Chapter 63: The Invite

That evening, Sydney smiled through her first bite of a sizzling chicken fajita, her body melting into the plush couch cushions. Jalen sat at the other end of the couch, his big hands firmly kneading her sore feet, working out every bit of tension she’d been carrying.

“I’m officially spoiled,” she mumbled through her food.

Jalen smiled, his dimples appearing as he rubbed slow, deep circles into the arch of her foot. “You were spoiled before I got here.”

Sydney let out a soft sigh, shaking her head. “Not like this.”

The truth was, Jalen always made sure she felt special, loved, and taken care of. Even when he couldn’t be there when she wanted him, he always made it up to her, and tonight he’d made a hell of an effort.

She glanced at the spread of Moe’s takeout he’d brought — chicken, steak, shrimp, black beans, grilled peppers, fresh guac, queso, and extra sour cream just how she liked it.

Beside the food was a large bag of peanut M&M’s, her favorite candy. And if that wasn’t enough, a gorgeous bouquet of flowers sat on her coffee table, adding a pop of color to the room.

She felt so damn loved.

Jalen might have missed coming over last night, but he made sure she felt like a priority tonight.

She wiped her mouth and eyed him as he continued massaging her foot, his strong hands applying the perfect pressure.

“You know you didn’t have to do all this,” she said softly.

Jalen tilted his head, his dark brown eyes locking with hers. “I wanted to. I felt bad for not being there last night. I know you understood, but ... I still wanted to make it up to you.”

Sydney studied him, her heart swelling in her chest.

Despite all the chaos in his life, despite how stretched thin he must be with all the women he was balancing, he still took the time to show her how much he cared.

She let out a slow breath as her emotions crept up on her.

Jalen must have noticed the shift in her expression, because he squeezed her foot gently. “Talk to me, Syd.”

Sydney bit her lip, debating if she wanted to ruin the mood with her thoughts, but Jalen always made her feel safe enough to speak her mind.

So, she set her plate down, sat up, and slid her foot out of his grasp so she could shift closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest.

Jalen exhaled, wrapping his arms around her just as tightly, holding her close.

“I just...” she started, pausing for a second. “I love you.”

Jalen kissed the top of her head, his grip on her tightening. “I love you too.”

She closed her eyes, letting those words settle in her chest. Jalen wasn’t hers alone. She had to share him, but damn it, he always made her feel like she was the only one in the world when he was with her.

She felt him exhale into her hair, the tension she always saw in him these days releasing just slightly.

She knew what that exhale meant. It meant relief that she hadn’t made this harder than it had to be. That she hadn’t turned the rescheduled night into an indictment.

She had stopped doing that a long time ago, even before she fully realized why.

Sydney leaned forward, setting her plate down on the coffee table before shifting to the side, pulling her feet into Jalen’s lap.

“So ... how is Kristen holding up?” she asked, her voice softer now and more concerned.

Jalen hesitated for a moment before answering. “She’s dealing with a lot. She’s still adjusting to everything ... leaving Rob, moving into her own place, me, the pregnancy. It’s been overwhelming for her.”

Sydney nodded, watching his face closely. “And how are you handling it?”

Jalen’s hands stilled against her foot as he looked at her.

Sydney always wanted to make sure that Jalen was taking the time to reflect on himself. She wanted to remind him that his feelings mattered, too.

“I won’t lie, it’s a lot. I feel like I’m constantly balancing everyone’s emotions, trying to make sure no one feels left behind. I just ... I don’t want to fail any of you.”

Sydney sat up and moved closer, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. “Jalen, you can’t carry all of this alone. We’re all grown women who made our choices. You’re already doing more than most men ever would.”

Jalen closed his eyes for a moment, leaning into her touch before opening them again. “I appreciate that, Syd. I just don’t want you to ever feel like you’re an afterthought.”

Sydney smiled and shook her head. “I don’t. You’ve always been good to me, and you show me how much you care, not just with words but with actions.” She glanced at the spread of food, the flowers, and the bag of peanut M&M’s. “And tonight is just another example of that.”

Jalen exhaled and nodded, his shoulders relaxing more.

Sydney looked at him for a long moment. She wanted to say something else, but it took her a second to find the right words.

There was a thought she’d been turning over in her head for weeks now, and she figured if she was ever going to say it out loud, tonight was the night.

“Can I tell you something?” she asked.

Jalen tilted his head. “Always.”

She settled deeper into the couch, her hand resting on the curve of her belly. “I’ve been thinking about it lately, and I think I’ve figured something out. I’ve been with you the longest. I’ve been doing this the longest. And I think that’s actually given me something the other women haven’t had time to get yet.”

Jalen waited, his hands going still on her feet.

“I know I acted like I was cool with it at the time, but when you told me about everything you went through with Kristen at her nonprofit, I was ... hurt,” Sydney said. “Not because you were a bad guy. Because I knew right then that what I’d been telling myself about us ... that we were on some normal track ... wasn’t true. And I had to grieve that. Quietly. I never told you how much that took out of me.”

Jalen’s face softened. “Syd—”

“Let me finish,” she said gently, smiling. “I’m not bringing it up to make you feel bad. I’m bringing it up because I had to do all that grieving first, before I could see what was actually here. And it took months. By the time you started telling me about Megan, then Rachel, then Karla, then Heidi ... I was already past the part where every new woman felt like a piece of me being taken. I’d already figured out that you weren’t being taken from me. You were just being more honest about who you were than any man had ever been with me.”

Jalen swallowed, his eyes locked on hers.

“And I think that’s why I don’t lose it on you when you have to reschedule. It’s not because I don’t care. It’s because I figured out the math earlier than the rest of them are getting to. They’re still in the part where every new woman feels like a loss. Some of them might never get out of it. But I’m out of it. And I think ... I think that’s actually given me a job in this group that I didn’t realize I had.”

Jalen’s brow furrowed slightly. “A job?”

Sydney smiled. “Yeah. I’m the one who doesn’t make this harder than it has to be. I’m the one who shows the rest of them that it can work without it eating you alive. I don’t know if anybody’s said that out loud, but I saw them watching me at that meeting. I saw Kristen looking at me when she was trying to figure out how to feel. I’m not running things or anything like that. I’m just ... further down the road.”