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I knew Marcus was right, and that just made me feel even more shitty about letting him go.
Marcus must’ve read the look on my face because he wrapped an arm around me. “Hey, like I said. It’s not your fault. Declan is a grown-ass man who makes his own decisions. You love him and accept him. That’s all anyone can hope for. He knows that, and he loves you too. We’ve never seen him like this with anyone.”
His words filled me up, made me overflow with how strongly I felt for Declan. I wanted to make this work, to be there for him when he needed me. I just…I just wanted him. “Thank you, Marcus.”
“And being with him means you inherited us. We have your back, Sebastian. You’re part of the group now, and not just because you’re dating him, but because we like you. If we didn’t, believe me, you’d know.”
I felt his words deep inside me. “I don’t doubt that for a second. And thank you. That means a lot to me. I spent most of my life feeling on the outside looking in. Even when I made my dreams come true, I felt like something was missing. I don’t anymore.” Mostly because of Declan, but they helped too.
Marcus smiled at me warmly. “You know I’m gonna kick his ass for this, right?” he teased.
“You and me both.” But really, I just didn’t want him to be alone, didn’t want him to feel like he had to be.
We chatted for a few minutes, and I let Marcus know that Declan’s phone was broken, so he didn’t have it.
Parker and Corbin showed up too, the three of them staying at my place for a while in hopes that Declan would return, but he didn’t. It was a weekday, and I knew they were all supposed to be at work. It was a testament to how much they loved and cared for Declan that they were here.
I traded numbers with Corbin and Marcus before they left. They messaged later to let me know they stopped by his place and Driftwood. Declan wasn’t there, but there were a few photographers at both places.
My phone was ringing off the hook all day. Brooke and Mom both called to check in on me and to ask how Declan was taking it all. I didn’t have the heart to tell them he left, and I didn’t know what that meant for us.
I thought about messaging Neil and Drake, asking them to come forward and support me in announcing that I hadn’t cheated on Neil, but how could they? Even announcing that Neil had cheated on me didn’t prove that Declan and I hadn’t been going behind Neil’s back, and what if some kind of evidence was dug up that we’d technically been sleeping together for years? They would all make assumptions. Playing the he-said, he-said game never worked. The media would run with whatever story they wanted.
So…I waited and hoped I wasn’t going to lose Declan now that I finally had him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Declan
I hadn’t known where to go because, really, the place I’d wanted to be was with Sebastian. I couldn’t go to my apartment or the bar without risking getting attacked by a mob of photographers, so I’d borrowed someone’s phone and called Kai, who was now watching over the bar and had called in extra help. He said it was packed, busier than it had ever been, everyone wanting to see the guy whose own father sold him out.
I thought about going to see my dad, but what the fuck did I have to say to him? He’d made it clear he didn’t give a fuck about me. Going there would just give him another story to twist.
So after I lost the paparazzi, I spent the day driving around or sitting in my Jeep outside the house I’d lived in with my parents—the people who were supposed to love me the most in the world but never had.
And now my family drama was dragging Sebastian’s name through the mud…though I guessed it wasn’t my family drama, was it? My dad wasn’t my family, not anymore. Maybe never had been. No, that had always been Marcus, Parker, and Corbin…and now Sebastian.
Sebastian, whom I’d walked out on.
Sebastian, whom I’d left alone to deal with this shit, when he never would have done that to me.
I’d done the same thing to Parker when we were young. He’d tried to get me to let him in, but I didn’t trust him, kept myself closed off, so damn afraid of him leaving me before I could leave him…but he never left. He’d never leave.
Marcus and Corbin hadn’t left.
And I knew deep down that Sebastian wouldn’t leave either.
No, I was the one who tried to do that because I was so fucking afraid, but I was also so goddamned tired of being afraid.
