Page 109 of Declan

Declan continued to breathe heavy which only made my unease grow. With every rise and fall of my chest, the knot grew bigger.

“Right now, Autumn, I need you to think hard, baby, and tell me if I’ve ever done a single thing you couldn’t trust.”

He hadn’t, but still, neither had Ash.

I’d trusted her. I’d told the guys I trusted her with my life and I’d been wrong about her.

“But more than that, Autumn, I want you to hark back and remember what it felt like when you gave me the gift of you, the trust you put in me, the trust I gave you. Think back and remember. No way in hell would you give me you if you didn’t trust me. I am not her. I’m not withholding a damn thing from you. I’ve given you all of me, every part. So, now, I need you to continue to give me that so I can give you more. Trust me to know what you need, what I need.”

After that, he continued to drive to my house and I did what he asked—I remembered.

He’d given me everything.

He’d given me himself, he’d given me pieces of myself back, he’d given me peace, he’d shown me love and care.

“I trust you,” I muttered as he pulled into my driveway.

My eyes caught on my sister standing on my front porch and my breath seized.

The time had come for me to face my past.

And trust Declan knew what he was doing.

Chapter 34

Jaxon opened the door, and without a word, he stepped to the side to let me enter.

“She’s in the living room,” he told me. “You want me in there or you want privacy?”

I stopped to look at my brother-in-law. Good man, good husband, good father—everything I wasn’t. I hadn’t called to tell him I was coming, so I could add observant and sharp to the long list of things I liked about him.

He’d take care of my sister.

“You should stay.”

“Right,” he mumbled, and I followed him into the living room.

Violet was sitting on the couch rocking my nephew Mason. I looked in his fuzzy brown hair and my heart felt like it was going to explode.

“Declan? Everything all right?” Violet’s sweet voice was full of concern.

Fucking, fucking, shit.

I couldn’t do this.

“Vi, baby, let me go lay Mason down.” Jaxon stepped in front of Violet and her eyes rounded in fear.

“Actually,” I started, then had to clear my throat. “I’d like to hold him before you do that.”

The sob that tore from my sister’s chest hit me like a nuclear bomb.

I’d done that to her.

My selfishness, my need to close down and shut everyone out, had caused my twin sister untold pain.

I was an asshole.

Before I could change my mind and flee like a pansy-assed-coward, Jaxon set my sleeping nephew in my arms. The weight of him—so slight, yet so heavy.