Page 69 of Declan

“Yeah, baby, I did. I’m letting go, too. It’s time I let them rest in peace and stop dragging the memory of them through the dirt. Juliana deserves that, she was a good woman, a good mom.”

I sucked in a lungful of oxygen, and for the first time since they’d died, it wasn’t near as painful.

“And Violet?” she whispered. “Will you tell me about her? About both of them?”

A dull throb hit my chest and I closed my eyes.

“Not right now,” Autumn rushed out. “In the future, will you tell me about them? Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting.”

Damn, that felt good. But for her, I wanted her to let go and forget. I didn’t want the memories of what happened to her to hang over her.

“Yeah, baby, in the future.”

“Will you kiss me?”

Tentative. Sweet. So fucking sweet, I didn’t know what to do with the knowledge that Autumn could be sweet. Shy and sweet, and fuck me, seeing her unease, knowing she’d opened herself up to me, laid it out bare like I’d asked, made my chest tighten—and in no way was it painful.

“Take whatever you want, baby, I’m yours.”

I watched her pretty, green eyes sparkle, and now that I was being honest with myself, I could admit I never wanted to go a day without seeing them.

Fuck, yeah, it was her eyes—they said everything.

And right then they were hopeful.

Chapter 23

My heart was thumping against my ribs, and for the first time in over ten years, I didn’t feel hollow.

For the first time, I didn’t want to be alone.

What would it feel like if I trusted him—fully and completely trust him?

He’d stayed at my house because he wanted to be close to me.

He’d follow me through the fiery pits of hell.

He was letting go of the past.

Three weeks ago he seemed pretty determined to live in the past. Something I fully understood. It was easier to spin your wheels than to face reality.

“What made you change your mind?”

“’Bout what?”

“Letting go and moving forward.”

“Thought you wanted to kiss me?”

Yeah, I wanted to do that, too, but now that I was thinking, fear had crept in. I’d lied to Declan and told him I’d never loved anyone. Since I’d never felt it with anyone else, I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, but I was almost positive what I felt for him was love. If love was a physical ache in your belly when you weren’t with the other person. If it was gentle even when it was rough. And that got me thinking more.

“I can’t—”

“Autumn.”

“Stop snapping at me,” I snapped and he smirked. Whatever. “And stop interrupting me. What about sex?”

Declan’s eyes squinted and his body tensed. “What about it?”