Page 102 of Destined Lovers

I look down and realize it’s been an hour since I left Nora. I should check on her.

* * *

I reach to open the door but stop at the sound of Nora crying.

“I miss you too.” She sniffles.She must be talking to Agnes.

“I feel so alone. I wish I were lying in bed with you right now. I miss my nan snuggles.” She pauses.

“No, he’s fine. I understand why he’s angry. I lied and broke our trust. It’s just hard for me. I’m already going through so much that having him like this is killing me. He was always home for me, you know? No matter where I was, I thought that when it all ended, I would finally be home when I found Declan. God, Agnes, this doesn’t feel like home. I’m not even sure he wants me here.”

I drop my head in shame. I do want her here. And I feel the same way. Nora is home. Always has been.

I don’t want to add more stress that she already has, the court case, the safety issues, then add me into it. I shouldn’t be a stressor.

Tomorrow, I’ll do better.I have to.

15

Nora

My eyes crackopen and squint from the blazing light flooding into the room. I immediately snap them shut and groan into my pillow, wishing we would have remembered to close the curtains last night. I freaking hate mornings.

I blindly reach over to feel the sheets beside me.

Cold.

Did Declan sleep here last night? I passed out so fast I don’t remember even falling asleep, so I certainly wouldn’t remember him coming to bed if he did.

I know I should probably get up, get ready, and find him to figure out how we move on from here. My body is exhausted, though, and I still have a massive headache. So the last thing I want to do is talkagain.

Unfortunately, I know leaving it any longer will only cause problems over time.

Declan will get in his head and overanalyze everything I said and what he could have done differently, which is nothing. Declan is the type that won’t stop thinking until he figures out what went wrong and when.

I know how his complex brain works.

Although after yesterday, I’m second-guessing if I know him as well as I thought I did. It was the first time I’d felt any disconnect with him.

A swirl of dread punches me in the stomach at the thought that we’ve lost a little ofus.

I expected him to be mad. I’ve anticipated it for over a decade. What I didn’t expect was for him to think I went out of my way to lie…to break our trust. It’s unfathomable.

I would never.

Nothing was resolved, and the way he looked at me will be etched on my brain forever. Over the years, I tried to prepare myself. But nothing, and I mean nothing, would have prepared me for the deep remorse I felt after seeing the hurt and anger in Declan’s eyes.

It will live with me for a long time.

I throw my legs off the side of the mattress and drag myself out of bed before I fall back asleep. Remembering now, I not only have to deal with Declan again but also the backlash of Bennett and my boss from the gallery.It’s going to be a long day.

I feel him before I see him, so I continue toward the bathroom to brush my teeth, unable to look at his judging eyes. He made it crystal clear that he disapproved of how I handled things. Not only will I feel remorse over the hurt I’ve caused Declan and Maeve, but also regret.

I was scared. Looking back, I should have confided in him the second time, but I thought I was doing the right thing, the safest thing, for everyone.

In the wild, the mama bear always protects her cubs at all costs. That’s the same feeling I get whenever I think of something happening to Declan. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something I did ever put his life on the line.

Of course, I don’t have to testify. I could walk away and live a somewhat normal life. How fair would that be to my parents and all the other victims of that horrid man? My da took the challenge and didn’t back down. So for him, I want to finish what he started and get the justice they deserve.

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