Page 19 of Declan

She’s called several times already. If I keep ignoring her, she’s going to start panicking and knowing her, she won’t hesitate to show up at Twisted Souls looking for me.

Declan told me not to answer my phone.

But in this situation, answering is the only way to protect myself.

I take a slow breath and swipe to accept the call. “Hey.”

“Holy shit, finally! I thought something horrible happened. I was about to go looking for your brother.”

See? I did the right thing.

I force out a small laugh, hoping it sounds natural. “No, it’s good. I just decided to go for a drive and ended up passing out in a parking lot.”

“Umm…what?” She pauses. “That’s weird as hell, but okay. So, how much longer until you’re home? We need to go out tonight. Last night was boring as fuck without you.”

Shit.

Maybe I shouldn’t have answered.

Now I’m stuck. I don’t know what to say. I can’t tell her where I really am. If she thinks something is off, she’ll come looking for me. If she shows up at Twisted Souls, she’ll run into Wesley or, even worse, Declan.

I need to think fast.

“Not tonight,” I say, trying to sound casual. “I’m tired. I just need sleep.”

“You did that last night!” she whines. “Come on, Lee. Time to get dressed up and have some fun. You’re always down for a night out. What’s going on?”

Fuck.

I grip the phone tightly. “Look, Wesley needs me right now. He’s dealing with some shit, and I don’t want to leave him alone. I’m gonna stay with him tonight.”

Silence.

My stomach twists as I wait for her reaction.

Finally, she exhales. “Oh, shit. Is he okay? Can I do anything?”

“No, he’s just—” I hesitate for half a second before pushing the lie further. “He’s just in a bad headspace and wants company.”

She sighs. “Fine. I guess I’ll try to have fun tonight without you.” She pauses for a second. “I’ll text you later.”

“Sounds good.”

The call ends.

I stare at my phone for a moment before tossing it onto the counter.

My pulse is still racing.

I think I just fucked up.

Night has settled in,stretching the silence around me like a heavy, suffocating blanket. Still no word from Declan. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

I hate waiting.

The boredom had gotten the best of me hours ago, driving me to do something completely out of character and cook. It’s nothing elaborate, just spaghetti and a garden salad, but for someone who despises cooking, it might as well be a five-course meal.

And if I’m being honest with myself, a twisted part of me had hoped Declan would walk in to find me in his kitchen, like some sort of domestic fantasy brought to life. But now, the dishes areclean, the food is packed away, except for one small plate I left warming in the oven. Just in case.

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