AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It had rained at some point, but I still stood here, under a too-flimsy umbrella, waiting on him to leave.
It had been two hours by now, but it was worth it. I deserved the punishment. I deserved it for what we’d done to Deirdre.
Tired, I rested against the streetlamp, then jerked because the second I did, the door opened and out he walked. He was with a few of his crew, and they were laughing and joking. Declan wasn’t.
His face was grim.
And it grew grimmer still when he saw me.
His eyes narrowed, and he said something to his crew, and though they shot me curious looks, they went away, their steps clipping against the slick sidewalk as they left me with the man I’d believed was my soulmate.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, and the scent of whiskey on his breath was so strong I almost stepped back.
It was like a cloud around him.
I’d never known him drink before. What on earth was going on with my sweet, loving Declan?
I reached out to him, went to cup his cheek, but he jerked back like I’d tried to slap him.
“No,” he ground out. “No!”
Tears pricked my eyes, but I raised my chin. “What’s going on with you? Why won’t you answer my calls?”
He hitched a shoulder. “You have no say in my life, Aela. I’ve had it up to here with people telling me what to do, how high to jump, how far to run. I’ll do what I want and I won’t be contained. Do you hear me?”
He boomed the last words at me, and because I wasn’t used to him shouting at me, I jumped back, stumbling against the streetlamp in surprise.
“What’s wrong with you?” I rasped, my fingers turning white as I clung to my umbrella.
“Everything’s wrong with me,” he snapped. “Is there a point to this?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“Yeah? Well, I don’t want to talk toyou.” He loomed over me. “Didn’t you get the message, Aela? When I ignored your hundredth call?”
“No,” I breathed. “Apparently I didn’t.”
He grunted. “Well, do you understand now?”
“Yeah. I do.” I tipped my chin up. “I just wanted to reassure you that I’m not pregnant.”
Something flared in his eyes. I knewwhatas well.
The memory of that night.
It triggered a wildfire that stormed inside him, but he clamped down on it so fiercely that it was like he was made of stone.
“Good.”
Then he walked off.
Just walked away.
Without looking back at me. Uncaring that I was wet. That I was standing here, my heart on the sidewalk in front of me.
He left me.
So, I knew I had no choice but to leave him. I wouldn’t be the noose around his neck like Mom was to Dad. I’d go away. Far away. I’d raise his baby like I wishedI’dbeen raised. Normally. No crime, no violence. Just with love.
Always with love.
Because even though my baby’s parents had been torn apart by death and guilt, shame and lies, he’d been created in love. I’d spend the rest of my life making sure he or she knew it too.
