Page 116 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

“Uh, if you remember correctly, it was smashed in my face. There is enough cake to last the next five years.”

I smiled. “She said some people use cardboard for some of the layers, but she wanted it all cake. And did you know each layer is a different flavor?”

“I did not,” he said. “Seems like you know a lot about that cake.”

“I paid attention.”

“You guys spent a lot of time together,” he said casually.

“We did.”

“Did you buy her an Escalade?”

“Yep.”

“No shit? What was that about?”

“Her car was a piece of shit,” I answered. “I didn’t want her trying to get around in that thing. It was the weekend of the bachelor party, and I knew there was no way her car was going to make it there. She deserves it.”

“I agree.” He laughed. “But few people would run out and buy someone a new car. Not just any car.”

“I have the money,” I said nonchalantly.

Cullen raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Yeah, but money isn’t the point, is it? You don’t just buy someone an Escalade because their car’s a piece of shit. Not unless it’s someone you care about. A lot.”

I clenched my jaw, staring at the waves crashing against the shore. “She’s important to me. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Cullen repeated, his tone skeptical. “Come on, man. I’ve known you long enough to recognize when you’re bullshitting yourself. You don’t buy someone a goddamn Escalade and spend hours helping them bake a wedding cake if they’re just ‘important.’ You’re in love with her.”

I didn’t respond because I couldn’t. He was right, and I knew it. But admitting it out loud felt like tearing open a wound that hadn’t even begun to heal.

“Talk to her, Kaisen. Don’t let this slip away because you’re too stubborn or scared or whatever it is that’s holding you back.”

“It’s not that simple,” I muttered. “I messed up. Big time. And now she’s out there with Matt, looking happier than I’ve ever seen her. Maybe she’s better off without me.”

“You don’t know that,” Cullen said firmly.

He didn’t push it, and for a while, we sat in silence. I knew he was trying to steer me into the same kind of happiness he had found, but I didn’t think it was possible for me. We were two very different people. I had long ago accepted my fate. I was going to be a bachelor for the rest of my days.

I was cool with it. Not cool but resigned to my fate.

“I really do appreciate all you did for us,” Cullen said. “You really stepped up and made this wedding the dream we both had. I know it was a lot of time away from the business. Thank you. Sincerely. You’re the best friend a guy could have.”

I remembered my wedding gift. It seemed a little risky to put it on the gift table and I didn’t want to put it in the donation box. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the check I wrote that morning and handed it to him.

“What’s this?” he asked, his eyes widening as he looked at the amount. “Shit. What the hell?”

“A down payment,” I said calmly. “For that big house in Connecticut you and Eliza have been talking about. You know, the one with the yard for your future designer puppy and the three kids you’re going to have.”

Cullen stared at the check, his expression a mix of shock and gratitude. “Kaisen, this is… this is too much. I can’t accept this.”

“You can, and you will,” I said. “Consider it a wedding gift. You deserve it, Cullen. Both of you. I know you guys are ready to get out of the city. I’ll miss seeing you guys and hanging out, but it’s time for you guys to move on to the next step—suburbia.”

He hesitated, then nodded, folding the check and tucking it into his pocket. “Thank you. Seriously. You’re a good man, Kaisen. You deserve a lot more than you’re letting yourself have.”

“Just make sure you have a nice couch or maybe a guest room for me when I visit,” I joked.

Cullen laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. “You’ll always have a place with us, man. Anytime. Hell, you can even bring someone with you if you ever stop being an idiot and tell her how you feel.”