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I loved it, loved them, and wanted to spend as much time around them as possible. I wanted to see Declan with them and remind myself that even if he tried to pull away from people, he would never be alone.
“My dad came upstairs and caught me on my knees. It was awkward, to say the least. The prick left. My Beach Bums stayed and had my back. My dad had a really weird conversation with me about sex, and then he got sad because that’s the way he is. Not because I’m gay, but because he’s lonely and never thought he would have to do the parenting gig alone.”
“I’m sorry,” I told him. The pain of it was clear in Parker’s blue eyes.
“It is what it is. So after that we all had a sleepover, and my dad made me keep the door open. Apparently, he’d begun to worry I was blowing them too. Then at school, the prick started rumors about me, and Declan defended my honor like he always tries to do. He’s got a big heart, our Dec, even if he doesn’t see it himself.”
Yes, he did. I’d seen that myself. “He does.”
“Parker,” Declan warned, but Parker put a hand over his mouth and turned to me.
“He is basically the best man in the whole wide world, so I have to say, as someone who loves him more than anything, if you hurt him, I’ll come after you, and it won’t be pretty. Now I’m done with the tough-guy act, and don’t make me do it again.”
“I would never hurt him.” We were only supposed to be friends, but I didn’t add that, since I felt more than friendship for Declan. Where the hell it would go, I had no idea, but I felt it.
“Good.” Parker grinned. “Wow…it got heavy all of a sudden. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Parker…” Corbin turned to him. “Is this a good time to bring up the fact that you just admitted to loving Declan more than me and Marcus? Daddies aren’t supposed to have favorites,” he teased.
“If there are any daddies in this group, it’s definitely not me. That would be more Marcus’s thing,” Parker replied.
“Just because you’re all immature and I’m not,” Marcus countered, which started them arguing again. Fuck, they were great, but my gaze found Declan, who was watching me, brows pulled together, connected by thought wrinkles, like I was a math equation he was trying to solve.
My heart banged against my chest as though trying to break free and run to him, which was the stupidest, most ridiculous thing I could be thinking. Crushing was one thing; analogies about my heart running to him was another.
They pulled Declan into the conversation, and I sat back and enjoyed watching the four of them together. They included me, of course, but there was something special about seeing their friendship in real time. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen, and I felt lucky to be there with them.
It was about ten when Declan asked, “Are you ready to head out?”
I was, but I also wasn’t. I craved more of this, wanted to soak it in, but I also wished for time alone with him, that he would drive me home and come inside and…well, I didn’t want to think too many dirty thoughts about him around his friends. “Sure.”
Declan stood, then surprised me by holding his hand out for me. I took it and let him pull me to my feet. He immediately let go when I stood. “We’re gonna go. You guys are staying here?” he asked Corbin and Parker.
“Yes, Daddy,” Parker replied, and Declan put a hand on his face and playfully rubbed it like you would if you were ruffling someone’s hair. “Stop, you’re so annoying.”
“Stop, you’re so annoying,” Declan mimicked, then turned to Marcus. “Thanks for having us, man.”
“You say that like you’re not always at my place.” He looked at me. “You’re always welcome. Tell this dumbass to bring you around more often.”
“Why would he hang out with Corbin?” Declan joked, as if misinterpreting who the dumbass was, and making everyone laugh.
Declan hugged Marcus, then Corbin, each of them shaking my hand next. I watched as he said goodbye to Parker, the two of them holding each other longer, Parker whispering something in Declan’s ear.
When they pulled away, I cleared my throat and pretended not to have been creepily staring at them, but was surprised when Parker hugged me next and said softly in my ear, “You’re good for him. Don’t let him run away.”
I wanted to be good for him. I wanted to be with him, but I didn’t know if Declan would ever want that or how my career would affect it. So I just nodded, then pulled away, trying to tell him with my eyes the things I couldn’t really say.
