Page 28 of Destined Lovers

Her eyes are fixated on my chest, unable to look me in the eyes. Her mouth opens and shuts slightly, trying to get out her words. I sit and let her get her thoughts composed. I can wait here all day.

“Well, it’s been a stressful week, to say the least,” she says with a raised chin.

“So you still do it then?”

“Yes… but now I make my own, with Agnes.”

“It was always helpful for me when we were younger. If I smelled something bright and light. I knew you were in a good mood.” I smirk and throw her a wink. I know she’s rolling her eyes.

People express their emotions differently, and Nora, my little spitfire, did not hide when she was annoyed about something.

Ever.

She was an open book in that sense and always matched her mood with her perfume. So before she even opened her mouth, I would try and take in her scent so I knew what the day had in store for me.

A few silent moments pass, and she lets out a long, low sigh, jolts up off the couch, and starts pacing.

I know this is hard for her. Expressing personal emotions was never something that came easily for Nora. I can see by the pained look on her face that she is having a hard time with this.

Only, this time, I can’t help her. I can’t be the crutch I was in the past. I have to let her work it out on her own time.

She has to know that this is hard for me, too, not just learning about her parents but watching her torment right before my eyes.

I take in her every move, trying to understand what’s going on in that pretty little head of hers until she breaks the silence.

“Don’t be mad—”

“Nora,” I warn. I’m a patient man, but they are wearing very, very thin. I can’t handle the run-around right now.

“No, Declan,” she snaps. “You have to understand something. I want to tell you everything. I do, and I will! But I can’t.” She pauses, trying to kill me with the dramatics. “Remember just a few minutes ago? I promised I would tell you everything at some point. This is part of that. So… understand why I am being vague right now.”

I cross my arms and feel my chest tighten with frustration. I’m stuck in a fecking hard place right now.

“Trust.”

“Trust?”

“Trust is something we always had, Dec. You are the only person besides Agnes now that I fully trust in my life. Even though we’ve been apart, it’s something I always held on to. So hold on to that, like I always have, even when it feels like I’m letting you down. Trust in our friendship because it will all work itself out in the end.”

I nod my head, not able to answer. I know deep down I trust her, but what the hell is going on right now?

I won’t push her. The last thing I need is for her to run again. But how much can one person take? My head is about to explode.

“Go on,” I prompt, and she walks back to sit next to me and takes my hand in hers.

“Seriously, you have to understand…” She pauses. “Ugh, feck!” she yells in frustration and shakes her head vehemently.

“Sorry,” she whispers. I’m starting to see this is harder than I thought for her.

She takes a few deep breaths and squares off her body to look right at me. She leans over, runs her hand through my hair, and kisses me quickly on the lips like it’s the most normal thing to do.

She’s drawing strength from me, I know, because we used to do it for each other as kids, just in different ways.

“I wasn’t sure when I’d kiss you next.” She smiles sadly.

“You’re stalling.”

She shrugs in response.

---