Page 98 of The Lake House

“Declan!” I shout.

I watch the two of them trying to beat the living shit out of one another when it all dawns on me.

This cannot be happening. I can’t allow this. Seeing Declan fighting for me, possibly getting hurt all because of me? This is not good. He has a little girl who needs him. I can’t let him get in between the drama of my life. Todd has ruined it for me. Any chance at real love that I may have ever had can no longer be. I can’t let Declan fight for me. I should have never let it get this far. I should have known by all his messages and everything that Todd would not give up. But never in a million years did I think it would ever come to this. Hell, I honestly thought he was done with me when we got divorced.

But no.

He waited all this time to ruin me and what I have.

Todd will always control my life one way or another. As much as I don’t want him to, he still finds a way to insert himself in my life and destroy all the good I’ve found.

And this is all just unfair to Declan. I have to stop this.

Tears stream down my eyes, watching Declan and Todd going at it, but I’m totally at a loss, and I don’t know what to do.

The cops.

I need to call the cops.I finally get back to my senses.

The two of them continue brawling, throwing blow after blow. Blood splatters to the ground.

As I shakily pick up my phone and go to dial the police, I hear sirens coming from down the block. They’re already on their way over. But how?

I look around, and while all this commotion has caused a scene for the neighbors, I rest dumbfounded, trying to figure out who made the call.

I guess it doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that they break this up and hopefully take Todd away.

* * *

After what seems like a lifetime, and dozens of questions from the officers who showed up, Declan and I sit on my porch steps in shock. At least I am.

He holds an ice pack to his left knuckles; his black eye and swollen lip are impossible to miss.

We watch in silence as a handcuffed Todd is being taken away in the back seat of the police car to Silver Mist station.

“Well, this is one way to start the evening,” Declan chuckles.

I don’t find it amusing. I turn to face him instead. “Dec, how can you joke at a time like this?”

He tries to smirk, but he can’t without wincing in pain. “Look, Giules. Everything is okay. You’re fine. I’m fine. A couple of nicks and scratches couldn’t keep me down. It’s all—”

“But it’s not!” I stand, cutting him off. I cross my arms against my chest before speaking once more. “It’s not okay. It’s not all good. This could have turned out to be something completely different. Things could have gone so much worse. And it’s all because of me.”

Declan furrows his brows. “What? How can you say that, Giules? This is not your fault.”

“But it is. If we hadn’t gotten close, if we never would have dated, you would have never been brought into this disaster with me.”

Declan places the ice pack on the steps and rises to his feet. He grabs my hands in his. “And I would have been miserable without you.”

I tilt my head to the left. “You wouldn’t have been miserable because you were fine before I came back into town. You were living your life, taking care of Lily, and everything was going fine for you. Then I came along and ruined everything for you.”

He brings a finger up to my chin. “Babe, do you really think that I wanted things to befine? Just fine?I wanted them to be wonderful, and that’s exactly what you did when you came waltzing into my life, into my heart. You made everything better. For me, and for Lily.”

I don’t respond. I just stare into his beautiful eyes and feel nothing but sorrow for making this man’s life a hell.

“Do you hear me, Giules?”

I shrug, holding back more tears from falling down my cheeks.

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