The crack about flirting with waitresses and picking up a woman hinted that she didn’t like him choosing others over her either.
He knew that. He wasn’t blind or an idiot.
But she was Liz. Hands off had always been his rule.
“It’s unusual for women and men to be friends.” Declan headed for the bar.
Tate followed. “We’ve been friends since we were finger painting and eating Play-Doh.”
Declan took one of the open stools and held up two fingers to Tami behind the bar, who nodded she’d get them their usual. “Liz has been in love with you since then, but you can’t expect her to love you, and only you, for the rest of her life when you dismiss her feelings the way you do.”
“What are you talking about?” Tate didn’t want to go there.
Declan glanced over and laughed. “Oh come on, you can’t tell me that you don’t revel in the fact that she loves you and puts up with all your shit while you treat her like your favorite pet.”
That pissed him off. “I do not.” Did he? That sinking feeling in his gut intensified.
Declan shoved his shoulder so he’d turn in his stool. “Look at her. Do you want to strip her bare and get your hands on her?”
“That’s Liz.” He didn’t dare think such things about her. They were friends.
Or they used to be.
“Exactly. How long did you expect her to wait for you to stop seeing her as pigtailed Lizzy Lizard? She’s a grown woman now, Tate, with hopes and dreams of love and marriage and a relationship that isn’t all about you.”
“Our relationship isn’t all about me.”
Declan laughed in his face. “Keep telling yourself that, bro, but you’re the one who has no idea what happened six weeks ago that made her take a huge step back until she fell right into Clint’s arms.”
Fucking Clint.
“He made her dump me.”
Declan saluted Tami with his beer bottle in thanks for filling their order. “Dumped? Is that how it feels?”
Kinda. But he denied, denied, denied.
“It’s not like that. We’ve only ever been friends.”
“And it’s been clear for years she’s wanted more.” Declan frowned. “Don’t shake your head at me. You know I’m right. Everyone can see it. She settled for friends because you mean that much to her, but you can’t expect her to settle for that for the rest of her life. You can’t expect her to watch you date other women, listen to you tell her all about how it’s going and cry on her shoulder when it doesn’t work out and think she doesn’t feel jealous and left out.”
“She dates.”
“And nothing ever comes of it because you’ve got her heart.” Declan took a sip of his beer. “Were you even a little happy when those relationships ended?”
His stomach clenched. “Of course not.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he heard the lie. He’d never been jealous of her relationships. He was just happier when she was focused on him.
I’m an asshole.
And a terrible friend.
He should be happy for her. He should want her to find someone special. He wanted to see her as happy as Drake and Adria looked when they were together.
He glanced at Liz on the dance floor smiling and clapping her hands as she spun and swayed her hips in the line dance, Clint trying to keep up with her.
He just didn’t want her happy with Clint. “Something about that guy bugs me.”
“Mom always told us we have to share our toys.”
Tate smacked Declan upside the head. “She’s my best friend, not a Hot Wheels.”
“Maybe she’ll make you her maid of honor at her wedding.”
Tate fumed and downed half his beer. “Fuck you.”
“Nice comeback.” Declan turned and leaned back against the bar, sitting like Tate, watching Liz on the dance floor. “You ate up all her attention. Are you upset that she’s giving it to someone else or pissed that she might be falling in love with him and you want to be that guy for the rest of her life?” Declan held up his hand to stop Tate from spitting out another expletive. “Don’t answer. Think about it. Because she deserves to find someone who treats her the way she’s treated you all these years. Don’t take this chance away from her just because you want her to love you and no one else