Page 8 of More Than A Feeling

"I told her she was being selfish coming between your and Sabine's friendship."

I nodded and waited.

"She said I should be happy y'all broke up and asked me to leave."

"That's it?"

"That's pretty bad, don't you think?"

No. That seemed like a tame discussion.

"And you disowned her for that?" I ran a hand through my hair. Would Fleur be okay regarding money? I knew Brian and Lenora paid some of her bills. Probably her rent. Fuck!

"Yes."

I decided right then and there to help her financially. "How much money do you give her every month?" I asked.

Now, Brian looked confused. "What?"

"Sabine said you support her financially. I'm assuming you disowning her means you won't be doing that, right?" This was why I should've resisted Fleur. Nothing good was coming out of that relationship. My house felt darker and bleaker than before. Added to all that was how much I missed her. Three damn nights without her, and I was ready to beg her to come back; that was what I'd come to discuss with her, that we could continue our relationship or at least keep having sex.

I was going out of my mind without her. I'd tried to pick up someone at a bar, which was easy to do in New Orleans, but I couldn't close the deal.

I wanted Fleur.

Sabine had spent an evening with me, dropping hints, as she sometimes did, that maybe we could comfort each other—but the thought felt even more abhorrent now. If I ever sleptwith Sabine, I knew Fleur would never forgive me, never have anything to do with me again. Was I willing to give up my chance with Fleur forever?

"We haven't supported Fleur financially since she decided to fuck her life up after high school." Brian ran a hand through his hair. "We were clear with both our kids, law school, or they were on their own."

I looked at Fleur's Creole Cottage. "Does she make enough to pay rent on that?"

"I think she bought the place," Brian remarked. "She makes decent money. She's never asked us for anything."

It didn't make sense. "But Sabine…."

"Maybe Sabine misunderstood. I'll talk to her and clear it up. But I want you to steer clear of Fleur, Call. I think this break-up came at the best time." Brian put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to be honest, son, we'd like to see you as our son-in-law, but with Sabine as your wife."

I blinked.

"Sabine has said as much. And now that you and Fleur are over, you should consider dating Sabine. You're already such good friends," Brian encouraged.

Sabine had been Seamus's. I couldn't go there. And I'd been with Fleur.

"But…Fleur and I—"

"It's over, so who cares?" Brian smiled broadly. "I think Seamus would want you two to heal each other and take care of one another. Don't you agree?"

I felt confused. Seamus had told me that if anything ever happened to him, Sabine was my responsibility and had to be my priority. I knew he'd do the same for my woman if I had one. I didn't thinkbeing responsiblefor Sabine,meant fucking her, but that's what Brian was indicating, and it looked like it was something Sabine wanted.

"I have to think about this," I said sincerely.

"You do that, Son. I'll see you at the gym tomorrow."

I watched Brian drive away in his Maserati and then looked back at Fleur's yellow Creole cottage.

She owned the place? If that was true, she must have been doing pretty well for herself. Sabine had always painted Fleur as some kind of perpetual screw-up, but now I was starting to question that narrative. All I really knew was that she worked as a programmer for a company called BRT Systems. But what exactly did she do there? Maybe it was time I found out.

You should've found out while you were with her, you daft idiot.

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