Page 100 of Destined Lovers

“I thought you despised that college?”

“Not the library. That was my safe place, where I learned to appreciate the classics.” My parents were beloved professors at Trinity College, running the physics department together, so when they advanced in their studies and teachings on nanotechnology, their time at the school increased, their time with me decreased. They thought bringing me back and forth to Dublin was quality time, except all they did was dump me at the library.

I hate them for it, but at the same time they gave me books, which became the center of my universe.

“Remember when I was little, and you would get so mad because I didn’t have an inside voice, so we would have to leave the library and get ice cream.” She chuckles.

“Aye, you were kind of cute back then. I couldn’t be that mad at you with your crazy red pigtails,” I say. Not able to help myself, I tug a little of her now brown hair, and she smiles softly at the memory.

“This is the guest room and my bedroom down there,” I point to the end of the hall, and she starts to take her stuff into the guest room.

I hesitate. It’s where she should go for now… only it seems wrong. So wrong. My girl should be next to me at night, not a room away.Ugh.

But is she my girl? Do I want her to be my girl again?

Feck it. I take her bag out of her hand and walk toward the bedroom, not saying a word, hearing her snicker behind me.

She knows what this means, I won’t stay mad, and if I want her in my room, I want her in my life.

I wasn’t kidding anyone. At this point in our relationship, we can’t just be friends. I’ve had her once. Now, having her in my home, I’ll never be without it again.

That doesn’t mean we have to rush anything. We need to work on trust and communication, something I never thought would be an issue with Nora and me.

Trust is something we always had.

It’s what she told me the last time I saw her. I thought I could trust her not to run again and talk through her past. Clearly, I had that wrong.

I take a deep breath and roll my neck. I can’t think of all that now. We need to try and move past this. I need to learn how to support her and everything she went through, but also be able to recognize and work through my own feelings. It may take a while.

“Holy shite, Declan. Feck off with this bedroom, would ya? This is bigger than my flat.” She runs and jumps on the bed, lying completely starfish.

I smile, forgetting I’m mad at her. She’s going to be the death of me.

“I’m never leaving this room.” I raise my eyebrows.Fine by me.

“Oh, don’t be such a man. That’s not what I meant.”

“I obviously didn’t have advance notice to clean out drawers, but do whatever you need to make space. This here controls all the curtains.” Handing her the remote. I press open for her to see.

“Declan Patrick, what the…” She runs over to the balcony. “I can’t wait to paint out here. There’s room for Maeve and me to both sit out here.” I have a large terrace filled with flowers and trees for when it’s a nice day out, and I don’t want to work or read inside.

“What’s up there?” She points to the small staircase leading up to the fourth-floor room.

“Nothing,” I snap and lead her again, “Just a bunch of crap storage.” She eyes me suspiciously and looks between me and the room again.

“It’s not your red room, is it?” She wiggles her brows.

“Definitely not. Anything I want to do will be taking place right here. No need to have a special room to fuck.” Great, now all I’m thinking about is fucking Nora.

I look over, and clearly, she’s thinking the same thing. She’s biting that fecking lip I love so much, looking me up and down. I take a deep breath, and with much dismay, I take a significant step back, turning to adjust myself, and call over my shoulder, “Why don’t you unpack and call Agnes? I’ll just be in my office. I need to make a few calls.”

“Okay, and Dec?”

“Aye?”

“Thank you for doing this… after everything.” She looks down, saddened.

“Always, Pip.” I don’t even offer to explain. She knows that no matter what happens between us, she can always rely on me.

---