Page 18 of Declan

Every second that ticks by drags my nerves tighter, wrapping around my chest like a vice.

I’m terrified something went wrong when he met up with Jason.

I’m terrified Wesley knows what happened.

I’m terrified because I feel trapped, like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff with no way to climb down.

But the thing that really has me scared?

What I’m feeling for Declan.

I press my palms against my thighs, trying to steady myself, but my body is restless. My thoughts are restless.

I can’t stop thinking about the way he looked at me. The heat in his eyes, the unspoken tension stretching so thick between us that it felt impossible to ignore. If my phone hadn’t rung when it did, I swear we would’ve kissed.

The thought has me equal parts turned on and terrified.

I’ve spent years convincing myself that whatever I felt for Declan was nothing more than a stupid, fleeting crush. That the lingering glances, the stolen moments, the quiet connection we shared were all in my head.

But the truth?

The older we got, the stronger my feelings became.

And I got so good at pushing them down, shoving them deep into the darkest parts of me because if I didn’t, I was afraid they would explode out of me.

I rub my hands over my face and sit down on the couch, squeezing my eyes shut.

Big mistake.

Vivid flashes of the past hit me like a sledgehammer.

Declan’s arm slung around my shoulders when we were younger, his touch always just a little too possessive, a little too protective.

The way he always knew when something was wrong, when to push and when to give me space.

The look in his eyes when he saw me tonight, like he was fighting something just as hard as I was.

I snap my eyes open and let out a shaky breath.

“Fuck.”

I stand abruptly, pacing toward the kitchen and grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. The cool condensation against my palm does nothing to ground me.

It’s too quiet in this house.

I left the TV on, but the volume is muted just in case someone stops by. Just in case someone is watching. I don’t want anyone to know I’m here.

Neither does Declan.

He made that very clear.

I swallow hard, gripping the water bottle tighter.

I don’t know what’s more terrifying, being trapped in this situation with no way out, or knowing that the one person I shouldn’t want is the only person who makes me feel safe.

My phone rings, shattering the silence and making me jump. My heart slams against my ribs as I scramble to grab it. Jeanne.

Shit.

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