Page 77 of Hooked on a Demon
Protect,his demon commands.
Declan pulls her away, taking her face in his hands again and kisses her, tears and makeup running down her face. “I’ll get rid of him.”
“He left already. I saw him walk out with a woman. Charlie, I think her name was. I had brunch with her weeks ago when Kaia and I bumped into her and a friend of hers.”
Charlie. Of course. Anger flares inside him, and closing his eyes, he turns his head, forcing his demon to stay inside. This is not the time or place.
Declan goes to kiss her again when the only thing that could make this worse walks into the room.
“Hey, Dec, did you get lost? Zoe said you were—” Everest says, turning into the room, his words trailing off. “What. The. Fuck.” If they could, Everest’s eyes would certainly be blazing red right about now.
“Ev, I’m so sorry,” Eliana says, panic taking over her voice.
“Everest, this isn’t how we wanted you to find out.”
“Find out about what?” Everest says, raising his voice. “Are you fucking my sister? Is she another trophy to you?”
“It’s not like that,” Declan and Eliana say together.
Declan steps forward, but Eliana interlaces her fingers with his, grounding him. Even though this isn’t ideal, and not at all what they had planned, her touch reassures Declan that they are in this together.
“So what is it like then? Is she why you’ve been lying to me?”
Declan lets loose a resigned sigh. “Yes. Eliana and I needed time to figure us out.”
Everest doesn’t pay attention to Declan’s response before facing Eliana, his face contorted in anger. “And you? Do you know what everyone says about him? Do you honestly think he’s good enough for you?”
Everest’s words are a punch to the gut. They land. And hurt. Poking at his insecurities. Not that Everest has been any better than Declan. He’s been by Declan’s side the entire time, through all the shenanigans, encouraging the one-night stands, not that Declan needed it. No, he and Everest are one and the same.
“Ev! That’s not fair,” Eliana says.
“Do you know he’s fucked like half the women in town?”
“So?” she says, wiping a tear from under her eye. “Haven’t you fucked the other half?”
Everest scoffs, flailing his arms in the air and turning away dramatically. “Please. I at least stay the night. I treat my partners as actual human beings. Besides, it’s different.”
“How?” Eliana asks.
“Becausehe’s fucking my sister.” The vitriol rolls off of Everest in waves. There will be no reasoning with him right now. Not in this state.
Eliana takes a step toward her brother, reaching out a hand as an offer of affection. “Please, listen,” she pleads. He steps back, looking at her like she’s disgusting. She flinches away as if she’s been slapped. Declan understands Everest is angry and shocked, but that’s no reason to treat his sister like garbage. Everest can throw whatever he wants at Declan, but he won’t hurt her.
“No,” Everest barks. “He’s a monster, and you’re only going to get discarded like any of the other women he’s been with.”
“Everest. That’s enough,” Declan says, his voice booming. His vision is turning gold, and with already being agitated, he’s not sure how much longer he can hold his demon back, given everything his supposed friend is throwing at him. Through a clenched jaw, Declan says, “I know I am not perfect. Fucking far from it. But Eliana,” he turns to look at her, as she wipes a tear from her cheek, “makes me a better person. She’s brought me a sense of calm when I felt like I was wading through a storm. She is the light to my darkness, and I love her.”
The room falls silent.
“You love me?” Eliana asks, her breath hitching as if she doesn’t believe it to be true.
“Yes, Oaks. I love you,” Declan says. He didn’t want to tell her like this. But it’s out now, and he’s not taking it back.
“I love you, too, Grace.”
“Fuck you both. I’m done,” Everest says before leaving the room.
Declan pulls Eliana toward him and kisses her fiercely. He doesn’t give a flying fuck that his best friend is still raging. No. The only thing that matters is her.
