Page 61 of In this Moment

“I know you have a million things to do, so I don’t wantto—”

“Evie, stop.”

She turned away fromhim.

“We needto—”

“Do you know what Tony and Lauren were fighting about?” She spun around, her face a cold mask. He shook his head. “Tony told her that we were going to try to be a family.”

Her words didn’t register as his mind tried to rapidly work out what she’d just said to him. “A family?” He shook his head. “Like a family type of unit with Jonah and shared custody?”

“No.”

“Evie, what’s going on? What are you talking about?”

“Tony just told his wife that he wants to be a family with Jonah and myself. The three ofus.”

“The three of you?” he repeated. “Together?”

She nodded and something in his chest fractured, causing a sharp, stabbingpain.

“He told his wifethat?”

She nodded again.

“And the two of you discussedthis?”

He waited and watched her face. She wouldn’t look at him. Finally, she nodded. “Wedid.”

“I see.” Declan looked to the counter and the ring she’d taken off. She’d told him what a good actor he was. Had it been acting for her the entire time, too?

No.

There’s no way she’d been acting when he kissed her, when he ran his hands down her body, whenhe—

“Anyway, thank you for trying to help me out, Declan. I really do appreciate it.” She turned her back to him. “But we don’t need to worry about it anymore. I know it’s been hard for you to lie toyour—”

“No.” He reached out, grabbed her upper arm and turned her around. There was no way he was walking away from all of this. Not so easily. It wasn’t that simple. And he had to believe it wasn’t that simple for her either. It couldn’tbe.

“Yes,” shesaid.

“So you’re really going to walk away from me.” He gestured between them. “From us. And get back together with Tony? Just likethat?”

“It’s important for Jonah to have his dad.” She yanked her arm away from him and wrapped them around her waist.

“That isn’t an answer.” He shook his head, resisting the urge to pull her toward him. “Do you really expect me to just walkaway?”

An unshed tear glistened in her eye. “Yes.”

“Just likethat?”

She nodded.

Declan took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. “Okay,” he said after a moment. “I will.” He tucked his hands in his pocket to keep from reaching for her. “But first you need to tell me one thing.”

She blinked hard and nodded.

“Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t have feelings for me. Tell me you don’t care if I turn around and walk out of here rightnow.”

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