Page 82 of Her Possessive Daddies

"Abbie. I know this situation is... complicated."

She chuckles softly, taking another sip of wine. The movement draws all our attention to her lips.

"That's one way to put it."

Seth moves closer, perching on the arm of the couch. His fingers drum against his thigh - a nervous tell I haven't seen since college. "We've all been thinking about you."

"A lot," Donovan adds, his voice dropping to that low rumble that made her melt in my hallway.

The air feels charged, electric. I watch her chest rise and fall with quickened breaths. She's affecting all of us just as much as we're affecting her.

My best friends - my most trusted confidants - both want her as badly as I do. The realization should bother me more than it does. Instead, it feels right. Natural. Like pieces clicking into place. And I'm shocked as hell.

"Chandler and I talked too," I say, breaking the heavy silence. "He gave me his blessing, for what it's worth."

Abbie's eyebrows lift. "Really?"

"Our relationship has always been... strained." The words are bitter in my mouth. "I didn't know about him until he was twelve. His mother kept him from me, then dumped him on my doorstep when she couldn't handle him anymore."

"That must have been difficult," She says softly.

"I tried my best, but I had no idea how to be a father. Especially to a teenager who resented me for not being there." I take a long drink. "He acted out. Partied. Spent my money like water. I enabled it because I felt guilty."

"Still does," Seth mutters.

I shoot Seth a silencing look. "I know what kind of boyfriend he was to you." My hands clench. "He treated you the way he treats everything - carelessly, without thought for consequences. And most of it was my fault."

"He was young," Abbie says, but there's a tightness around her eyes.

"So were you." Donovan's voice is gentle. "But you were trying to build a future while he was destroying his."

"The point is," I continue, "Chandler admitted he messed up with you. Said it wasn't fair to stand in the way of whatever... this is."

"And what exactly is this?" She gestures between the four of us.

"Something none of us expected," Seth says. "But something we all want to explore."

"If you're willing," I add quickly. "No pressure. We just... we need you to know where we stand."

Abbie takes another sip of wine, considering us. The silence stretches, but I need to wait. To let her process.

Finally, she sets her wine glass down, her fingers trembling. "That's... that's all fine. But I can't choose between you. Don't ask me to do that, please."

My heart skips. I study Seth and Donovan, seeing my own surprise mirrored in their expressions.

"Each of you..." She takes a shaky breath. "I'm drawn to each of you differently. Corey, you make me feel safe and cherished. Seth, you bring out this playful side I didn't know I had. And Donovan..." Her cheeks flush. "You awaken something wild in me. And god help me, I’m attracted to all three of you, obviously."

The room feels too small, too hot. Her words sink into my skin like brands.

"This is completely new territory for me." She wraps her arms around herself. "I've never felt this way about one man, let alone three. I have no idea what to do."

"Abbie..." I start, but she shakes her head.

"How would this even work? What would people think? What would Chandler think? I mean, one of you is his father, another his godfather..." She runs her fingers through her curls. "And I'm just some inexperienced bartender who can't seem to stop thinking about any of you."

The vulnerability in her voice makes my chest ache. I want to go to her, to pull her into my arms and tell her everything will be okay. But I can't make that promise. Not yet.

"I don't know what to do," she whispers again, looking between us with those wide hazel eyes.

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