Page 72 of Broken Promises

Belle and I have always watched cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies on Christmas Eve every year. Maverick started to join in with us.

“Where are Jo and Mav?” I ask, just realizing they weren’t here with the rest of the group.

Belle sighs and flops down on my couch. “Mav volunteered to go check on Adira for Kai. Jo went with him.”

I flinch. Kai and Ezra’s mom has been in a hole of depression and alcohol since Ezra was legally declared dead. Kai has tried really hard to get her help and maintain a relationship with her, but all she sees when she looks at him is Ezra.

“Have you checked on the house recently?” Belle asks. She knows I haven’t. We’re still keeping track of each other, eventhough there hasn’t been an incident since the night Eva was here.

“Ask what you really want to know,” I say, giving her a small smile to let her know it’s okay.

She sighs. “When are you going to sell it?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it, and it’s not the house I want to keep. My memories behind those walls are mostly sad. But I don’t want to lose the walls my mom painted. I have nothing of hers. Those walls and the blurry images in my head of my mom painting them herself are all I have left.”

My dad kept all her things for years. He locked them away in the spare bedroom, not letting me in to see them. Then one day, he had a breakdown and donated all of it. There wasn’t a single shirt or stray hair tie left. I was so devastated I didn’t speak to him for months.

Belle remembers how upset I was, so she just nods and grabs the throw blanket on the back of the couch to toss over our legs. I snuggle up to her, grateful that some things never change.

“Merry Christmas, Princess.”

I snuggle into Declan, not wanting to wake up and leave the warmth of his body. He chuckles but holds me tightly anyway.

“Merry Christmas,” I mumble into his neck.

“Can I have my presents now?” He sounds so eager it makes me laugh.

“They’re under the tree. I moved them while you showered last night.”

I squeal as he scoops me up and drops me to my feet just long enough to throw one of his shirts over my naked body, then I’m right back in his arms. He runs down the stairs, tosses me ontothe couch and starts dropping presents at my feet as he gathers his into his arms.

“How many gifts did you get me?” I ask him, looking at the small mountain at my feet.

“No idea.” He sits next to me with this pile next to him and waits.

I roll my eyes. “Go ahead, hockey boy.”

After maybe ten minutes, Declan has opened all his presents and helped me with mine because he was too excited to wait. I got him more shirts since I keep stealing his, band merch for when he comes to our shows, a new game day suit in a deep green to match his eyes, a watch with our wedding anniversary engraved into the back, and a bunch of other small things I picked up when I went shopping with the girls. Declan got me my favorite perfume, oval cut diamond earrings to match my ring, a gold necklace that says Mrs. Monroe, team t-shirts and his jersey that also says Mrs. Monroe, a pile of books from my Amazon wishlist, and tons of lacy lingerie.

“There’s one more thing,” I tell him. He starts to get up to check under the tree again, but I stop him by climbing into his lap. “It’s not under there.”

“Is it here?” he asks, grabbing my ass with his hands and squeezing. I shake my head and look into his eyes. They’re twinkling with happiness and burning with lust at the same time. It’s been a pretty common look on him lately and I love it. I love him.

“I love you.”

Declan’s whole body tenses. “Say it again,” he whispers. His eyes are wide and there’s an uncertainty there that makes my stomach hurt. I know I put that look in his eyes. He’s worried he heard me wrong. That I didn’t just tell him what he’s been waiting to hear.

“I love you, Declan. I love you so much that love might not even be the right word to describe what I feel for you. I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you.”

“I love you so much, Princess. I always have, always will.”

I knew I couldn’t wait any longer to tell him. Watching the relief on his face when I told him the odds of me getting sick were less dissolved that thickness in my throat that kept stopping me from telling him how much I love him.

But the look in his eyes, that unconditional and all-encompassing love that’s there whenever he looks at me, broke every last barrier I had. I love him with everything I have and everything I am. And maybe I always have.

I kiss him fiercely, showing him how much I love him with every touch of my lips and graze of my fingers. Declan grabs my hips and pulls me down to grind against his erection. I moan at the feel of his hard length against me, only a few thin scraps of fabric between us.

“I need to be inside you,” Declan moans, shifting so he can get his pants and boxers off. “Please, Princess.” I was already wet, but his desperation would’ve soaked my panties if I was wearing any. I rip Declan’s shirt over my head and position myself above him, slowly easing myself onto his erection.

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