’s dead, and I need you safe, please?” he says with full concern.

I swipe Tennings’ face to close his eyes then grab my bloodstained jacket with me. I look down at him again one more time and walk away.

I ignore the hug from my family, though, it’s killing me deep inside. They raised me and gave me the life that anyone could’ve asked for.

Mom and Lizzy are sobbing and hugging me tighter, but I feel nothing but betrayal. I love them so much more than my life, but I’m so hurt that they have to hide something about me.

My whole life is a fucking lie!

“Bash!” Trinity launches herself on me. “Bash, I was so worried about you. How? What happened?” She scans my bloody shirt, and I’m still gripping the bloodstained jacket with me.

She hugs me again before she scans the crowded Night Stalker parking lot full of vehicles, police cars, my family cars, nosy people, and an ambulance.

They did check me up before my family arrived just to see that I’m perfectly okay to go.

“Let’s go, Trinity. Can you drive us back?” I ask.

She nods repeatedly. “Of course. Where is Edmund?”

I shake my head. “Drive us to your apartment, Tri,” I answer slowly.

She looks confused, but I can’t explain it to her right now. I am still shocked by what happened to Mr. Tennings, and the fact that my life is full of lies.

She doesn’t know anything yet, I guess. “You are safer with them, Bash,” she says with concern.

“Trinity, I’m so fucking tired. I need a rest, and if you can’t fucking drive me home, then I’ll just take a hotel room.”

She startles, and I blink in shock. I just dumped all my anger and frustration on her.

“I’m sorry, Tri.” I pull her closer and squeeze her into a hug.

“It’s okay, Bash. I’m so sorry you have to witness that horrifying death.”

I release her after kissing the top of her head. “Let’s go, baby, please?”

She nods. “We’ll just say goodbye to your family,”

I shake my head. “No. Let’s go now.” I grab her hand to follow me.

We ride to her apartment in silence. Trinity doesn’t pry me anymore, but I know she has a lot of questions.

“Holy shit! It’s true!” Luke’s eyes widen when he sees me. He clears his throat when nobody speaks. “Man, I’m sorry.”

I nod slowly before I follow Trinity to her room. She opens her room quickly. I enter her bathroom without a single word.

I feel all the strength drain from my body. I can’t even speak. I drop my jacket to the floor, then I strip all my clothes off.

The warm water slightly massages my skin and makes my tense muscles relax a bit. I wrap the towel tightly around my waist and step out of the shower room after I feel calm.

“Trinity!” I shout out loud when I notice the jacket and my clothes are nowhere to be found.

“Bash, are you okay?” She comes, rushing to the bathroom door with a horrified look.

“Where are my fucking clothes here?” I glare and point down to the now empty floor.

She rolls her eyes. “I thought—”

“Where are they, Trinity?” I demand.

“Bash, they’re dirty and soaked with blood. I place them in a plastic bag.”

“Don’t put it anywhere. I need them,” I say, walking out of the bathroom.

“Um, Bash.”

“Yeah,” I respond without looking back at her.

“Your family calls me like thousand times already. They’re worried hell.”

“They’re not my family.” I snap, but the truth, I’m so hurt, and I don’t know what to do, how to accept that I am not a Hughes.

A sharp breath escapes her lips. “What’s wrong with you?” she asks with teary eyes.

“What’s wrong with me?” I point at myself. “I just found out that I’m not Bash Hughes! My parents and my family lied about my entire life. They created me to be Bash, where in fact, I am not. Then I just witnessed a man died in front of me! And I can’t even fucking help him! I literally let him die all by himself. Helpless!” I shrug after telling her who still looks shocked to talk.

Why am I throwing my anger at Trinity? She’s nothing but trying to understand my situation.

Jesus, I’m such an idiot! A fucking idiot!

I trust Trinity, and she’s the only person I have left. I literally have nothing, and I am nothing—no name, no home, no family, no money, and no more job. Everything I have is not mine—it’s for Bash Hughes IV.

“Where did you get these?” I ask, pointing at the clothes on top of the bed.

“Edmund came minutes ago bringing you some clothes,” she answers with uncertainty.

“Thanks.”

“Bash?”

“Don’t Tri. Not now,” I said, stopping her.

“Okay,” she responds, then she starts walking out.

“Baby, please, let’s get some sleep?”

She turns to face me with her eyes full of despair. I feel guilty for doing that to her.

She smiles tightly. “Do you want to eat something?”

I shake my head. “Let me change into something.” I cup her face and kiss her lips, and she kisses me back. I slip my tongue immediately, and my hand grabs her head to deepen the kiss, and that’s when she moans.

My free hand starts to explore, grab, and knead her ass. Then I trail my hand to her expose lower abdomen, cupping what’s between her thighs. I slip my hand from the waistband of her yoga pants. My fingers find her smooth and wet folds, and I push two fingers inside. She instantly presses herself into my fingers, moaning while my fingers stroking into her roughly, following her movements.

I stop abruptly, pulling away from her. What the hell am I thinking?

“Why did you stop?” She looks disappointed.

“I’m sorry, Tri. I can’t-do this,” I say slowly.

“Do what, Bash?” she asks almost immediately. “Are you breaking up with me?”

Panic hit me hard. “No no no!” I say, shaking my head repeatedly.

She shrugs, releasing a sigh.

“I’m sorry. I mean it sounds terrible, but I just mistreated you minutes ago, and now I’m about to fuck you. I can’t just do that. I love you so much, Tri. I feel horrible, and I’m so in damn lost with what happened tonight.”

“Bash, you don’t have to explain, and I’m willing to do that with you if it will help you release the tensions and pain out of you.”

I shake my head. “I’m not gonna use you, and that’s not the answer I want, Tri.”

She nods. “You know that I love you so much, Bash, and I’m here to help.”

I nod. “Just go change to something and come to bed with me.” I kiss her lips.

She smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I get in her bed, pulling her blanket under my chest. I lie on my side with my arm under my head.

My mind goes back to the jacket and the journal of Tennings.

Why he let me keep his journal?

What’s written on it? Why was it so important to him? Why did he come to me?Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Why me?

Does he know about my real parents?