Page 97 of Trouble

“I know I did.”

Head thrown back, I bark out a laugh. Fuck, it feels good joking around with Dec. About sex, no less.

“You think she’s having a good time?” I ask as I settle at my usual spot on the couch.

He’s frozen in the middle of the room, surveying me, his expression unreadable. Damn, what I’d give for the ability to read him like Mel can.

With a sigh, he settles into his normal chair. “Yeah. I think spending time with the girls is good for her,” he says. “She tell you how things are going with her family?”

“Not really,” I admit, trying not to feel defeated. “Think she talks more freely with you.”

“I’ve just been around more since she came to Bristol,” he says, obviously trying to make me feel better by downplaying their connection.

“No. I think she feels safe with you.”

I may wish she felt as safe with me as she does with him, but I can’t fault him for that. And I get it. Declan’s the protector. He makes me feel safe too. Always has.

“The night she came to see you at the game, her cousin tried to warn her about her ex. But she’d turned off the phone because her family was doingsome annual Christmas thing. She was disappointed she couldn’t be there.”

My chest tightens with sadness. Fuck. I’d do anything to keep her from being disappointed or sad. “Any idea what kind of Christmas thing?”

He shrugs. “No.”

For a moment, he’s silent, and I figure that one-word response is all I’ll get.

As I’m filing away the mention of the family Christmas activity, figuring I’ll ask Mel later, Declan says, “You think she’s happy?”

There’s no fighting my smile. My best friend is a fool for her. I’m enthralled by Mel, yeah, but I’ve never seen Declan like this with anyone. “Yeah, I think she’s happy.”

“You don’t think she—” He rakes a hand through his hair, grimacing.

I stay quiet, allowing him time to put his thoughts into words.

“You think she’s okay with—” He points between us.

My smile turns into a grin so big, my cheeks ache. “I think she’s more than satisfied.”

He nods slowly, his expression guarded. “And are you…satisfied?”

With my elbows on my knees and my hands clasped between them, I lick my lips and nod. Damn. This man, who was always so confident, so put together, sostraight,is being vulnerable with me, and it thrills me in the best way.

“Yeah, Dec, I’m satisfied.”

He lets out a slow breath and settles deeper into his chair. I figure he’s done talking. We’ve talked more today than we normally do in a month, but he surprises me with yet another question.

“Are we supposed to be, like, holding hands or talking about our feelings?”

I cough out a laugh. He’s just as bad at this as I am. “I mean, I was really hoping to watch football, but if you want, we can.”

He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “Fuck, I’m awkward. Just ignore me.”

“The last thing you are is awkward, Dec. And it would be impossible to ignore you.”

His eyes light up. “Yeah?”

I laugh. “Yeah. But seriously, we can just be us. On Saturdays, we eat an absurd amount of food and watch football. That doesn’t have to change.”

He brings his beer to his lips and takes a long sip, studying me the whole time. “So,” he says, setting the bottle down, “just when Melina’s around?”

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