Chapter 21
21
B rogan waited outside Selena's apartment. They were scheduled to move her granny at eight. It was nearly seven now. He'd been awake since three, running over in his mind what he'd say to her. His brothers had been quiet about any thoughts Selena had shared the day before when they'd driven her home from Rian's condo.
He touched his bruised jaw. It still hurt to chew.
He'd chosen the restaurant, his family, over her. And in the process had shattered his own heart. It'd taken that thought of losing her to realize how much he truly loved her. And he did. Completely. The words he'd spoken shamed him. Family, the people he loved, were more important than anything. Rian. Cathal.
And Selena.
Until he'd lost her, he was blind to realize she'd made her way onto that list.
The door opened, and he rose from the top step. Selena stood there, dressed in short exercise shorts and a small tank top.
“Hi,” he said. He cleared his throat. “Good morning. ”
“What are you doing here?” She crossed her arms. His mind blanked for a moment. He was here to apologize, beg her to forgive him, and all he could think about was her lack of clothing.
“I wanted to talk before my brothers showed up.”
“I don't have time to talk to you today. I have a lot going on.” She raised her arms over her head, reminding him of a cat stretching and revealing her stomach. “Besides, it's early.”
He swallowed and focused on her face. Not her body. “Selena, I'm sorry about Saturday.”
Her lips pursed together. She took a second before answering, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. He still loved watching her do that.
“I figured you are.” She leaned down and straightened the welcome mat in front of the door, giving him a complete view of her cleavage. Was she doing this on purpose?
She straightened.
He blinked to shift his attention. “Well, I am. Very sorry.”
“For what?”
“Everything—”
“No.” She took a step closer to him. “What specifically are you sorry for?” She brushed past him to lean on the railing of the walkway. That wildflower scent trailed behind her. It'd only been two days since he'd seen her. The effect she had made it seem like years.
“Specifically? I...uh, I'm sorry about what I said.”
She raised her eyebrows. Alright, she wanted something more specific than that. He'd give her anything she needed from him, as long as she'd come back. To him. He didn't care about the restaurant.
“I'm sorry I said you didn't understand anything about business. You do. I won't make excuses, but before I pushed you away, dozens of employees watched us. Trevor came up, excited the no-dating policy was gone. I panicked. All I could see were lawsuits, losing the business—”
“And since you're responsible for your brothers—”
She'd touched on that once before. But having to say it exposed his vulnerability. “Yes. That I'd let them down, too. And at that moment, I couldn't think of anything else but how to make sure I didn't ruin their future.”
“Because you can't choose me over your brothers.”
He winced. What kind of answer could he give her for that? He didn't have to choose. They were all equal.
She stepped closer.
He didn't move. The truth wasn't the quickest way to win her back, but she needed to hear it. “At the time, I didn't think I could choose you over them.”
“I know, Brogan.”
“You do?”
She nodded, her hair swinging softly with the motion. “Yes.”
“I didn't realize I'd chosen them over you until I had about half a bottle of whiskey in me.” He watched her a long moment, searching for a way to explain how different he'd become. “I'll never say I'm thankful for our fight. I hurt you, and I'm truly sorry for that.”
“What do you want, Brogan?”
“I came to apologize.”
Selena tilted her head to the side. “What do you want for the future? Not for your brothers. Not for me. Not for the restaurant. For you. What do you want?”
He didn't have to second guess himself. “You.” He swallowed, nerves pegging him from all sides. “I wouldn't choose you over my brothers. I can't choose one person I love over the other. And I love you, Selena. ”
Surprise flickered in her eyes. “Did it take the whiskey for you to figure that out, too?”
“No.” He reached out, skimming a finger lightly down the curve of her cheek. “I've suspected it for a while, now, but it took the whiskey to make me get out of my own way and acknowledge it.”
“I love you, too, Brogan.”
Relief rushed through his system. Hearing those words was step one.
“I'm not coming back to work at O'Keeley's.”
“I didn't expect you, too. But I want to keep seeing you. Every day, if possible.” He searched her face, trying to figure out the right way to ask. “I love you, Selena. And I want to marry you.”
She took a sharp breath.
He rushed on before she could say yes or no. “It doesn't have to be this month or even this year, but I know you're who I want. If you'll have me.”
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a long hug. “Absolutely.”
She kissed him lightly. Enough that it left him wanting more. When he began to wrap his arms tighter, she moved away.
“I love you, Brogan, and I do want to marry you.” She had such a teasing expression he had to smile. The gorgeous, opinionated woman would be his wife someday. He'd do everything he could to make sure he kept her happy.
“But? You look like you were going to say something.” He took a step. “Better yet, you can tell me later and let me kiss you until my brothers show up to help move?”
“No.” She shook her head. “You can't. See, I do forgive you for what you said. But, I still haven't exacted revenge for hiding me in the bathroom.”
Wait. “But I thought the no-touching thing in the office was revenge.”
“That was for hiding me under a desk.”
He glanced down at her outfit, the skimpy thing that made him want to lock her in his bedroom for a full week. The sigh he heard escape his lips matched his mood at the realization of her payback. “You're going to make me suffer all day, aren't you?”
“That was the plan.”
“You're mean.”
“I guess you should know that before you marry me.” She laughed, light and sexy.
“I love you,” he murmured a second before he snatched her to his chest. “You'll have the next eighty years to exact your revenge on me.”