Page 18 of Destined Lovers

She hesitates for a second. “What is it, Agnes?”

“Don’t bite off my head, but I want to make sure you know what you’re doing regarding Declan. I was thinking about it again. Maybe you should go meet him?”

I shake my head and try to explain to her why I’m not ready, unable to come up with another answer other than I just can’t. “I’m not ready, Agnes.”

She nods in understanding. “Well if you change your mind, I have your back and support whatever you do.”

“Thank you, and that’s exactly why I love you.” I smile brightly at her.

“Oh!” She waves her hands in front of her face. “Don’t make me cry. I love you too,” she says and runs off while I laugh at her dramatics then turn back to admire the piece I’m working on.

Luckily, Agnes’s home is a piece of art in itself. An old stone house, set on acres of picturesque land, surrounded by beautiful farm animals.

Today, I started an oil painting of the pasture next to us where the owners just got two new stunning Gypsy Vanner mares. I knew I had to incorporate them in some way, and that’s when it hit me that this would be a perfect gift for Bennett, as he used to ride as a child, and I’ve not made him one like this before. To be honest, I couldn’t have asked for a better setting. The sun is shining on the horses as they munch away on their hay, the sky is blue, and the scene is still. There is no rain in sight.Just perfect.

The only thing not perfect is the thoughts of Declan I keep having to block out.

* * *

Quite happy with myself after another hour or so of painting, I decide to take a well-needed break, but just as I start to clean up my paints and brushes, I hear a car pull into the driveaway.

Geez, have I been painting that long that Agnes is back already? That woman can spend hours socializing with her friends. It’s exhausting, really. I joined once; that was the first and last time I went anywhere without having my own car to escape.

I check my phone, but not much time has passed. Maybe Bennett forgot something?

I start to take off my paint-covered apron and walk around to the front to check who’s there, but whoever it is, has already started walking back toward me because I see a shadow drifting along the side of the house.

“Hello?” I call as I frantically look around the yard.

Something seems off.

It’s quiet, besides the footsteps, so I panic and stand still instead of running.Smart, Nora.

“Hello, Pip,” I hear called from behind me. I whip around and drop the paints in my hand in complete shock.

“What are you doing here?” I cry. “How do you know where I live?”This is bad.Knowing I’m in Ireland is one thing, but knowing where I live is not okay.

Declan shrugs unaffected. “I wasn’t taking any chances on you running again, so I followed you the other night. And good thing I did, aye?” He’s mad. Rightfully so, but he can’t just show up here!

I stare at him in shock, and it’s then I realize I hadn’t noticed another car on the road the other night. I thought my self-awareness was better.

“Do you know how crazy this is? You can’t just follow people, Declan.”

“And you can’t just stand up people, Nora.”Touché.

“No!” I shake my head. “You need to leave. You weren’t ever meant to come here.”

He crosses his arms, unimpressed. “Stop talking in riddles. You haven’t said one logical thing since I’ve run into you. And I’m not leaving. Call the guards if you must. I’m staying here until I get answers.”

“I’m not calling the police on you, Declan. Don’t be ridiculous. What I am doing is asking you to leave. I don’t want you here.”

Of course, I want him here, he just can’t be here, and I’ll say whatever it takes to make him leave.

His face stays still as a statue, but from my words, his eyes are a story of hurt, and I can’t handle that. It’s too much to know you’re hurting the one person you care for more than yourself.

I don’t know how else to tell him to leave without me leaving myself.

“Here we go again,” he calls,

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