Chapter 40
Declan
Knock, knock, knock.
I don’t know who would be knocking on my apartment door at this hour – or in general, really – but I know who I want it to be. But with the wedding tomorrow and a long day getting both herself and the flowers ready, I doubt it’s Elsie.
Still, my dick twitches at the thought. Especially with the image of her in those fake leather leggings last night still fresh in my mind.
But when I open my door, it’s Sean waiting on the other side.
“What’s up?” I ask, looking around the hall to see if he’s alone. “Everything okay? Is it Frankie?”
“Chill, dude,” Sean laughs. “Frankie is good. She’s currently at home in her PJs, watching some trashy reality show and eating the chicken wings I brought home for her. Her latest pregnancy craving.”
I step back so he can come in and close the door behind him. “What’s going on? I just saw you, like, a half hour ago.”
“I just wanted to talk to you about something quick.”
“You couldn’t talk to me at the shop?”
“Not about this, no. Figured it was more of a sit-down conversation without Maya and Eddie around.”
I run my hand over the back of my head, suddenly nervous. “I don’t have any beers to offer you, but I’ve got soda and water.”
“Soda is fine,” Sean says, so I grab us each a Coke from the fridge and we take them to the couch.
My apartment is small, but newly renovated thanks to Matt and Mike.
The kitchen and living room are all one big room, and there’s a small bedroom and bathroom.
It’s a place to call my own, and that’s really all I need.
Sean kicks his feet up on the coffee table and studies me. “So,” he says. “How you doing, Deck?”
“Are you here to play therapist, or do you want to just spit out whatever it is you came here to say?”
“Jesus,” Sean chuckles. “You really are a grumpy motherfucker when you want to be.”
I shrug. He’s not wrong.
“I wanted to find out how you’re doing,” he says. “You know, moving to a new town, working in a new shop. Just wanted to check in, see how things are going for you.”
I eye him across the couch. “How come?”
“Because you’re my friend and I care about you?” he says, though it sounds like a question.
“Nice try,” I tell him. “What are you really doing here?”
He sighs. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?
” He leans over and sets his can on a coaster, then turns and faces me, resting his arm along the back of the couch.
“I really do want to know how things are going. Basically, I want to know if it’s going well enough that you plan to stick around. ”
I freeze with my soda halfway to my lips, because suddenly, I know exactly why he’s here.
“You know where I’m going with this.”
I take a sip of my soda and set the can back down, buying myself some time. “I wasn’t expecting it yet,” I admit. “It’s been, what, seven weeks or so? I thought we agreed on a few months.”
“I’ll give you more time if you need it,” Sean assures me. “But consider this my formal offer. I want you to be my business partner. Hell, you’ve put in just as much work as I have to get the shop to where it is today. Let’s make it official and keep building something great together.”
I blow out a long breath, considering. I knew this would be coming at some point.
Before opening the shop, we had had a few conversations about it.
Although I already planned to stick it out long-term in Port Myles, neither of us was sure if things would really shake out that way.
So we’d discussed a trial period of sorts, to make sure I liked it here, liked the shop, and make sure I could picture myself staying.
I’d been banking on having those few months to be positive.
I wasn’t expecting him to bring it up again so soon.
“You don’t have to answer me right away,” Sean says, and I realize I’ve been silent. “Just know that I want to do this thing together. There’s nobody else I’d trust my life’s work with.”
“I appreciate that,” I tell him honestly.
“I still don’t know how the hell I convinced you to even move here and work with me,” he muses, shaking his head. “Does this mean we’re best friends?”
I roll my eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
I realize, though, that this could be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. A chance to open up and actually let my friend in for once. I’ve tried to, here and there. Mostly about Elsie.
“You know how my mom lives in Portland?” I ask, deciding to just rip the Band-Aid right off.
“I remember you mentioning that, yeah,” Sean nods.
“She was an addict,” I tell him. “Or I guess she still is? I don’t know if you ever really stop being one.
Anyway, I had kind of a fucked up childhood.
It’s why I’ve never stayed in one place for very long, though I won’t get into all of that.
That’s a job for my therapist. But my mom and I are finally in a good place now, and I wanted to be close by so I could see her more often.
That’s why I moved here, aside from working with you. ”
I glance over at Sean, who looks shell-shocked. “Holy shit. We really are best friends.”
I groan. “Remind me not to tell you anything ever again.”
“No, no, no, this is good. I appreciate you telling me.” He leans forward, studying my face. “Therapist, you said?”
“Yeah, I’ve been seeing a therapist for about six years now. We meet every other Friday on my lunch break.”
“Holy shit,” Sean says again. “Good for you, man. You know, I’ve wondered where you disappear to. I figured you had a standing booty call or something, but then you and Elsie started doing… well, whatever it is that you’re doing, and you were disappearing at times when she was still next-door.”
“Well, now you know. I’ve got a big dose of mommy issues and a therapist who probably wishes she didn’t have to put up with me,” I joke.
“Don’t we all,” the asshole says, grinning. He’s a pain in my ass, per usual, but I appreciate him making light of things. Much as I hate to admit it, he really does know me. He knows I’d spook easily if he makes the whole thing into a big deal.
Sean grabs his phone to check the time, then curses. “Frankie’s going to kill me if I’m not back soon. I promised I’d watch some romcom movie with her tonight.”
“You’re so domesticated now. And now you’re going to be a dad.”
“Fucking crazy, right?” Sean shakes his head. “Just wait until Elsie gets your grumpy ass down the aisle. You already turn into a lovesick puppy when she’s around, with your tongue practically hanging out of your mouth every time you see her. Just wait until you get to call her your wife.”
He says it so casually, like it’s a foregone conclusion that Elsie and I are going to end up together like that. It makes me happier than it should, the fact that other people can see a future between us.
Now I just need to convince Elsie.
“Yeah, well, we’ll see.”
Sean hops up from the couch and makes his way back to the door. “Think about my offer,” he tells me. “If you’re not planning on going anywhere, then it’s a win, win for both of us. You know, as long as we’re successful and don’t lose all our money,” he says with a wink.
“Right. Minor detail, really.”
We say our goodbyes and I shut the door behind him, then flop back down onto the couch and grab my phone. There’s only one person I want to talk to right now, and I find her contact and click on her name before I can even stop to think about it
Sean’s given me plenty of shit to think about, but all I want to do is talk it through with Elsie.
I know that I want to stay here, but I also want that to be what she wants.
I don’t think we’ll have that conversation tonight, not over the phone and not this soon, but maybe she’ll give me something to let me know that staying in Port Myles would be the right choice.
I think I belong wherever she does – I just hope she thinks so, too.