My Dad's Billionaire Best Friend

Hurt That Stings

I wake up to an empty bed, I sit up straight, the curtain is slightly open so the light is shining through. I hold my head, I got a hangover and it's going to be a long day today. Last night, my dream of having Mark in my bed felt so real. I look around in my room, but his clothes are nowhere to be found. It was a dream. I get the smell of breakfast, so my father must be back home.

I get out of bed, and I am wearing a white t-shirt and my lace thong. This is what I was wearing in my dream too. I look over at the chair and my dress was draped over it. I try to think about if it was real, because Mark isn't here. Sighing, I get up from my bed and I take a warm shower. I decide to wear dark blue skinny jeans, the black boots that Mark gave me, a white blouse and a black formal jacket with three quarter sleeves. I keep my hair loose, which is in soft curls. I apply my make up.

Once I'm done, I take my bag, I check in it to see if everything is still in there. Everything is as it was and I leave my phone in the bag. I open my room door and I walk out. The smell of breakfast is making me hungry. I walk down the stairs and my stomach growls.

I reach the kitchen and I stop in my tracks and I let out a little gasp. Behind the stove is Mark in his dress pants and white dress shirt, making breakfast. My dream was real. He turns around with a pan in his hand and he looks my way.

"Good morning, how are you feeling?" he asks me with a smirk.

"Morning. Um, my head is killing me, but I thought that I was dreaming of last night, but here you are, so last night was real" I say, but his jaw clenches as he dishes the scrambled egg onto our plates. He doesn't say anything. "Thank you for last night" I say as I move closer to the kitchen counter.

"I did what any other person who cares about you would've done." he places the pan in the sink. He sits down on the bar stool and I join him on the opposite side. I place my bag on the bar stool that is next to me. "You need to be more careful when you are at clubs. I suggest that you only go to my friends' club. I will make sure that nothing happens to you when I'm not around", he says with a serious look in his eyes.

I swallow, feeling guilty about the club. "Okay, but I was out with the interns" I say.

"They could just be as drunk as you Gray, so my friends club you only need to be at and that is not up for any further discussion" he says, burning his eyes into me, not the heated type of burn, more like a child being disciplined.

"I am not a child anymore" I say.

"Then stop acting like one" he says harshly at me, that pierced my heart. All I can do is just look at him in shock. I never encountered this side of him before except when he was upset about something at the office, but not to this extent. "What you did last night, is not to happen again either" he looks at me still with that stone cold face.

"You mean the kiss" I say.

"Yes, I should've known that you have some crush on me. But nothing further will ever happen. You crossed a line, Gray," he says. I lost my appetite. I put my fork down on the plate.

"You kissed me back, and the way you kissed me was not nothing" I say, looking up at him.

"It didn't do anything to me, so now you know how I feel about you, you will remain my best friend's little daughter and who is completely off limits. Don't try to pull anything off because it will never happen. I don't know what you see between us, but there is nothing. It's all on you, and your feelings. I feel nothing for you because your words last night were everything that I needed to draw a line with you now and to say it to you straight , I am not interested in my best friend's daughter", he says.

That hurt me, and what was I even thinking? Did I really think that I would live happily ever after with Mark Stern? This is just a stupid crush. "I lost my appetite" I said as I get up from the bar stool.

"There are painkillers on the cabinet, those are for your head" he says. I take the painkillers and I fill a glass with water. I swallow two of them.

" I'm ready for work" I say.

"I will be driving, you cannot drive in a state with your head", he gets up, he shakes his head to himself and he scoffs "state of wanting me and state of pain", he says, amused as if this is a freaking joke to him.

"I will take a cab then, you can take my freaking car" I say as tears burn the back of my eyes. I walk out of the kitchen.

"Gray, you will drive with me and that is final" he says with a tone that tells me that he is trying his best not to explode. I don't want to be on that side of him, so I blink back the tears and I wait for him outside.

I bet he is cleaning up, because we are about twenty minutes late. We need to get started on the day, to prepare for his meeting and I have a feeling that he will say that I'm the cause of us being late. He didn't even need to make breakfast. I roll my eyes. I see him walking out of the house and locking up. He is wearing a jacket now too, the same clothes as yesterday, while I'm leaning against my car. As he walks towards the car, I turn around, because I could breakdown at any minute if he says a harsh thing to me next.