Page 90 of Finding You
I took a big sip. Liam’s beer was annoyingly good. “Isn’t this a business meeting?” I growled. “Let’s work.”
Cal clapped me on the back. “I would love to work. But we’re not going to get anything done with you in your current state.”
“What are you talking about? I’m fine.”
They exchanged a look. “Declan, you are not fine. You look like shit.”
I rolled my eyes. My brothers loved to pick on my appearance. They were just jealous I was the tallest and had the best hair.
“No,” Cal said, jumping in. “You look worse than shit. You look like shit that died of dysentery.” Liam laughed and I glared at Callum.
“Wait, what? Don’t try to be funny, Fabio. We all know your job is to look pretty,” I growled.
I went back to staring at my beer. I wished it was whiskey, but it would do for now.
“Dec, we’re not talking business until you tell us what is going on. The whole town knows Astrid left and went back to Boston.”
“Yup.”
“And?”
“Did you have anything to do with that?”
“Yes.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“No.”
“Oh good. You’re chatty today,” Liam mused.
“Just tell us already so we can get on with our lives. We care about you. If you’re not okay, we’re here for you,” Callum said.
“Astrid left. She went back to Boston. Back to her law firm. Back to her old life.”
“And she dumped you?” Cal’s face was sympathetic. He really was such a good big brother.
“Not exactly.”
“Then what happened?”
“I sort of broke up with her?” I mumbled into my beer.
I stared at their shocked faces.
“I had to. It was the right thing to do,” I explained.
“I’m not following. You let a goddess who actually wanted to be with you walk away? Willingly? You deserve to be alone, dude.” Liam grabbed a rag and started wiping down the bar.
He wasn’t wrong. “Yup. I do. Can we stop talking about this now?”
They shook their heads.
My stupid brothers weren’t going to let me get away so easily. “Guys. We come from different worlds.” She told me many times that she couldn’t be in a relationship and climb the ladder at her firm. She was so talented and ambitious. I didn’t want to hold her back. “I knew that she would get bored with me, and with Havenport, and resent me. I couldn’t live with that. I want good things for her.”
“So this was altruistic?” Callum’s face was skeptical.
I shrugged.
