Page 102 of The Lake House

“Pfft. Who’s joking?” she replies. “I mean it. You were supposed to do all the work that night since he was probably exhausted from kicking Todd’s ass. You should have ridden him so hard so he could come like he never came before.”

I throw my arms up in exasperation. “Oh, Liv.”

“Oh, don’t ‘oh, Liv’me now. Do you still love him?”

“What?”

“Do you still love Declan?”

I smirk. “Of course I still love Declan. What kind of question is that?”

Liv nods. “Then you need to be with him, Giules. Don’t you remember what your grandmother’s letter said?”

I furrow my brows. “What?”

“The letter your grandmother had written you before she died that you found when you first moved in. Do you remember what it said?”

I think back to my grandmother’s letter. “Of course, I remember. I remember every single word.”

She nods again. “So you know she wants you to be with him. She knew you’d no longer be with Todd, and there was better out there for you. And better is Declan. And you know it. She told you with time you’d be fine and that everything would work itself out. She knew you all too well, and she knew Todd was never it for you. We all knew that.”

“Yes, but I’m no longer with Todd. I haven’t been with him in what feels like forever now.”

Liv rubs her belly. She does that every time the baby kicks. She smiles. “Forget the dickwad, okay? She was saying she knew there was someone else for you. Don’t let Declan get away, girl. I told you before and I’ll tell you again. You deserve to be happy.”

I consider her words and everything that was in Grandma Beverly’s letter. She’s right, of course. They both are.

I sip on my water and then speak. “Okay, I get your point, but now it’s too late.”

“What are you talking about?”

I shrug. “Liv, it’s been like two weeks since the incident with Todd. There’s no way he’s still just waiting around for me. I’m sure I hurt him enough now and he wants nothing to do with me.”

Liv shakes her head. “Woman, do I need to slap you upside your head?”

“I’m just saying—”

“Well, don’t, because it’s pointless. He’s waited so long for you… you think he’s going to give up on you now after everything you two have been through?” She tilts her head to the side. “Come on, girl. You know he wouldn’t do that.”

I shrug once more. “His sister told me to stay away. I’m sure she’s telling him right now how much better off he is without me.”

She waves a dismissive hand in my direction. “Giules, who cares? Seriously. Anyone could tell him to stay away from you, leave you alone, blah, blah, blah. Declan isn’t stupid. He’s not gullible, and he’s not going to do something just because someone tells him to do it. He won’t stay away from you. And the reason I know he won’t is because Declan truly loves you. I don’t think there’s anything you could do to keep him away from you, Giules. You’ve got a good man there.”

One of the best, but I did more than enough to push him away.

“I think it’s time for me to go home, Liv. I need to face everything. I can’t stay here forever.”

“You know you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like, but I’d really love for you to go see Declan and fix things with him.”

I suck back a tear, but another one spills from my eyes. “What am I going to do, Liv?”

She smiles softly at me, tears welling up in her eyes now. “Whatever you decide to do, I’m here for you, and I’ll always have your back. I love you, girl.”

A sad smile forms on my lips. “I love you, too, bestie. I love you, too.”

ChapterThirty-Seven

DECLAN

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