Page 49 of Finding Chloe

I shrugged. I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t offend him.

Declan sat there silently, waiting for me.

I let out a deep sigh. “I didn’t sign up for this, Dec. You know that. I don’t know what to do.” My tongue felt like it was a little slower than normal. Damn it. Maybe that fourth shot wasn’t a good idea.

“That needs to be gone before you can leave.” Oliver narrowed his eyes and pointed at the water.

I nodded, making sure the room didn’t spin. At least my stomach wasn’t trying to get a word in. But that could also be because I’d forgotten to eat dinner and there was nothing in it to put up a fight.

Grabbing the glass, I took a few swallows before turning my full attention to Declan.

“Is it so terrible to want her to just choose me?” He probably wasn’t the right person to ask, considering he was in the kind of relationship I had been trying to avoid.

“It’s not wrong for you to want that.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

He gave a low chuckle. “What else do you want?”

I tried to wrap my slow brain around what he was asking. “What do you mean? I want Chloe. I want her to be mine. I want her to love me like I love her.” So much for keeping my feelings under wraps. Give me a few drinks, and I was telling the world.

Declan nodded. “What makes you think you don’t already have those things?” He leaned on the bar and held up two fingers to let Oliver know he wanted a drink.

I mulled over his words. “She’s not mine. She doesn’t love me. She wants Hunter and Kyle.”

“Why do you think she can’t love you if she also wants Hunter and Kyle?”

“She may want me, but she doesn’t wantonlyme. That doesn’t mean she’s in love with me.”

“If she wants you, and you want her, what does it matter if there are another two guys who also want to be with her?” Declan took a swig from his beer.

I thought about what he said. “How does it work, though? How do you not get jealous all the time? I want Chloe to be mine. I wantallher attention. I don’t want to feel jealous all the time.” Clearly I was at the end of my rope. For as long as I’d worked for Dec, we’d never had this kind of relationship. We didn’t talk feelings. We were friends, but we’d never been personal. And yet here I was, laying my heart bare.

“We don’t get jealous. I know Thomas is going to be there for Alex no matter what. He loves her just as much as I do. And she loves us both. We don’t see it as trying to win her attention. She gives us each our own time, and then there are times we spend together. We are a family.”

I followed Declan’s line of sight and noticed this message might not have just been for me. Oliver was also listening.

“I still don’t think I could share my woman with another man.”

“Have you tried it?” Dec cocked his head.

“Yes.” I quickly took a sip of my water. I hadn’t meant to tell him that, but things were just slipping out.

“And what did you think?” Declan asked, his eyebrow raised.

I let out a deep sigh, then regretted it as I felt my stomach wanting to flip. “It was different. Weird. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Did you feel jealous when you watched her with one of the others?”

I thought about it. “No.”

“Did you have a good time? Didshehave a good time?”

“Of course.” I narrowed my eyes. “I’m surprised she didn’t black out.” I ran a hand down my face. “Please forget I said that.”

“Forgotten.” Dec took another sip of his beer to cover his grin. “If you all had a good time, what’s your hang up?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

---