Page 52 of Twin Babies for the Pucking Billionaires

Declan steps back, giving me space. “You should take it.”

I nod, answering the call. “Hey, Chase.”

As I talk to Chase, I can’t help but steal glances at Declan. He’s standing there, looking a bit lost, and I feel a pang of guilt. When the call ends, I sigh, pocketing my phone.

“Everything okay?” Declan asks.

“Yeah, he’s just running late at work,” I say, trying to sound casual.

He nods, but I can see the disappointment in his eyes. “I should probably get back to Lily.”

“Yeah, of course,” I say, forcing a smile.

He hesitates for a moment before leaning in and kissing my forehead gently. “I’ll hang with Finn and Lily at his place for a little bit.”

“You don’t have to leave, this is your house.” He said quietly.

“I know, but I also know that after everything that has happened since yesterday, you need a minute to yourself. Take care, Millie.”

“You too, Declan,” I reply, watching as he walks away.

I close the door behind him, leaning against it. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Ryan’s outburst, Declan’s confession, the almost-kiss...it’s all too much. I need to clear my head, but all I can think about is how close I was to kissing Declan and how much I wanted to.

Chapter Sixteen

Chase

I came home late last night and found her asleep on the sofa. This morning, she said she wanted to talk. I tried asking about it via text, but all she said was that she was better off talking phone to phone. It’s barely nine p.m. and I just walked in to find her curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. Peanut is softly barking in his crate.

“Hey, buddy,” I whisper, getting him out. I feed him and then take him outside to do his business. When we get back, I put him in his crate to sleep and head to the shower.

After cleaning up, I return to the living room. She’s still out cold. I carefully scoop her up in my arms, carrying her to bed. She only stirs once, but she doesn’t wake up. Gently, I change her into one of my T-shirts. She looks so peaceful, but there’s a worry line on her forehead that I can’t ignore.

“What’s bothering you?” I murmur, stroking her forehead.

I sit on the edge of the bed, watching her sleep. Peanut lets out a soft bark from his crate. “Shh, Peanut. It’s sleepy time.”

I lean down and kiss her forehead. “We’ll talk in the morning,” I whisper. “Maybe then you’ll tell me what’s going on.”

I crawl into bed beside her, careful not to wake her. The weight of her worries presses down on me. I want to fix whatever’s bothering her, but I can’t do that until she opens up.

The next morning, I wake up early. She’s still sleeping soundly and I don’t want to disturb her. I head to the kitchen to make some coffee. Peanut follows me, wagging his tail.

“Morning, buddy,” I say, scratching behind his ears. “Let’s get you some breakfast.”

After feeding Peanut, I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit at the kitchen table, scrolling through my phone. I can’t stop thinking about her. What could be bothering her so much that she wanted to talk but couldn’t do it over text?

Eventually, she wakes and walks into the kitchen, looking groggy but a bit more relaxed.

“Hey,” she says softly.

“Morning,” I reply, standing up to pour her a cup of coffee. “How’d you sleep?”

“Great,” she says, accepting the cup and taking a sip. “Thanks for taking care of Peanut.”

“Of course,” I say, sitting back down. “You said you wanted to talk?”

She nods, sitting across from me. “Yeah. There’s something I need to tell you.”

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