Page 14 of Destined Lovers

He reaches out to me, on instinct, to comfort me, and pulls back quickly. His face falls, so I know he didn’t miss the flinch.

I want him to touch me, to hold me.

But I can’t. It will be my undoing.

“Give me breakfast, Nora, lunch, whatever. That’s it. After all this time, give me that. Do you hate me so much that you can’t sit with me for even one hour to talk?” he croaks.

“I don’t hate you!” I frown. Is that what he thinks? “It’s not that, Declan, I promise.” This is harder than I thought it would be.

“Then explain it to me, Pip. Please, you’re killing me here.”

Pip…a name I never thought I would miss terribly.

“Please,” he whispers. “Please, Nora,” he says again when I don’t answer.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

Feck. What am I agreeing to?

“Aye,” I shrug. I don’t know why I can’t say more than one-word answers, but that’s all he gets. It’s that or another breakdown. And I’ve hit my quota of those already.

“Can you do tomorrow? Maybe we can go—”

“Tomorrow’s great. Tomorrow at noon.” I cut him off before he could suggest a place. I have my weekly date with Bennett for breakfast, and I can’t miss it, so it’s easier to stay around here.

“I’ll meet you here?” he asks, and I nod my confirmation.

He moves slightly to the side so that I can get into the driver’s seat, and I don’t waste any time. I jump right in, knowing I need to get home ASAP.

As I try to shut the car door, Declan puts his hand up to stop it and leans down to look me right in the eyes.

“It’s still just you and me, after all this time, Pip. Just you and me. There’s no reason to be scared.” He reaches forward and releases my bottom lip I had my teeth sunk into.

“I—” I don’t know what to say, but he stops me mid-sentence.

“Tomorrow, Nora.” He says with conviction and then turns and walks away.

I’m not scared.

I’m petrified.

Because the look in his eyes has changed drastically in the short time we’ve been outside.

He’s gone from sad to determined, which can only hurt us in the long run.

Nora

I was up all night,tossing and turning, while crazy thoughts ran through my head. So, I’m hoping, fingers crossed, that once Bennett arrives for our weekly breakfast, he’ll agree to do it here at the house.

I’d rather not run into Declan if he’s staying in town and have to explain to Bennett who he is. Or to Declan, who Bennett is, for that matter.

“Good morning, child. Did you sleep up here last night?” Agnes asks as she slides behind me for a good morning cuddle.

“Aye,” I answer around the spoon full of honey I just stuck in my mouth in a way to avoid any more questions. I rather not have to explain that I was scared of having a bad nightmare and wanted to be close to her.

Agnes eyes me, then eyes the honey jar and shakes her head in disgust.

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