Page 29 of Destined Lovers

“Nora, come on, babe. Tell me, please.”

“Do you remember the last time we spoke on the phone?”

“Like it was yesterday,” I answer easily.

She takes a deep breath in again and squeezes my hand tightly. “A few hours after that, both my parents died.”

“What?” I choke. “What do you mean?”

“A tragic accident happened. Unfortunately, I was there for the whole thing. I saw it all.” She bites her lip hard, trying to stop the trembling of her chin.

“What?” I whisper, lost for words. I lean forward, cradling my head in one hand, not letting go of Nora with the other.

I knew she would tell me her parents had died, but I was not expecting them to have passed away together at the same time. Or for her to be there.

What did she go through, and what did she see?

I turn my head to take her in. My strong girl is trying so hard to hold back any sign of weakness. I want her to know that I’m her safe place. I’ll always be here for her whenever she needs me. After all these years, nothing has changed. She’s still my best friend because I can see it clearly now. She’s hurting, and she didn’t run because she wanted to. She ran because she needed to. I just need to figure out why.

Her jaw is clenched, and her face is blotchy, with unshed tears in her eyes. She’s holding back as best as she can.

I reach over and pull her into my chest, and she cuddles right in, where she belongs.

“I’m so sorry, Pip. I wish I would have known. I loved your ma and da too,” I utter into the top of her head.

She throws her arms around my midsection and snuggles in closer.

“I miss them.” She lets out a shaking breath. “So much.”

“I know, Pip, I know…” My poor girl. What the hell has happened over all these years for her to keep this from me?

After holding her safe in my arms for a while, I have to ask. “Nora… why did you run? Why would you keep this from me?” I don’t want to make this moment about me, but how can I not ask?

“It was too much. It was all too much,” she whispers into my chest and then pushes back to look me in the eyes.

“I thought about you every day. It was you that kept me going, knowing that one day I would see you, kept me going. But I needed time. I still need time. This isn’t easy, Declan. But I’m still not ready, and I hope one day you’ll understand.”

I don’t fully understand, honestly. Maybe I’m being dense, but I have a feeling something else is going on here.

“Is this the reason for all the change? Your hair, your name?” I ask, and she nods.

“I needed to start over, a fresh start where I wasn’t living in the past. When I was ready to be me again, I was going to come and find you. I promise.”

Something is still not adding up, but I won’t push her. I have to trust her. Like she said, we always hadtrust, no matter what.

“Nora, look at me,” I demand.

When she finally lifts her eyes to look at me, I say, with total conviction, so she knows I mean it with every bone of my body. “Stop hiding, Pip, and when you need a person, you come to me.Use me. Lose yourself in me.Do you hear me? I’ll always be here for you, no questions asked.”

She gets up to her knees and flings her leg around so she’s straddling me.Again.

“Don’t get any ideas, mister,” she says through a smile, lightening the mood.

She pushes my hair off my eyes again and cups both my cheeks.

“You are the kindest, most selfless person I have ever met in my life, Declan Buckley. Never change.” She kisses my cheek and jumps off my lap before I react, heading straight to the kitchen.

When she walks back in, she holds a tray with fresh gin and tonics accompanied by some snacks.

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