Page 71 of Always Be an Us

"Hang on," I say and put Emma down temporarily, so I can pick it up.

Emma is blinking at me curiously, and I gesture. "Hold out your hand."

"Huh?" She obeys slowly, and I reach out and drop the thing in her hand.

Her eyes widen when I retreat my hand.

"Two pearls in a row." I can't help the grin that splits my face. "Can you believe it?"

"No." She shakes her head, amazement in her gaze. "That's incredible. No one has that kind of luck."

I shrug. "I guess I'm special then. You can keep that one. I already have one to give Amelia."

"No!" she cries out, shaking her head and holding it out to me. "Take it back."

"It's okay. I don't want it, and Amelia will be happy with one."

"It's not that." She catches my gaze, and I finally register the horror in her eyes "I can't accept this from you, Declan."

"Why not?" I ask, confused.

"Because...the Rainbow Pearls...there's a thing about them."

"A thing."

"Yeah. Legend has it that if two people in love exchange Rainbow Pearls they will be together forever. But if they're not in true love, then one of them will become obsessed with the other."

I snort. "Seems like a complicated system."

"Declan, I'm serious. I can't take this."

I blink at her. "You actually believe in that?"

"Yes, and I don't care how much you make fun of me for it."

"I'm not going to make fun of you, it's just..." I sigh. "Okay, how about if I super-duper promise not to become obsessed with you."

She narrows her eyes. "You think this is a joke."

"Kind of," I admit.

"It's not a joke," she says. "Trust me. It's not."

Chapter Twenty-One

Emma

Declan’s eyebrows furrow and he shoots me a puzzled look that informs me that I probably shouldn’t have said what I said, especially with such intensity.

Because now he’s looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" he asks. "When you said 'trust me.' Meaning you've had experience with that?’

I shake my head and look away. "Never mind." I don’t know what to do with the pearl that’s now in my hand burning a hole in my palm. Declan already refused to take it back, and if I insist it will only make him ask more questions.

"No, you can’t just drop a bombshell like that and expect us to saunter past it." He takes two steps closer to me. I wish I could run away, but I can’t because of my ankle and the dangerous terrain. So I simply stand there stiffly and protest by refusing to meet his gaze or answer his question.

"Emma." His hand touches my chin and drags my eyes back to his. "Talk to me."

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