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Micah took a deep breath. He opened his mouth, closed it. “To my parents, I was … invisible.” He’d never said those words out aloud before.
“Invisible, how?”
“They only cared about each other. They didn’t have time for a son. For any kid. I was an inconvenience to them.” He drank down the hot coffee, relishing the scald as it traveled down his throat. He held out the cup for some more and she filled it. “My parents didn’t come to parent-teacher nights, or any of my sporting events. I worked my ass off to win competitions, to be smart, and still, they didn’t care. I’d sit at that table, and I could be talking to one or both of them, and they’d talk right over me, as if they couldn’t even hear me. They fed me, clothed me. Gave me whatever I wanted.”
“But you wanted love,” she said.
“So fucking lame when you say it like that. Yes, I wanted love. I never got it, no matter what I did.” He laughed. Turning to look at her, he said, “I guess what I’m saying to you is that I know what Dean and Eric want. But I don’t want to be invisible to you. I don’t want to fade in the background. I need to know there’s a chance that you could love me too. That you could look at me and see me.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “You’re going to leave soon.”
“No, we’re not. That’s what you’re not seeing. It’s what you don’t know. We’re all in love with you in our way. We’re not going anywhere. When this lockdown is over, we’re not leaving. We’re going to be staying.”
Daphne stared at him and he waited.
She nibbled on her lip and looked out over the views. After several seconds, she turned back toward him and took his hands in her own. “I see you, Micah. I see all of you, and I love what I see.” She leaned forward and kissed his lips. “But I can’t be the reason you guys stay here.” She got to her feet.
“Wait, what?”
“This life isn’t for everyone. You all run a big company. I researched it. I can’t walk away from this life. I know who I am, but none of you can give up what you love for me. I won’t allow it. You ask me if there is a chance with you, of course. I see you, Micah. You make me laugh and smile, and I love being with you. You’re an amazing guy. Your parents are assholes for not seeing it, but I can’t commit to any of you. This is all temporary. You’ve all got to realize that.” With her final words hanging between them, he watched her leave.
Well, fuck. With one hand, she’d given him what he asked, and with the other, she’d taken it away.
Chapter Ten
Dean finished up his work and closed down his laptop for the evening. He was so fucking tired and hungry. Daphne had brought him a sandwich, but she hadn’t lingered to talk like she had the other times she brought him food. Picking it up, he took a bite. The bread had gone slightly stale but that was his own fault for not eating earlier.
This was one of the many problems he had with work. More often than not, he tended to forget to take care of himself. He finished off the entire sandwich in a few short bites.
Not satisfied, he made his way into the kitchen. After cleaning his plate, he made his way to the freezer.
He found a large tub of chocolate ice cream. Grabbing the tub, a spoon, and some bottled fudge sauce, he sat down at the table where just the other night, he’d brought Daphne to orgasm. He smiled at the memory, wondering if she’d be partial to more playtime with food. He could imagine her moan as he spread ice cream on her warm skin before licking it right off.
With his mouth full of the frozen dessert, on which he’d drizzled a generous helping of fudge sauce, he watched as Micah walked into the room. He looked a little frantic.
“You okay?” he asked, swallowing the lump.
“We need to talk.”
“You were out there all day and night.” Micah wore the same clothes from the previous night.
“Yeah. Have you seen Daphne?”
“Earlier. I think she’s in her room now. Why?”
Micah ran fingers through his hair. “She doesn’t believe in a future with us.”
“What?” Dean stopped eating.
“I told her how I feel, and I’m all in.”
“You’re all in now.”
“Try and stay on track, okay? Yes, I’m all in. I love Daphne. I want to be with her and I can’t wait to have little Deans, Erics, or little Micahs, and even little Daphnes running around this place. I’m here, totally in with this completely.”
