56. Maeve
MAEVE
I stare at Ford, stunned, my mouth falling open in shock. The words he just said don’t make sense. They can’t make sense. Because if they did, it would mean?—
Hayden clears his throat. “Ford’s right.”
I whip around to look at him, still not entirely convinced that I’m not having some kind of stress-induced hallucination brought on by too much anxiety and bad Italian food.
Part of me still thinks this might be some elaborate performance for George’s benefit, but the look in Hayden’s eyes tells me otherwise.
“I love you,” he says, his voice rough with emotion.
He’s saying it out loud, in public, in front of people he clearly doesn’t like, but he’s looking only at me.
“I love so many things about you. I love that what you went through with your family and with Liam hasn’t hardened your heart the way I let what happened to me harden mine.
I love how you’ve always stood up to me and put me in my place and never let me get away with my bullshit.
You keep me humble.” He grins suddenly. “Although I also love when you’re bratty and I get to put you in your place. ”
A surprised laugh bubbles out of me despite the overwhelming emotions threatening to drown me.
“I thought that I could get you out of my system,” Hayden continues, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I told myself this was just physical, just convenient, something I could walk away from when it got complicated. But that’s not going to happen.
You’re not something I can just get over, Maeve.
You’ve become vital to me. Even more than a limb.
Losing you wouldn’t feel like missing an arm.
It would feel like missing something essential inside of me. Something that I need to survive.”
The sincerity in his voice, the way he’s laying himself bare in front of all these strangers, makes my chest tight with emotion. This isn’t a performance. This is real, and it’s costing him his carefully guarded privacy, but he’s doing it anyway.
Before I can find words to respond, Gabriel speaks up.
“You know I’ve been falling for you from the moment you started working at Meridian,” he says, his accent thicker with emotion than I’ve ever heard it.
“I tried not to. My parents showed me that love wasn’t real—that it was just manipulation and drama and needing attention.
It was about being in love with the idea of love, not actually loving someone.
The grand gestures, the suffering, showcasing how much you felt.
It’s all about you, not the person, not the relationship.
I was convinced that anyone in a relationship felt the same way, or at the very least was just trying to combat the fear of being alone. ”
Gabriel’s smile is the most genuine expression I’ve ever seen on his face.
“But then I met you, and I realized that all those people acting like that are doing it because they want to have what I feel for you. What I feel for you isn’t about possession or drama or fear.
It’s about wanting to take care of you, wanting to see you smile, wanting to be better because you believe I can be.
You showed me what real love actually looks like. ”
My eyes are burning now, and I have to blink hard to keep the tears from falling. I can’t cry in front of George and these other people. I won’t give them the satisfaction.
Ford leans forward, his icy blue eyes gleaming.
“You know, I’ve never been jealous or envious of Liam a single day in my life until I met you while you two were still dating.
The first time I saw you with him, I felt something I’d never experienced before.
I wanted what he had. I wanted you to look at me the way you looked at him—back when you still thought he deserved it. ”
I can feel my eyes going wide. I had no idea he’d even really noticed me back then, let alone felt anything.
“I told myself that hiring you was the right thing to do,” Ford continues.
“I didn’t know the details of your relationship with Liam, but I know my brother and I was sure he hadn’t treated you right.
I told myself that looking after you was the decent thing to do.
But the truth was that I didn’t want to let you out of my life.
Even though I would never do anything while you were my assistant, even though I knew I was just torturing myself, I wanted to keep you close. ”
“And the more I got to know you, the more baffled I was that Liam could have ever let you slip through his fingers. Your kindness, your thoughtfulness, your strength, and your refusal to back down from what’s right—it’s all incredible.
I admire you, Maeve. I really do. It’s been good for the three of us to have you in our lives these past two years.
You challenge us, you keep us humble and sharp, and you look after us.
I can’t think of a greater mark of character than being one of the men you choose to be with. ”
The weight of what they’re saying crashes over me like a wave.
These aren’t just love declarations, as wonderful and overwhelming as those are.
They’re willing to sacrifice everything they’ve worked for—their biggest deal, months of preparation, their professional reputation—all for me.
The magnitude of that choice makes me feel dizzy.
Speaking of staring, George looks like he’s about to have a medical emergency. His face is so red it’s practically purple, and his eyes are bulging. He looks like an angry bulldog having a heart attack.
His mouth works like he’s trying to get words out, but before he can figure out how to make his voice work, Hayden holds up a commanding hand.
“Whatever you’re about to say? Don’t bother.
I think I speak for all of us when I say Meridian doesn’t want to do business with anyone who would believe half-baked rumors, pry into our personal lives, or judge us for who or how we love. ”
Ford and Gabriel nod in firm agreement, presenting a united front that’s both intimidating and incredibly attractive.
George looks even more shocked, if that’s possible. I hear him sharply inhale, probably to start some kind of moral lecture, but one of the other executives stands up quickly.
“Please,” he says, putting a restraining hand on George’s arm. “Let’s not make a scene here.” He nods politely at the rest of us and then turns to leave the table, tugging George with him.
It seems that even if they don’t agree with our unconventional relationship, the other people at this table don’t want to cause a public spectacle the way George undoubtedly would. I wonder how many of them are tired of his sanctimonious bluster and wish he would tone it down.
It’s a bit awkward, just the four of us now sitting at a table set for ten people, with half-eaten meals abandoned on the other plates.
But that’s fine. I know the men can afford this meal, and I’m sure they’ll ask the servers to move us to a smaller table.
What’s more important is processing what the hell just happened and what it means for all of us.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” I say, my voice shaking now that we’re alone. “You’ve been working on this deal for months! Hayden’s been stressed out of his mind! And you just—you threw it all away! For me?”
“We can find another way to achieve our goals,” Ford says calmly, like he’s discussing the weather instead of torpedoing his career. “There are other companies out there we can partner with. There’s always someone else you can do business with. But there’s only one of you, Maeve. Only one.”
“You’re the most incredible woman we’ve ever known,” Gabriel adds. “Why can’t you believe that we would choose our love for you over everything else?”
My throat feels tight, like I can’t quite catch my breath. “So—you really meant it? Everything you just said?”
Hayden reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I wouldn’t say something like that about just anyone, or in front of just anyone. I don’t say things I don’t mean, especially not something like that.”
The walls I’ve been trying to keep up around my heart crumble.
“Well,” I say, my voice thick with emotion.
“I guess I should let you know that I’m in love with you too.
All three of you. I’ve been trying so hard not to be, trying to keep things simple and protect myself, but I can’t help it. You’ve become everything to me.”
Ford sweeps me into his arms almost before I finish speaking, kissing me with a passion that makes my head spin.
Gabriel kisses me next, then Hayden, and I laugh breathlessly through my tears.
Everyone in the restaurant is staring at us, but I don’t care anymore.
People can stare all they want. We don’t have to hide anymore.
“I did mean one thing I said earlier,” Ford says, holding out his hand with a smile. “I’ll need that ring back. When I give it to you again, and I will, I’ll be giving it to you along with two others. You deserve three rings, for all three of us.”
“Everyone should know that all three of us belong to you,” Gabriel says with satisfaction.
“And that you belong to all of us,” Hayden adds, squeezing my other hand.
My heart flutters wildly as the implications of that sink in. This isn’t just about tonight, about this moment. They’re talking about a future, a real future together.
I happily slip the ring off my finger and place it in Ford’s palm. “I don’t think anyone’s ever been so excited to return their engagement ring before,” I say, laughing through my tears.
Hayden raises his hand to signal our server. “Let’s finish this meal properly and order some dessert. We have something real to celebrate now.”
We do.