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Danielle takes a deep, shaky breath, and heads toward the stairs.
“Dani–” Crew starts.
“No,” she says, starting up the stairs and not looking back at us. “I’m going to go before you keep talking. I’m really glad I wasn’t included in the first conversation either.” She stops midway up the staircase, though, and turns to look down at us. “I’m sorry. I know none of you expected this…thing we’re doing…to turn out to be such a problem.”
Her words hit me in the chest. I’ve hurt her. I’ve ruined this happy night for her.
Actually,we’vehurt her and ruined her happy night.
See? The three of us can function as a unit.
A mix of emotions are still roiling through me. Ironically, this feels like something I’d typically talk to Michael about.
We all stand in tense silence, looking at one another. We know that Danielle doesn’t want any of us to follow her upstairs. But it feels fucking wrong to let her stay up there alone and angry and hurt.
“Fuck,” I finally say.
“That went really badly,” Hughes agrees.
I look at him with brows lifted. “You couldn’t have truly thought that was going to go well, did you? That Crew and I would be happy, or even fine, with you proposing tonight?”
“I wasn’t thinking about Crew or you at all,” Michael says with a frown. “I was thinking about Dani. And me. And I was happy and in the moment and it was right to tell her this was what I want.”
“Jesus Christ,” Crew mutters, thrusting his hand through his hair. “Married? We just had our first dinner in this house together.” He glares at Michael. “Why does everything have to be on the fast track with you? You were the one that suggested we all date Dani. You made that seem like the perfect solution. You said it would be great. Then you were the one that suggested getting a house and moving in together. You made that seem like the most logical fucking thing. You said it would be great. And now you fucking proposed. What the hell is your deal?”
Michael’s jaw definitely tenses now. He takes a deep breath. He rolls his neck. He clearly tries to calm down.
And I just stand back.
Because I know for a fact, that Crew McNeill absolutely can and will, eventually, push every single person he spends a great deal of time with to the lose-their-shit-point.
And Michael Hughes is about to prove that fact to me.
“All of us dating that amazing, sweet, loving, beautiful woman upstairs was the best solution,” Michael says. “And fuck you if you’re going to stand there now and try to tell me that it wasn’t. That you’re not a thousand times happier now than you were before she, and yes, Nathan and I, came into your life. And moving in together was the right answer for us. For all of us. There is no reason for the four of us to live apart. This is where we all want to be. Where we all need to be. And fuck you again if you try to tell me that being here in this house with us isn’t your safe place. Isn’t the place where you feel the most loved and supported and accepted that you’ve ever felt.” He takes a menacing step toward Crew.
Crew, for his part, just stands straighter, meeting Michael’s gaze directly. He’s still scowling, but he doesn’t argue any of that.
“And yes, I think having a commitment ceremony, publicly declaring our feelings and essentially becoming her husbands is a great idea. I am ready for that. I acknowledge that I'm older than you, further along in my life. But I want a wife. I wantDanito be my wife. I want to start a family with Dani. I want to stand up in front of everyone who is important to my life and declare to them that she is my wife in every way possible.” He turns to include me in his next statement. "I didn't intend to leave you out. Tonight wasn't about me being first or the only one. It was about declaring my feelings to Danielle. And her declaring those feelings back. What you guys do is up to you."
"So, you might have a commitment ceremony with her now, and then Nathan and I wait?" Crew asks.
I hate that idea. But I want to see what Michael says first.
Michael shrugs. "I don't think that's ideal. I think that leaves all of us in kind of a shaky situation. But that's up to you. We can't force you to do this just because we're ready and you're not."
"I’m ready." They look at me again. "I am ready now,” I repeat. I look at Michael. “I'm pissed you did this after we talked, without coming back to us. But Danielle knows how I feel. And I'm more than happy to stand up in public and say so. I want her to be my wife as well."
Michael opens his mouth to respond but our attention is drawn to the staircase where Danielle is descending again.
Carrying a suitcase.
"No," I say firmly.
She looks over at me. She looks tired. She also looks angry.
"I'm going back to the apartment with Luna. I'm spending the night there. At least tonight. I need time to think.”
“Danielle—” I take a step toward her.
