Page 84 of Filthy Rich Single Daddies

"I'm sorry," I begin, my voice soft yet clear, each word carrying weight. "For how I've been lately—distant, evasive. It wasn't fair to any of you." My eyes drift to the floor, but I force them back up, needing to see their reactions. "It wasn't about you. It was me...all me."

Theo leans against the counter, his green eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes my heart flutter. Cohen's brow is furrowed, his hand absentmindedly stroking his stubbled jaw. And Austin, he just watches, silent and thoughtful, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Here's the thing," I continue, the words spilling from me like a river breaking through a dam. "I want you, all of you." I pause, letting the magnitude of my admission sink in for them—and for myself.

My fingers twist together nervously as I press on. "And I hope you're okay with that because I can't choose. I don't want to choose." Their gazes never waver, and something unspoken passes between us, a flicker of surprise, maybe even relief.

"What I feel for each of you..." I struggle to find words that can encompass the complex tapestry of my emotions—past hurts, present desires, future dreams. "It's unique, real, and it's worth pursuing. Worth fighting for." I lock eyes with each man in turn, silently pleading for understanding, for acceptance.

The room is heavy with our collective breaths, the only sound in the silence that stretches out, taut like a wire. I watch them closely, waiting for some kind of verdict, some clue to what they're thinking. The vulnerability I've laid bare feels like a tightrope beneath my feet, and I'm poised at the center, unsure if I'll find solid ground on the other side.

"Trouble," Austin finally breaks the silence, his voice gruff but not unkind. "That's a lot to take in."

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I know."

But there's no going back now. I've peeled back the curtain on my heart, showing them the chaos and longing hidden within. It's out there, raw and exposed—the most honest part of me, hopeful and trembling, waiting for them to reach out and take it.

The air shifts, a current of decision and raw emotion as Theo takes a purposeful step toward me. His green eyes pierce through the space between us, fierce and unyielding like storm-tossed waves crashing against a rocky shore. He's always had this gravity about him, an intensity that pulls you in and holds you captive without even trying.

I felt it the moment I first met him. I felt it even as he walked away, my heart trailing behind him, helpless—like a moon tethered to its planet, unable to break free.

But, I…I don’t think he’s going to walk away this time.

"Skylark," he murmurs, and the sound of my name falls from his lips like a whispered vow, heavy with meaning I’ve never heard before. "I can't live with the thought of losing you again." His voice trembles slightly, each word sinking deep into me, carving itself into my heart.

"I never stopped loving you, Sky," he continues, his gaze locked with mine, raw and open. "I always hoped—prayed, really—that we'd find our way back. But I was too scared to come looking for you." His breath hitches, his hands slide to my face, cupping it gently, as if afraid I’ll disappear. "Then fate intervened, and you were right here, right next door. I couldn't believe it."

I shudder at his words, and for a heartbeat, the world feels like it’s just us, bound by the weight of our past and the promises of a future we’re still too scared to reach for.

Theo leans in, his lips brushing mine in a kiss that starts soft, tentative—like he's not sure if I’m real or if this is all just some fragile dream. But then I kiss him back, and it becomes something more, something certain.

"I should have fought for you," he murmurs against my lips, the words breaking free with an intensity I can feel in my bones. "I didn't, and it's the one thing I will always regret. But I'm here now, Sky. To fight for what we have. For you. And I'm not leaving. Not this time. Ever. You are my past and you are my future. I love you so fucking much. Thank you for giving me another chance. I promise…I promise you. I will not fuck this up."

He steps back, his hand lingering on my jaw before he turns and looks at the brothers pointedly. Before the resonance of his words fades, Cohen steps closer, his presence a steady anchor.

His hair falls into his eyes, darkening their usual spark, replacing the playful gleam with something deeper—somethingraw. He doesn't mask his vulnerability, not now, not with so much at stake.

"Sky," Cohen’s voice is quieter now, each word wrapped in a quiet urgency. "I’ve been just as scared as you, maybe even more. Terrified, really. Terrified of being left behind again, of you slipping through my fingers like you did once before." His chest rises with a shaky breath, and for the first time, I see the weight of the fear he’s been carrying. "Of you never forgiving me for not recognizing you. So, yeah, I pulled away, too. I shut down because I couldn’t face the thought of someone walking away from me again—ofyouwalking away from me. But I’m done with that. Done with letting fear decide everything for me."

His eyes find mine, locking on with an intensity that matches Theo’s, and his next words hit me like a punch to the gut. "You’ve got my heart. All of it. And I’m not going anywhere. Not ever. I’m here, and I’m not letting you go. Not without a fight."

His admission tumbles over me, warming places long chilled by doubt and loneliness. The walls I've built tremble under the weight of their confessions, bricks of fear and self-preservation dislodged by the sincerity in their eyes, the resolve in their stance.

I absorb their words, let them sink beneath my skin and fill the spaces they've claimed inside me.

It’s Austin’s turn now.

At first, I’m afraid he’s going to walk away again. But he surprises me, stepping forward with that controlled grace he carries everywhere—the boardroom, the bedroom, and now, here, in this space where vulnerability is the currency.

Austin expression is unreadable. His blue eyes, often ice-like in their stoicism, flicker with an intensity that’s both disarming and achingly familiar. The morning light catches the faint freckles on his nose, reminding me there's softness beneath his armor.

He came to me the other night. He told me how he felt more or less. But I still don’t know what he’s going to say.

"Trouble," he starts, his voice gruff yet threaded with an unexpected tenderness. "I've built walls so high I never thought anyone could scale them." He hesitates for a fraction of a second, then continues, "You've turned my world upside down, made me question everything I thought I knew about...this." He gestures vaguely between us, encompassing Theo and Cohen in the sweep of his hand.

"Never imagined feeling like this for someone. Let alone sharing..." His jaw tightens momentarily, a telltale sign of the internal war he wages. "But what we have—what we could have together—it's worth it. Worth the chaos, the unknown. Worth breaking every damn rule I've ever made." There's a rawness to his confession that strikes a chord deep within me.

My heart swells, pressing against my ribs as if it's trying to reach out to each of them. The icy walls around it crack, fissures spreading until they shatter completely. In this moment, I see myself through their eyes—not as the untouchable Skylar Deveraux, but as someone worthy of love, of being fought for, of belonging.

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