Page 76 of Broken Promises

“We have your backs,” Belle says, coming to stand next to us, Kai still attached to her side. “Anyone with eyes can see your marriage is real, and you love each other. Don’t let some crazed bimbo get to you.”

I snort and slide down Declan so I can hug Belle. “I’m sorry,” I whisper to her. She squeezes me.

“I understand. I wouldn’t want to try to explain that woman to anyone. Luckily, Kai is too much of an asshole for anyone to chase him.”

“Hey!” Kai complains.

“Except for me, obviously,” she says, grinning up at him. His fake frown cracks, and he smiles back before kissing her.

“Someone, please smother me in my sleep and put me out of my misery,” Mav mutters before leaving the room. I watch him leave, the sadness weighing his shoulders down.

“We need to find Ezra,” I say. I’ve been having the small moments of guilt. Like being happy is somehow a betrayal to Ezra. I snap myself out of it pretty quickly, but then that’s followed by guilt for not dedicating more time to finding him. It’s a cycle that’s getting old and needs to end soon. I can’t keep feeling guilty over living my life and finding happiness.

“Jo and I are planning on spending our time on the bus going through more leads that have been submitted to the platform. My dad is still trying to find anything to lead us to Gavin Irons. That man is a ghost, though,” Harlow says, her eyes trained on the doorway where Mav disappeared.

“Bus is leaving in twenty minutes!” Nate yells as he breezes by.

I sigh and snuggle into Declan. “I wish you could come with us.”

“I do too, Princess.”

“We’ll see at you at your game next week,” Kai says, patting Dec on the shoulder as he leaves the room with Belle. Cal does the same thing as he leaves with Harlow.

“I meant everything I said,” Declan says when we have the room to ourselves. “I believe with everything I am that we would still fall in love and get married. We’re lucky we got to do it sooner.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Oh yeah? What else do you believe?”

“That we’re going to have kids, and you’re going to be the best mom to them. That we’re going to bring them back to the campground where we met every summer.” He kisses me, his lips barely brushing mine before he speaks again. “We’re going to go on so many adventures, Princess.”

“I can’t wait,” I whisper against his lips. The idea of kids is still terrifying to me, but I can see the picture Declan is painting, and I want it.

Declan’s lips crash into mine. I kiss him back with equal ferocity. I want him to feel how much I miss him on his lips for days.

“Willa! Bus!” Nate yells.

“Fuck,” Declan curses. He kisses me again, gently this time. “I’ll call you on the way to the airport tomorrow.” I nod, holding back tears. It’s so much harder to leave him this time around. “I love you, Princess.”

“I love you too, baby.”

We separate in the parking lot with another steamy kiss. He walks me to the bus, leaving me after telling me how much he loves me again before heading to his own car.

This is going to be the longest week of my life.

THIRTY-SIX

declan

“How areyou doing with all this?” Gideon asks me while we change before our game. By ‘all of this’ he means Bethany causing a stink with the press with claims my marriage is fake. She tried telling them my marriage was fake, but no one bought it, so now she’s trying to make Willa out to be a home wrecker. She even cried in front of a poster of me that I did for Nike. It’s picking up more traction than it should.

“Worse than Willa. She’s not bothered by Bethany at all.”

“She loves you and is secure in your relationship. That’s not a bad thing.”

“I just hate that this is happening at all.”

My phone vibrates next to me, and I grab it.

Princess

---