Page 46 of Wicked Devotions

We’re given a booth in the corner with great views of the waves breaking along a sandy stretch of beach. I slide in first followed by Declan. He immediately claims two thirds of the bench, his thigh pressed firmly against my own. It feels like some sort of challenge, how uncomfortable can he make me before I give in and retreat.

“How are things at the house?” Cillian asks me. “Are the boys treating you well?”

“Things are good. It was a little awkward at first, for me. I felt like an interloper.”

“Cy has always made you welcome though, right?” Declan asks.

“Yeah, you’re in good hands with him,” Cillian says with sincerity.

I choke on the sip of water I was taking.

Declan chuckles darkly and pats my leg. “You okay?”

I nod. “A piece of ice surprised me. Cy is actually so great. We go running together in the morning.”

“Good. I’m glad someone is with you.”

“I’m almost never alone these days. It’s actually quite an adjustment.”

Declan shrugs. “Part of having roommates.”

Mom steers the conversation to my classes. She and Cillian are still wondering if I’ve thought any more about a possible major. I have actually, but I’m worried it’s far out of my grasp. I know I want to work with animals. Especially horses. I’ve been looking into becoming a veterinarian, but I don’t know if I’m a good enough student to be able to get into Trinity’s program. I don’t want to talk about something only to be embarrassed by not being smart enough to succeed. So, I deflect by asking Declanabout his classes.

Declan gives me a cursory glance, but it works, and the conversation flows naturally away from me and that topic. For the rest of the night, he helps guide conversation away from what makes me uncomfortable. It’s so subtle that our parents never notice, but I definitely do. I’ll need to find a way to thank him.

Chapter

Eighteen

DECLAN

As soon as I hear the shower turn off in the bathroom I share with Harper, I test the knob of my connection door to see if it’s locked. I count to thirty to give her time to dry off before opening the door. A cloud of vanilla-scented steam escapes as she yelps in surprise.

She’s clutching a white towel to her chest. It only covers her down the front where it naturally lays. Her sides, which are what I want a look at, are exposed. Her mouth gapes open as water drops from clumps of her hair.

“What the heck do you think you’re doing?” She takes a step back as I close the door behind me and prowl toward her.

Since it’s fairly obvious what I’m doing, I choose to ignore her question. “What the fuck is on your side?”

Her eyes widen, and she tries to hide the scars. “Nothing. Get out.”

“No.”

I’m in her space now. She tries to fight me off from nudging the towel over, but she can’t do much without dropping the entire thing to the floor. Her skin is still hot from her shower, but as I run my fingertips over two of the circles, her flesh erupts with goosebumps.

“Let me get my pajamas on, and I’ll let you get a better look.” Her voice sounds resigned to having to have this conversation.

I turn and walk into her room, dropping down onto her bed to wait for her to finish drying off and changing. Every muscle in my body is vibrating with rage as I sit. Part of me hoped that Cy was just confused or something. I should have known that he of all people would be able to see and identify them.

It takes her about five minutes, but she finally comes out in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Her hair is coiled up in a towel on top of her head. She crosses over to me and slowly tucks her shirt under her breasts leaving all the skin of her abdomen bare.

Cy was right; there are dozens of cigarette burn scars dotting her sides. Some are extremely faded, like they must have happened when she was a girl. Others are still pink and somewhat fresh.

“Who did this to you?” There’s an obvious answer, but I need to hear it from her lips.

“My dad.”

I wrap my hands around her waist, my thumbs moving over her damaged skin gently. “You didn’t deserve this.” I look up into her eyes. “You know that, right? There’s nothing you could have done to deserve this.”

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