Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Pete
The afternoon air feels heavier than usual as I walk into Lorcan and Montgomery's office. The two men sit across from me, their expressions unreadable, but edged with something I can't quite place. Concern? Pity? Whatever it is, it sets my nerves on edge, a tightness coiling in my chest as I settle into the chair.
"You wanted to see me?" I ask, trying to keep my voice even. There is no way they didn't see me with their daughter at the wedding ceremony. There's the small chance they missed us leaving together, I suppose, but I find it unlikely because Lorcan and Montgomery have made parenting into an art form.
At least with their new fiancée the mix, I know they won't object to the kind of relationship I have in mind for their daughter.
I hope.
Montgomery nods to my question, folding his hands on the desk. "We thought you should know," he begins, his tone careful, deliberate.
A cold sweat prickles at the back of my neck. My mind races, a thousand possibilities flashing through my head, each one worse than the last.
Lorcan clears his throat, leaning forward slightly as Monte seems to falter. "Considering what happened at the wedding, we thought you'd like to know. Suzie left."
The words hit me like a hammer. For a moment, I don't move, don't breathe, as the meaning sinks in.
"She left?" My voice comes out hoarse, barely above a whisper.
Montgomery nods again, his expression fierce. "We don't know what happened between you three or what made her run. But she's in Tacoma now. Started a job there."
"She ran from us?" The words are pulled from me, rough and painfully.
Lorcan scowls at Montgomery before turning back to me. "No, son. She didn't run from you. She had the job before the wedding. But—and this is what Monty meant—she left early. Choosing to get away from home and everyone that cared for her, and going into the unknown."
Tacoma. Fuck.
The air feels too thick, my chest tightens as I struggle to process what they're saying. I force myself to ask the questions clawing at the edge of my mind. "What kind of job? How... how is she?"
Lorcan glances at Montgomery again before answering. "She's got a residency at the Museum of Glass. She seems to be settling in, though I wouldn't necessarily say she's looking very happy."
Settling in.
The words land wrong, jagged and uneven. I want her to be okay, to find her footing, but the thought of her settling into a life that doesn't include us? That's unbearable.
"She's determined to do this, Pete," Montgomery adds quietly, and it feels like a punch to the gut. "Lorcan and I fought over how you dumped her before her internship in London. I thought you were being a coward, and he believed steadfastly that you were to be commended for looking after our girl's interests above your own."
I nod at his words, letting them run over me. I agreed with him. I was a coward. I should have fought for her. For us.
But then I'd never have met Dexter and without him, I wouldn't be complete either.
It's all just one huge fucking mess. And I need to get a grip on things.
"Thank you for telling me."
They both watch me, their expressions shadowed, but I can't take the time to figure out their motives now. I have to get back to Dexter. I stand abruptly, murmuring some excuse about needing to get back to work.
But I don't drive back to work. I send a text to Dexter asking him to meet me at home and head straight there. The drive is a blur, the weight of her absence presses down on me, suffocating and unrelenting. I've been coping with it the past few days, knowing that there was a plan and an end game. Now it all feels lost all over again. By the time I walk through the door, the ache has settled deep in my chest, radiating out to every part of me.
Dexter is sitting on the couch, a mug of coffee cradled in his hands. He looks up as I enter, his brow furrowing at the sight of me. "Baby, you okay? Your text sounded urgent."
I drop my bag by the door and sink into the armchair, my movements slow and heavy. "She's in Tacoma."
His eyes widen, the color draining from his face. "Tacoma?" His voice is barely audible like the word itself is too painful to say.
"She took a job there," I say, staring down at my hands. "A great opportunity for her art. That's what Lorcan and Montgomery wanted to talk about."
Dexter's grip on the mug tightens, his knuckles turning white. "She's really gone."
The quiet devastation in his voice is like a mirror to my own, and for a moment, neither of us speaks. The silence stretches, heavy and oppressive, filled with everything I'm too afraid to say.
"I thought..." Dexter starts, his voice shaky. "I thought we had time to figure this out."
I nod, my throat too tight to respond. That fragile hope has been keeping me going, too. But now it feels like it's been ripped away, leaving me hollow and raw.
"This is stupid," I bite out, shaking my head. "We don't need this, we don't need her. You and I are good." I fall down on my knees in front of him, cradling his face in my hands. "I love you, Dexter."
He smiles at me before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my lips.
"And I love you, baby. There's never been a doubt of that. But that doesn't change the fact that girl was made for us. She completes us. And it's your own fault for making me fall in love with her too, because now I'm forced to be the stubborn one in this relationship and put my foot down."
I quirk an eyebrow at him, but his only response is to pepper my lips with more kisses before pulling away.
"Is this a bit of a setback?" He shrugs. " Of course. But there's nothing the two of us can't do together. And together we'll win our girl over."
"We could go after her," I say suddenly, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. "Fly to Tacoma, show her how much she means to us."
Dexter shakes his head, his expression filled with mirth. "Just like that? And then what, baby? She has a good job there, and we have a life here. We can't rush again."
Dexter strokes his hand through my hair, his gaze traveling over me. "We compromise, okay? We don't wait any longer, but we don't rush in blind, either. If we want her to believe us, to trust us, we have to do this the right way."
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. He's right. As much as it kills me to admit it, he's right.
"What's the right way, then?" I ask, my voice quieter, but no less enthused.
He looks at me, his expression warm. "We take some time off. Go down there, but not to ambush her, or bully her into anything. Just to be there, close by. To show her that we're serious about this. About her."
I nod slowly, the idea settling into the ache in my chest. It's not perfect, but it's something.
"She's worth it," I say quietly, the words a vow.
Dexter smiles faintly, his expression laced with determination. "She is."
We sit there for a moment, the plan taking root between us. It's a risk, but it's one we're willing to take.