Page 74 of Filthy Rich Single Daddies

"Do we?" I question, the doubt obvious in my voice. "Because it seems to me like you're both ready to write her off as collateral damage in whatever internal wars you're fighting."

They exchange a glance, a silent conversation that I'm not privy to but that speaks volumes about the chaos brewing beneath the surface. The resolve hardens within me like cooling steel.

I won't give up. Not on Skylar, not on the possibility of something more—something real. Even if I have to drag these two kicking and screaming into the fight, I'll do it. Because nothing matters more than making sure Skylar stays in our lives,that the tentative threads holding us together aren't severed by fear or foolishness.

And if it's a war they want, then it's a war they'll get. Because when it comes to Skylar, I'm all in. For the long haul, no matter what it takes.

"Listen," I snarl, my voice low and laced with barely controlled rage. "This—" I gesture between the three of us, "—this isn't working."

Austin's gaze hardens, the muscles in his jaw twitching. "What do you want, Theo?"

"Dammit, Austin, look at her!" I half-shout, throwing my hand at where Skylar is standing, alone, radiating an aura of untouchable grace even as she masks her crumbling world. "She's pulling away because of us, because of your damn distance! Why are you acting like she doesn't matter to you?"

His eyes narrow, and he crosses his arms defensively. "I've got a lot on my plate, Theo. It's not about her."

"Like hell, it isn't." Frustration seethes through me, hot and vicious. "Skylar needs us—to be there, to be present. And you're treating her like she's just another item on your to-do list, something you can check off and move on from. Is that all she is to you? A passing distraction?"

The silence that follows is heavy, loaded with unspoken truths and denial. Austin looks away, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows whatever excuses threaten to spill out. He knows I'm right, we both know it, but his stubbornness is a wall I'm determined to tear down.

"Why are we even doing this?" Austin's voice breaks through the tension, his words rough and edged with frustration. "You finally have your second chance, Theo. Why not just take it and leave the rest of us out of it? Why drag us into something that clearly isn’t meant to be?”

His challenge hangs in the air, thick with accusation. It stings, but I don’t back down.

"Because it's what she wants," I reply, my words sharper than I intended them to be. "Skylar wants this. Even if she’s fighting it now, she wants us—all threeof us. I can see it."

Austin’s jaw clenches, his muscles tight as if fighting back something far deeper than just a conversation. I see it—his stubborn pride, the walls he’s built, and the fear that’s keeping him locked in his own head. The tension between us tightens, pushing me to stand firm.

"And if she’s fighting it?" Austin presses, his voice low but furious. "What then? You really think this is what's best for her? For any of us?"

I step closer, my frustration boiling over. "She's not fighting it because it's not meant to be, Austin. She's fighting it because she's scared. Scared to hope, scared we’ll pull away. And you—" I gesture between the two of us, "—are making it worse with your distance, your damn fear to be real with her."

Austin takes a step back, as if my words have struck deeper than he’s willing to admit.

"Skylar deserves better," I press on, my voice dropping to a hoarse whisper, the hurt mingling with the anger. "She deserves all of us. Not this half-assed attention you think you can get away with. If you care about her, really care, then prove it. Because if we lose her now, we lose her for good."

With Austin momentarily silenced, my gaze slides over to Cohen, the intensity of my frustration far from diminished. "And you," I start, my voice low and threaded with accusation, "what's your excuse? Why are you just standing there, watching her crumble?"

Cohen crosses his arms. His eyes, dark and clouded like an impending storm, meet mine but flicker away too quickly. "It'snot that simple," he mutters, the scruff on his jaw seeming all the more pronounced as he clenches his teeth.

"Make it simple," I demand, stepping closer to him. "She's falling apart, Cohen, and you're acting like you don't see it. Like the last few weeks never happened. Are you really going to let her slip away without even trying?"

He exhales sharply, a sound that carries the weight of his own battles. "You think I don't care?" There's a fire in his voice now, a spark of something that I've been waiting to see. "I'm just trying to keep my head above water, man. You know what I've been through."

"Then don't drown alone!" I shoot back, my patience threadbare. "Don't let Skylar drown either. She needs us—all of us—to be real with her. To show up, not just physically, but emotionally too."

The standoff is palpable, two men driven by their own demons. How can they not see that she's become our center of gravity?

"Skylar's been through hell," I murmur more to myself than to them, the silence wrapping around my words. "She's trying to heal, and she needs us—not this...whatever we've been giving her."

"Look," I start again, my voice firm but calm, "I'm not saying I have all the answers. But I can't—I won't—let her slip away without a fight."

I meet Austin's gaze first, then Cohen's, letting them see the determination etched into every line of my face. I need them to understand how serious I am.

"Whatever it takes," I say, each word deliberate, "we have to remind her that she's not alone. That she's loved and wanted. By all of us."

They nod, a silent agreement passing between us, and something shifts in the room. It's subtle, but it's there—arenewed sense of purpose. We're on the same page now, or at least starting to turn to it.

As they walk away to process everything, presumably to figure out their next steps, I stay rooted in place. A sense of clarity washes over me. Skylar's pulling away for a reason. She's been hurt before, and she's scared it'll happen again. Who wouldn't be?

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