Page 76 of Declan

I reach for my beer, needing something to ground me. Our fingers brush as he does the same, and even that stupid, small touch sparks something electric under my skin.

I don’t smile. Not yet.

But I don’t look away this time either.

Because maybe tonight we’re still playing pretend for everyone else.

But tomorrow? Maybe tomorrow we won’t be.

I splashcold water on my face, careful not to smudge my makeup, and stare at myself in the mirror. My heart's still racing from dinner, not from the food or the crowd, but from him. Declan.

That look he gave me across the table? It’s still crawling under my skin.

I shouldn’t have stared back. I shouldn’t have let that tiny flicker of hope get through. But I did.

The bathroom door clicks behind me.

My breath hitches before I even turn.

“Declan,” I whisper, my voice caught between surprise and inevitability.

He shuts the door softly behind him, making my chest squeeze tight. He doesn't say anything right away. He just steps forward and cups my cheek with his hand, so gently, like I’ll break if he’s not careful. His thumb grazes my skin, his touch warm, grounding.

“I’m telling him tomorrow,” he says, voice low and sure. “I should’ve done it weeks ago, but I’m doing it now. You were right, Lena. About all of it.”

I swallow hard, my hands resting against his chest. I can feel his heart pounding under my fingertips. He pulls me closer with his other arm, wrapping it around my waist, holding me like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he lets go.

Tears prick my eyes but don’t fall. I blink them back as I stare into his. “You mean it?”

He nods. “No more hiding. No more secrets. You don’t deserve that, and I can’t keep pretending like I’m okay with it. I love you. And I want everyone to know it.”

He leans in and presses his lips to mine. It’s not just a kiss, it’s a promise. A promise that his love for me is the only thing he truly needs. This kiss is soft, deep, and a reminder that what we have is real and unbreakable, unless we choose to let it break.

When he pulls away, he rests his forehead on mine, rubbing his thumb softly over my cheek.

I close my eyes and lean into his touch. Everything inside me aches with how badly I want to believe this is finally it. That the fight is over. That we’ve made it through.

But then the door swings open.

“What the fuck is this?”

Wesley’s voice crashes into the moment like a grenade.

Declan jerks back from me like I’ve burned him. His hand falls from my face, his arm drops from my waist, and suddenly there’s nothing between us but cold space.

I freeze, but not before I see the look on Wesley’s face. Shock. Hurt. Fury.

I look to Declan.

Wait for him to speak.

To say something.

Anything.

But he doesn't.

He just stands there. Silent, frozen, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of the truth.

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