“Yeah.” The answer slips out of my mouth easily. As easily as breathing. Because I do. And I thought the idea of committing would be daunting and scary, but with them, it’s not. It feels seamless. I’m not losing anything and gaining everything.
“Do you think she does?”
“Yeah,” I say, unable to hold back the slight grin that stretches across my face. Isabel and I have bonded in a way we can’t undo now. I need her in a way I can’t walk away from. I can’t go back.
“But does he?”
That answer doesn’t fall out of my mouth so easily. It’s more complicated with Hunter. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be with me. It’s that he has so many more mountains to climb before he can rightfully claim that he wants both of us. And until he does, we’re stuck where we are.
“Okay…follow-up question. How long are you willing to wait for him to decide?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter.
“It sounds to me like he needs an ultimatum because, right now, you’re giving him everything he wants without asking for anything in return. One of you is going to have to make him decide because neither of you deserve to wait for someone to admit to loving you.”
Well, damn. The girl has a point.
And I wish it were that easy, but I’m too afraid that if we push Hunter, he’ll fly off. Like approaching a bird you’re trying to catch. Move too fast and it’s gone.
What would that mean for Isabel? It’s not exactly a risk I’m willing to take.
God, listen to me, trying to talk someone into a committed relationship. Who am I? Because I used to be a scoundrel. I used to only want to fuck, but now I want more. Because these two are the exception. They’ve always been the exception.
Noticing me deep in thought, Silla approaches me and places a hand on my arm. “I’m going to leave you with those big questions swirling around in that beautiful head of yours. But you know…if it doesn’t work out, we could always use you at the Crescent City club. Just a thought.”
I give her a tense smile and nod. “Thanks.”
With that, she heads toward the door. In the distance, I hear Hunter as he finds her with a warm, business greeting. I hear them say my name, but I stay in the room alone for a few minutes.
I just need some more time to think.
Every Thursday night, the owners of the Salacious Players’ Club meet up at the bar for a little downtime, no business allowed. I always tag along, because…of course I do.
Tonight, I’m sitting between Hunter and Isabel at the table, staring at my beer with too many thoughts in my head. Everyone around me is laughing and smiling, and I hate that I’m not myself.
Across from me, I can feel Garrett’s fiancée, Mia, staring at me in concern. After she and I got over the awkwardness of finding out Garrett used my name to catfish her on her cam girl app, thus making our first encounter a little…tense, we’ve actually become pretty good friends. Mostly because she’s become the resident crazy-idea girl at the club. Which means I’m the first person she comes to when she has an idea she needs brought to life.
Drake, can we put a hot tub in the VIP room?
Drake, can you make one of the rooms look like an outdoor hiking trail?
Drake, can you build me rafters to hang from so I can masturbate in midair?
She’s fucking crazy, but I like her. Except for right now, because she looks like she’s reading my mind, and I don’t like that.
Normally, I’d be at the bar, lingering around any single females who look like they need company, but, of course, I can’t do that tonight. And I can’t tell anyone why.
“Everything all right, Drake?” Garrett asks from across the table. His arm is draped around Mia’s shoulders as she sips on her fruity red drink. “You’re not usually sitting with us for this long.” He smiles as he makes a joke, and I shrug it off with a forced laugh.
But what the fuck do I say? I may or may not be exclusively fucking my best friend and his wife. Although not really exclusive because we’re just not talking about it.
Yeah…that response just rolls off the tongue.
“Guess I’m just not in the mood tonight,” I reply, which makes not only him laugh but the others around us. Everyone except for Maggie, who’s too engrossed in her phone to care.
Well, her and the couple sitting next to me, who are starting to look a bit too uncomfortable to join in the fun.
“Drake not in the mood?” Garrett laughs. “I call bullshit. My guess is you’re seeing someone.”