The Loyal Best Friend

Chapter 2

Vanessa's POV

I wanted the ground to open up at that moment but alas, I was no magician!

I felt dizzy but had to compose myself. Why was this happening to me? I wanted to smile and say congratulations but I could never fake a smile even if my life depended on it.

"Uh?" Was the lame response I could manage.

"This is Jessica, Jessica Mathias, the one I told you about, remember?" He tried to explain.

What is he talking about?! 

The one he told me about… I thought I was the only one, I wanted to be the only one! 

How could I ever compete with this beauty?!

Now that I think about it I remember him talking about Jessica but they broke up and that was the last I heard about her. 

Their relationship was crazy and toxic so I was absolutely glad when I heard about the break up and I told him it was good riddance that she was gone… Except she wasn't really gone as she was standing right here in the flesh before my very eyes.

Not only was she here, she had a ring on her finger…. She had his ring on her finger!

Why didn't he tell me before? We told each other everything so why did he decide to hide something as important as this?

A million thoughts raced through my mind and the most prominent was that this wasn't the Damon Philips I grew up with.

I looked straight at him for the first time since his sudden announcement and I realized that his eyes spoke more than he could dare say with his mouth. It told me to let this slide, it tried to make me see reasons with him.

We always communicated beyond words and it was sometimes scary to others but we kept it as our own special language.

Well I couldn't start drilling him for answers right there in the presence of his "lovely" fiancee, so I had to let it go… for now, and I finally tried to look like I knew what he was talking about.

"Oh Jessica, I remember, nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand for a handshake but she pulled me into a very tight, uncomfortable hug. 

I legit could not breathe!

"Nice to meet you too," she squealed. Her voice was sharp and loud. "I've heard so much about you, he doesn't stop talking about you, you know," she continued.

"Is that so?" I asked, looking straight at Damon who just scratched his brown hair while she replied,

"Absolutely!" She said in that loud sharp voice.

It took everything in me not to practically cringe at the sound of it.

"Well I'm glad to hear that," I lied, "anyways how was the flight?" I asked just to keep the pleasantries going.

"Terrible!" She groaned, "I hate flying ,even if it is with first class like we just did, it's still awful," she whined.

Hmm, that's interesting.

"Okay then, let's get you to a warm bed and a beautiful roof over that beautiful head" I said, leading the way to my car.

Now I was really beginning to consider having my masters degree so close to home and Damon.

He already moved out of his parents house to a big beautiful mansion a few years back so at least I didn't have to see him too frequently as I was still staying at home. 

However he was still in this city and it was way too small for me, him and his fiancee.

This was a nightmare in broad daylight! I can't imagine that Damon would be so heartless to insist I come pick him up from the airport when he knew he was bringing someone special with him.

But why was I so hurt?! Of course it didn't matter. I was just the best friend….. but I wanted to be more, I thought he knew that…. Or at least had a clue… even if I never really told him.

Gosh I had no right to be anything but happy for him! I was his best friend after all so I had to be happy as long as he was happy, but was he happy?

I looked at him and he had a face I could not read, he was showing no emotion whatsoever and that was very strange.

Then I remembered that I looked beyond awful! 

My! What a day this is! I would have at least dressed more presentable if I knew he was coming back with someone special.

I looked like a homeless girl with a crazy sign trailing after an elegant beauty and a handsome billionaire.

Why wasn't that ground opening up already!

When we finally got to my car I could not wait to hop in and get away from all the weird glances from people that I've been receiving, but Jessica had to make matters worse by saying,

"Babe, what is this?!" She squealed, referring to my wonderful car. "Where's the limo?" She whined.

Okay, major update…. She was a whiner, noted.

"There's no limo Jessica, Vanny went out of her to be here for us today and she is giving us a ride in her car," He told her, "and this car is very special to the both of us."

"This thing is not a vehicle! Vanessa dear, why don't you get a new one already? Like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini! She asked.

Well Jessica dear everyone is not a billionaire like your new catch! 

I really wanted to say that out loud but I just said,

"Don't worry about that Jessica, I like this one just fine," and I made sure she didn't miss the point I was trying to make and that is for her to shut up and get in because I was beyond exhausted already.

"Come on Jessica, let's go, you need to get some rest, remember?" Ryan urged her.

"Okay dear, just for you," she said, stroking his arm lightly and going straight to the front seat.

The nerve of this girl! What makes her think she can just hop in and replace Damon's seat. 

Who does she think she is…. Oh fact check, she was his fiancee.

Damon didn't object anyways, he just opened the car door and sat comfortably at the back seat. What a proper gentleman.

****

The drive to his mansion was very quiet and uncomfortable, well at least that's what I thought. 

I've been down this road a thousand times. It almost felt like my second home, but not anymore apparently. 

Now it felt like I was driving the vehicle to my happily never with Damon. The closer we got to the mansion the less busy the road became and the more uneasy I became.

It was located in one of those places that felt like a complete world of its own. Separate from the noisy ever busy city and crowded environment. It was quiet and it was lovely and felt like a perfect getaway location.

There were so many beautiful trees and vegetation in the environment that the artistic me cherished, especially since we chose the place together. 

Now I dreaded the sight of it, knowing that he would be sharing it with her. 

Still as we got closer to the mansion I could not deny that it was an absolutely beautiful place. It had a high gate and a large area of land. It also had an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, an inbuilt small scale movie house, a library and a work out room.

While he spent his time in the mansion working out and swimming whenever I was around, I spent most of the time in the library reading any book I could find and then I spent the rest of my time there binging on romantic movies.

I was something you'd call a hopeless romantic. Watching numerous romantic movies have made me a firm believer of happy endings no matter the obstacles but my own love affair was a mess. 

I was currently in a very complicated relationship with a piece of work that I didn't really love, his name was Peter and he was a lovely fellow. We were at the brink of breaking up and we both knew it. 

The only problem was that we were waiting for the first person to let go, to say that dreaded word "it is over".

We knew what we had wouldn't last but still we gave it a try. I meant him a few weeks after Damon traveled and I was feeling so lonely and forgotten. 

He came into my life and actually put a smile on my face, we were good together, not great, but good. He was caring, loving, kind and funny. Interestingly enough he was also crazy about art and we had a lot in common…. But he wasn't Damon.

He was patient, he made me laugh a lot and gave very good advice. He really loved me at a certain point but I couldn't love him as much. I couldn't meet him halfway even though I did try. 

After a while it got harder for him to invest so much in a relationship that might not lead anywhere, and I got tired of lying to myself that I wasn't crazy about someone else a thousand miles away.

Now Damon was back and I could not think straight. I knew I had to end things with Peter since he didn't want to be the one to say goodbye but apparently there was no future for me with Damon! 

Guess I can continue my role as the loyal best friend, I certainly can not tell him how I feel now anyways.