Page 32 of The One for Me
“So, you just did what she asked? Just like that?”
“Pretty much.”
His smile is bright as he laughs. “I fucking knew it! I knew it.”
“You knew nothing.”
“The hell I didn’t. You have finally pulled your head out of your ass and realized you’re in love with her.”
Jesus. He’s insane. “No one said anything about being in love. I kissed her—twice. That’s all. We kissed. There weren’t any declarations or anything. I don’t know what I feel, okay?”
“Now you kissed her again, and I’m going to assume you were sober. So, how was sober kissing?”
That second kiss was . . . I don’t really have words to describe it. She was so perfect in my arms. It felt as though everything I denied was proven right. Her lips fit mine as though they were made for me. There was passion, tenderness, and need that flowed between us. I had been so worried that the next time we kissed, it would be almost familial. That was definitely not the case.
I could’ve kissed her all day.
I wanted to.
And now, knowing there is no Oliver and she’s this close to me, I’m determined to share more with her, which is absolutely stupid.
“It was a kiss.”
He chuckles. “It was a lot more than that, my brother.”
Fucking Declan and all his knowing crap. “I’m glad you have it all figured out.”
“Dude, if it was just a kiss, you would not be in this thing. You’d be in there, cuddled up on the couch with your best friend.”
I flip him off. “I’m giving her space to work through her issues.”
“Oh, is that what you’re calling yourself?”
“Declan, I’m going to beat the shit out of you if you don’t shut up.”
He laughs and heads to the door. “Yeah, you might try.”
“Don’t you have a wife and a baby to get back to?”
“I do, but this is so much more fun.”
I groan. “Let’s talk about you and the baby. How’s that going?”
Declan looks like he wants to say something more about Devney, but he doesn’t, which means I won’t make Syd a widow today. “It’s crazy, Sean. Like every fear I have is wrapped up in that one little body. I would do anything, fight anyone, slay dragons for him and fight every instinct I have if it would make his life better. I worry about everything. If he makes a new sound, I watch him to make sure it’s fine. And don’t even get me started on the whole breathing thing. I swear, I spend more time at night putting my finger under his nose than I do sleeping.”
I clap him on the back with a grin. “You’re his dad.”
“I am, and it’s scary as fuck!”
All along I knew he’d be a great dad. He’s been a good brother. Always willing to protect the three of us and I’m glad he’s happy. He has fought against it for so long, walked away from anything he needed to if it meant that we might have a better life.
My brother is an idiot at times, but his heart is always in the right place.
“And things with Syd?”
“I wish I had words to describe how I feel about her. It’s like my heart has found its way back into my chest. I worry about everything with her too. She barely sleeps, works because she can’t stop herself, and I feel like I have some sort of PTSD after the hell she went through. Sydney is everything to me—they both are. I know that makes me sound like a fucking pussy, but I’m telling you, that loving her has been a gift to me. It’s like all the dead, rotted parts of my soul have life again.”
I smile, liking this side of my grumpy ass brother a lot more. “Who knew you had a poet’s soul?”
