Page 41 of See You Maybe

In the break before dessert, several people had gotten up, including Courtney and Fiona’s father, who had been sitting next to Olivia. Declan watched as Chris moved to the empty seat next to her. Chris angled his body to fully face her, and they began speaking in low tones.

Declan’s fist clenched on the table. His inability to snatch her away, hold her, claim her as his, burned like acid in his stomach.

“Declan?” Cara sounded worried.

“I'm fine.”

“You look like you're about to explode?” Luke pointed out, his eyes on the couple at the other table.

Chris’s eyes flicked up and met Luke’s before roaming the table and settling on Declan. Rage burned through Declan’s veins as a slight smirk lifted from the corner of Chris’s lips.

Declan hadn’t realized he was halfway out of his chair before a strong hand clamped on his arm, and his brother hissed, “Not here.”

Chris’s lips moved, and Olivia suddenly got to her feet, her cheeks pink, and strode from the ballroom.

What the fuck had that bastard said to make her blush?

“Easy,” Luke said again, and Declan realized he had balled the linen of the tablecloth in his fist. He forced his hand to relax. His brothers looked at him with identical frowns of concern.

“What's going on with you?” James asked

“Yeah, you look like you’re about to go Game of Thrones in here.”

“I need a drink.” Declan shoved his chair back so hard it almost fell.

Surely Olivia wouldn’t fall for Chris’s smarmy bullshit. He’d seen his former friend in action enough that Declan knew women found him attractive. Acid rolled in his stomach at the nauseating concept.

No. Olivia is smart. She will see right through him.

You didn’t, a nasty voice in his head said.

Chris played you for a fool for years, and you never even noticed. You didn't see the monster that lay underneath his smiles until it was too late.

“Is she involved with Chris?” Luke’s voice sounded close by.

Fuck. Why can’t they leave me alone?

Declan jerked his eyes away from Olivia as she moved toward the back hallway, and frowned at his brother, before taking his glass from the bartender.

“No.”

Twin pairs of gray eyes met his as James joined them. “Then why are you staring at her?”

“I’m not.”

“You have barely taken your eyes off her since you got here?” James looked at him with a too-knowing expression. “Who is she?”

Is that true? Has anyone else noticed?

Declan stiffened. His eyes darted to Chris, but he was still seated and talking to Olivia’s ex-husband.

“I need to speak to Alan.”

Luke caught his arm just above the elbow, forcing him to turn back. “You don’t need to marry Fiona Carrol to get Bloom Communications back. It’s not worth it.”

Declan narrowed his eyes at his younger brother and dropped his gaze to the hand on his sleeve before it flashed back up in warning. Luke’s jaw set, but his fingers relaxed.

They didn’t understand. They couldn’t. As hard as their father had been on his brothers, the pressure and intrinsic responsibility that went with being their father’s heir had been his alone to bear.

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