Page 80 of More Than Words
My brothers all exchanged glances, but it was Brody who said, “She’s upset because she thought she mattered to you.”
“But she?—”
“She supported you.”Brody cut me off smoothly.“She made room for youandQuinn in her life.She was in it with you, man.And then, at your very first opportunity, you went and showed her exactly how much shedoesn’tmatter to you.”
That landed.
Hard.
Right in the center of my chest.
“And then she finds out from a room full of strangers and townspeople that you made a decision that will directly affect her and her business.”Preston shook his head.“Come on, man.”
“I agree that the patio itself isn’t that big of a deal,” Grayson added before I could recover.“Just a few tables, and I know the plan you have is simple and unobtrusive.It probably won’t impact her business at all.”
“But Delaney doesn’t know that,” Reid continued.“Because you didn’t give her that chance to understand.You didn’t even consider her in this.”
“We warned you, Ethan,” Brody said with a look of disappointment only a big brother could pull off.“When we were talking the other night.We more or lesstoldyou that Delaney would care.”
“You screwed up,” Reid confirmed with a nod.“Big time.”
Shit.
They weren’t wrong.
“Hell,” Preston said.“She probably would have helped you design the whole thing.But you didn’task.”
And suddenly, it was so obvious.
I was a first-class asshole.
Worse.I was an oblivious asshole.
It wasn’t so much about zoning or sidewalk space or being in front of Plot Twist.It was the fact that I’d made a choice that directly impacted her world, and I didn’t even stop to consider her or take the time to loop her in.
“Honestly, it wasn’t about blindsiding her.”
“We believe you,” Reid said.“But does she?”
She didn’t.I shook my head.She’d said as much.
I’d charmed my way into her life, made her feel safe,loved.And then I went and proved that I was just another man putting himself first.
Fuck.
“I didn’t even think…”
“About her,” Reid finished for me.“And that’s the problem.”
“Brother.”Brody shook his head.“You’ve spent too long only thinking about you and Quinn.Even when you were married, you didn’t have to consider Polly because she did enough of that for herself.But it’s not just the two of you anymore.”
“Not if you want this thing with Delaney to work.”
I did.
I very much did.
I stared at my plate and then at the seat where Delaney should have been.
