Page 64 of Between Commitment and Betrayal
“You seem to think I give two shits about the public. The public cares about me, I don’t care about them. If they want to document me having a fit with my wife, they sure as shit can. But what they’re not going to do is see you getting away with endangering yourself again. You won’t be jogging to work or home from work. If you do, I’m hiring security to tail you.”
“You can’t think that’s—”
“And since you finally decided to step foot in my house, you can join me for dinner every night. Breakfast in the morning too.”
“That all?” I said, the anger boiling in me now too. Did he think I would easily bend to his will?
“I will open doors for you, Drop, or I’ll keep them closed until you let me.”
“Well, that’s just immature, Declan.” He was being a child and letting his frustration get the best of him. “Is this how you handle your emotions?”
“I can take you to the locker room if you want me to show you how I really handle my emotions when it comes to you.”
I pulled at the collar of my sports bra, trying to let the heat my body felt escape. “Do you hear yourself?”
“Yes. I’m sick of not being in control. I let your father call a lot of shots in our business, but he’s gone. The only thing he gets to control now is our marriage. I let the media push me one way when I wanted to go another. I didn’t used to until this empire’s responsibility began bearing down on me. I’m about done with letting the press dictate my life.”
“We have to maintain public composure and approach this with level heads—”
“You want me to have a level head, Everly, then listen.” He didn’t wait for me to respond, his eyes were a dark, dark green, like they’d changed with his mood. “The press is about to dig into our relationship hard because we’re arguing on the side of a road. So, now might be the time to drop the news.”
“Of our marriage?” Why did I sound so scared?
He nodded like we were about to go to war and took a breath. “It’s time to take control of it. I’ll let Piper know. Tell who you need to.”
I didn’t want to tell anyone. So, I gulped instead.
He smiled softly. “Now, ask me nicely to open the door for you.”
I stomped my foot as I glanced around and realized clients were waiting to get in and out. People’s phones filmed him, and I stood there looking like an imbecile. “Please, open the damn door, Declan, so we can get to work,” I grumbled, and then muttered under my breath as he took his hand off the revolving door, “And next time you manhandle me on the sidewalk, I’m laying you out.”
“I hope that’s a promise and not an empty threat. I’m happy to be laid out if you’re on the ground with me.”
“You’re totally and completely ridiculous. I say that after assessing all angles and knowing I can’t come to any other conclusion because obviously I have to be the logical one here.” When I looked at him, he was smiling like he’d won another freaking Super Bowl as he walked behind me. “See you at six for your rehab.”
“Looking forward to it, Drop,” he said rather loudly as he passed by and nodded to Juna.
“Drop?” she whispered.
“Just a dumb nickname,” I said, scanning my watch.
“Are you going to tell me what that was?” She pointed to the doors. “Because I’ve seen Declan mad on the field and in the tabloids but never here. Here, he’s practically the nicest guy!”
“I don’t know. He’s having a bad day.” I shrugged and waved her off. “Go home so you can get your day off.”
“I feel like if I go home, I’m going to miss something,” she said, her dark eyes the size of saucers staring at me.
“What are you going to miss?” Clara intruded on the conversation, bouncing over with tulips on her dress and an actual flower in her hair. I wondered if she’d plucked it on the way to work or if she went to a boutique to buy it in order to complete her outfit. I wouldn’t have put any of it past her.
“Declan yelling at Evie. He nicknamed her Drop and held her hostage in the revolving door to start off the day, so I’m guessing the drama is only going to get more and more intense as the day wears on.”
Clara whipped her head over her shoulder as if she was watching out for someone and then whipped back to us. “Weird. Anyway, see you later, Juna.” Juna didn’t take much offense to Clara dismissing her because she was really in a hurry to get out of the gym. But as soon as Juna was out of earshot, Clara leaned in with a glare. “I’m going insane keeping this secret, Evie. My sister and mom are like hawks when it comes to you two.”
“I know it’s difficult—”
“And Piper is going to be pissed. She doesn’t act like her and Declan are a thing, but if someone’s going to replace her, she thinks it’s going to be Anastasia on Declan’s arm. If it’s you…” She practically yanked at her hair. “I’m sorry, but she’s going to be furious.”
“I’ll handle it.” I waved a client over and scanned their watch. Then, I examined the schedule one last time. “I have one-on-ones after an hour of front-desk duty. I think we just go about our day as if nothing has changed—”
