Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss

Chapter 79 Chapter 79 "Im here, Kylan. Can you tellthree things you see?" Katrina spoke softly, encouragingly, smiling at him as best she could.

Kylan sighed, lifung his hand and then brushing the backs of his knuckles over her cheek. "I see you, Katrina. I see you" he breathed. She lifted her own hand and cupped his wrist. "Csit with me?" she asked him, motioning to the couch.

He considered her for a moment and then allowed her to bring him over to the couch. She sat down side by side this time, keeping one hand carefully perched on his knee in encouragement. Rylan stared at her hand on his leg, but he still didn't push her away If anything, it seemed to relax hum a small amount.

"1 need to tell you about Yasmin." The nseemed hard for him to say, and she gave his knee a gentle squeeze. "She was my best friend from age fourteen on. She and James were. She was two years younger than us, but she fit right in. They were the only people that I ever felt I connected with, apart from my mother. They understood me. I guess. They helpedthrough my mom's death, and as I said, they moved to New York with me. We all lived together, the three of us, after 1 left Keith's house." He stared down at his feet, lost in memories she couldn't see. "Tub Never dated anyone. Never kissed anyone. Never had any interest in shit like that." He cleared his throat and fidgeted where he sat, more nervous than even while he spoke of his mother. She instinctively scooted closer to him, resting her hand on his leg more fully. He still didn't push her away.

"When I turned twenty-one, I guess that changed. I don't know, exactly. I had nothing to compare it to. But I started looking at Yasmin... Differently I uh.." Kylan looked like he was about to jump off the couch and she took a chance, turning his face to hers. "Kylan, I'm not going to judge a single thing that comes out of your mouth," she reminded him, staring right into his eyes as she spoke Kylan nodded, licking his lips, and taking another deep breath. "Right. Okay, Right He broke eye contact with her, and she let go of his face. "T developed feelings for her, I think. More than just friendship. I had no idea what to think about any of it. When I was twenty-two, I got drunk one night and so did she. James was in Rhode Island visiting his mom at the time, and we.. We ended up kissing that night." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and she dutifully sat still, her hand continuing to rest on his knee "It was only kissing. A make-out session, at best. It ended there. Kylan cleared his throat, his pale face flushed bright red. "Anyway, long story short. we didn't talk for a few weeks after that. During that time, I guess she got closer to James, or maybe he was always closer to her, and they ended up starting to date. It was. Confusing for me. I think I.. I think I wanted more from her, but she wanted to be with James. I respected that and it becsomething we just didn't talk about. Until. Until I was twenty-four and it was Christmas Eve James was Kylan's breath caught in his throat, and she took hold of his hand, both gently and mindful of his reddened palm. He didn't let go and if anything, he held her hand tightly vin TCUM "James was still coming hfrom work. Yasmin and I were making dinner. We started talking about what we usually avoided and it turned into a hight that I honestly instigated. The kind of fight where voices are raised and nothing good could possibly cfrom it." Kylan shook his head. bitterly and sighed, running his free hand down the expanse of his face. "I told her how much I hated that she was dating James, even though I respected it. She understood, but the conversation still turned into what it did. She toldI needed to get over it, and that she was going to marry James. She toldhe had bought her a ring. She knew about it and waiting for him to propose to her." He was speaking quickly now, his breathing more ragged than before and she held his hand a bit more firmly I told her that I didn't give a, a damn about it. I told her I d I didn't need her. I didn't want her" Kylan sucked in a breath, and she moved ever closer to him, opting to put her arm around his shoulders. "F*ck, it's all my f*cking fault. If I hadn't been fighting with her, her heart rate wouldn't have been elevated. She wouldn't have.." He turned his head away so that she couldn't see his face. "She died, okay? Just Dropped dead, right in front of me. L. I called an ambulance, I did. Christ, I performed CPR on her for twenty minutes. I tried. Tried to bring her back. To s-save her. It was my fault My fault she died" "They did an autopsy and it turned out she had an undiagnosed heart defect. The stress it. it must have killed her. James blained me. Still does, to be honest. I don't blhim for his feelings. It was my fault. All my Icking fault. I never... I swore then, that I would never let another person get too close. I closed myself off more. He shook his head and laughed mirthlessly.

"I started Ross Corporation with Ryan and in turn, started -bedding women that didn't matter. That never mattered. I've never been attracted to any of them. So, whatever the hell that makes me." He wasn't looking at her and it was obvious how uncertain he was

1 don't think it needs to make you anything. Kylan. I think it does make you hunan, though. I think you're a human being that developed bunun feelings for another person, and that's all." She was quier but steadfast with the words she chose to speak.

"More than that, I can tell you over and over how much it wasn't your fault that Yasmin died the way she did. I can tell you that there was no ΟΥΓ way she could have known that she had a heart condition, especially when she herself didn't even know. I can tell you that it's also human to have arguments with people, and they don't typically end the way that one did. I can tell you all of this until I'm blue in the face, but I know you won't believeuntil you work through all of it Process all of it

She kept hold of his hand, her thumb.

circling the back of his ok of his palm on an area that the coban wasn't covering.