Chapter 24
DECLAN
Iknock on Brent’s door at ten in the morning, hoping he has time to head out for brunch. I sure as hell could use a distraction.
I barely slept. I mean, how could I? Running into Violet last night was both a blessing and a curse. I’ve been avoiding sending her a message or giving her a call for two weeks, because I knew it would just confirm what I fear… Letting her go is the last thing I want.
But I need to be sure of so many things because stringing her along for an end game with different rules would crush her, and believe it or not, hurting her just isn’t an option in my playbook.
Damn, what I would have given for her to come home with me and to wake with her in my arms before I order in breakfast from this little French bistro nearby.
We would have talked about our weeks, and she’d listen to my hockey talk because she gets it and has interest. She would sit on my lap while she explains how much her nephew drives her crazy, but her pure affection would be apparent.
One of us would say something wicked, and domesticated-us would be thrown out the window. That’s my ideal Sunday.
Instead, Brent opens the door while he’s pulling a t-shirt on. “Hey, you look like shit.”
“Thanks. Exactly what every man wants to hear.” I follow him inside and immediately hear giggling.
Charlotte pops her head up over the back of the sofa wearing only a bra. “Morning.” She smiles, completely unfazed by her state of undress.
Immediately another woman appears next to her. “Morning.” The brunette smiles as she attempts to zip up her dress.
My eyes bug out as I turn my focus to my friend who grins proudly. “It was a good night,” Brent reflects as he leans against the wall.
“And a good morning,” Charlotte adds.
“Clearly eventful,” I deadpan. My eyes turn to Charlotte who rests her chin on her folded arms on the back of the sofa. Something dawns on me. “Where’s Violet?” She was staying with Charlotte, I assume.
“She stayed at my place. You know she doesn’t like to play.” She pouts.
I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. “You let her go back to your apartment when she’d been drinking?” The disapproval runs strong in my voice.
Brent slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Relax, we dropped her off in the taxi on the way here.”
“Where is she now?”
“Probably on her way back to Lake Spark. She wanted to leave early, something about needing to escape you and preparing begonias or something like that,” Charlotte explains.
“Who’s Violet?” the random third wheel dares to ask.
Brent chuckles, and Charlotte stares at me blankly, almost waiting. When I don’t say anything, she says, “The woman that this guy is in love with.”
I sigh, because I can’t deny it.
“He just needs time to ‘think.’” Charlotte uses air quotes.
The random woman angles her head to study me. “Aren’t you that hockey guy who owns a team now?”
“NDA,” Brent clucks his tongue and chides her a warning lightheartedly.
I point at her and look at Brent. “Who is this?”
“Jenna,” he answers.
“Gemma,” she corrects him.
“Gemma,” he repeats with a tight smile. “Sorry, Gemma, Declan here is a little out of sorts and has morphed into someone with an emotional backbone.”
Charlotte turns to Gemma who is sitting on her knees, invested in our conversation. “Declan used to be as adventurous as us, but then he hooked up with Violet, and since then has been a monogamous lovesick puppy—until he turned into an asshole to think over his feelings.”
Brent squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on him.
He’s never been this obsessed with a woman before.
I mean, hell, one time on a video call, he wouldn’t shut up about babysitting with Violet and some dog.
He smiled the entire time. This isn’t the guy I’ve known all these years.
If I ask about his sex life, he shuts me up, as if his time with Violet is so sacred. ”
I give him the death stare. “Why did I bother coming by to see if you wanted to grab brunch?” I wonder.
“I did work up an appetite, but I can’t handle listening to your Violet woes for another meal. Not when it’s so obvious. You literally called me the other day because you were standing outside the window of Tiffany’s trying to imagine if buying a ring is something you could see in your future.”
“You what?!” Charlotte sits up in full intention.
My hands come up to defend myself. “It was a moment.”
“Yeah, and what about having the contractor fix a treehouse, even though you don’t have kids? Manifesting or what?” Brent adds.
“Aww, a treehouse for little Violets and Declans,” Charlotte coos to tease me.
“The treehouse was already on the property, so why take it down?” I shrug, but really, there was maybe something screaming inside of me that one day, just maybe…
“You’re putting yourself through these moments because somewhere inside you do want to imagine it.” Brent walks to his bar on the side and holds up a half-empty bottle of champagne. “Mimosas?” Everyone ignores him.
“What else has he done?” Charlotte asks Brent. These two as a team are a headache.
“He’s avoided Ford, sent his assistant to a meeting in Lake Spark so he didn’t have to go, made a shitload of paper animals. This man is losing his focus. Bad news for his hockey empire.” Brent is trying to put pressure on me, I can tell.
“She loves you, you know.” Charlotte’s words strike me.
“Why do you say that?” I pry.
“She nearly told you, but then you went on your break a few hours later.”
My mind runs through that day. In bed… she almost told me something. God, I wish I heard her say it. I would hold onto that forever.
“I’m not sure you should have told me that,” I say softly.
Charlotte stands up and grabs a shirt of Brent’s hanging off a cushion. “Nah, something tells me this will make a good maid-of-honor speech one day.”
“This is so romantic. How did you meet Violet?” Gemma asks as she grabs her purse.
“She’s my buddy’s little sister.”
“Their sparks started when he grabbed her name from a bowl at my party.” Brent grins then sighs. “Someone had to do the good Lord’s work.”
I shake my head. “That’s my cue to get out of here.”
“Fine, I’ll send up a bagel if I order some.
Just remember that your ideal world isn’t having a bagel with me, it’s with someone else.
Oh, and imagine that, you could actually have it all.
” Brent plants both his hands on my shoulders to square my vision to him.
“It’s okay to admit what you enjoy is actually everything we were always against…
Besides, I’ll just go wild for the both of us. ”
For the first time this morning, I nearly laugh, because it feels as though ease is forming inside of me.
Heading back upstairs, I take a long shower before I walk into my closet to search for a suit that I’m after. I’m supposed to drive out this afternoon to meet with my parents for some event at their country club.
I slide hangers to one side until I spot my suit in a dry-cleaning bag.
I forgot this was delivered a while back.
I bring the hanger off the rail and carry the suit to my bed where I work the bag off.
I notice an envelope attached to the neck of the hanger.
The dry cleaner always puts things that are found in pockets in an envelope.
Opening the envelope, my body comes alive at the sight of the catalyst for my current state.
Taking the two small sheets of paper out, I unfold them to find Violet’s name and my own.
Because I’m the guy who decided to keep our names that were in a bowl. Deep down, I know why, too.
She was always going to be more than one night.
Now it’s time to do something about it.