Page 72 of Declan

Lie. A big fucking one.

He turns his attention back to the cage, shouting encouragement as our guy lands a solid uppercut and sends his opponent reeling. The place explodes. Men are shouting, banging on the cage walls, throwing back whiskey like it’s air.

Lex, usually just as loud, is quiet tonight. He hasn't said much since our talk earlier. His jaw's tight, arms crossed, eyes locked on the fight, but I know he’s not really watching. He’s a million miles away, probably with Sarah, or wherever his grief takes him these days. There’s a distance there, more than usual. A wall I don’t know if he’ll ever let down again.

“Lex,” I say, low so no one else hears, “You okay?”

His eyes flick to mine for a second, then back to the cage. “Doesn’t matter.”

I want to press, but I don’t. He’s earned the right to carry his pain however he needs to. Still, something about the cold in his voice sets my nerves on edge. Like maybe the cracks in all of us are starting to show.

The bell rings, and the fight ends in a bloody mess. Our guy’s hand is raised, and the crowd chants his name. But it’s all muffled noise to me.

I check my phone. No messages from Lena. She’s probably asleep by now, curled up in my shirt. Fuck. I should be home. Should be with her. Every second I’m not with her feels like a second wasted.

“I’m having dinner at my place tomorrow,” Wesley says, cutting into my thoughts.

I glance at him. “Yeah?”

He nods, smiling like it’s no big deal. “Lex, me, a couple of the guys. Family dinner. We haven’t done one in a while. I even invited Lena.”

I freeze. Just for a second. Just long enough for my blood to ice over. “Lena’s gonna be there?”

“Yeah. Figured she could use a night with all of us. She’s been happy lately. Don’t know what’s changed, but I like seeing her like that.”

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. Fuck. He doesn’t know. He really doesn’t know.

But he will.

Soon.

Because the second we’re all sitting at that table, the second his eyes catch mine across the room and he sees how I look at her, like I’d burn down the world just to keep her breathing, he’ll know.

Lex must feel the tension rolling off me because he finally speaks again. “Sounds like a nice night.”

Wesley grins. “Yeah. You better come, Declan. She asked if you’d be there.”

That hits me like a body shot I didn’t see coming. She asked if I’d be there?

God, she’s not hiding this anymore. Not really. Not the way I am.

I nod slowly. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

But inside, I’m screaming. Because everything I’ve been trying to keep separate is about to collide. And I don’t know if I’ll be able to fake it. I don’t know if I want to.

As the crowd starts to clear and the blood gets wiped off the mat, Wesley claps me on the back and walks away. Lex lingers for a second, watching me with that unreadable look of his.

“You can’t keep playing both sides, brother,” he says. “The truth’s coming whether you’re ready or not.”

Then he walks off, too, leaving me alone.

I look back toward the cage, empty now, and I wonder how long I’ve got before the fight I’ve been dreading finally begins.

Chapter 21

Lena

I finish putting the last curl in my hair and look at myself in his mirror.

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