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Ryder sent me an amused glance at my ramblings while Fallon glared.
I noted, with some satisfaction, that the glare didn’t hold near as much contempt as it previously had. Instead of full-on hating me, he appeared to rather full-on tolerate me. Trust me. There was a big difference.
Ryder and Fallon were forced to carry me and my chair up the front steps. He really should invest in a ramp. Hell, the entire world needed more ramps. We should just have ramps everywhere. And-
Getting off track again, Addie.
“Yup,” Fallon muttered.
Fuck off.
The interior of the house was in sharp contrast to the exterior. Here, the resemblance to a granny-pad ended. Leather couches made up the living room, complete with a large flat screen and a few gaming devices. The kitchen, to the right, was surprisingly clean save a few pizza boxes discarded on the counter.
All in all, it wasn’t what I expected a bachelor pad to look like, especially sharing it with six other guys.
“Addie!” a jubilant voice cried. “Princess!”
Ronan appeared from the top of the staircase, a towel around his shoulders. He was wearing low-slung shorts that showed the irresistible Adonis belt I found so attractive on guys. Like the first time I saw him, his unicorn tattoo was on display, large and proud. I had to wonder about the meaning of that tattoo.
“Hi, Lucky Charms,” I greeted him as he jumped down the remaining steps. His arms immediately engulfed me, and I resisted the urge to wince.
Fallon, however, must’ve noticed my discomfort, for he grabbed Ronan by the arm and jerked him away from me.
“Careful of her injuries,” he barked. He reminded me so much of Calax in that moment that I couldn’t help my smile. That smile instantly faded when my heart began pounding. I felt...anxious to see him again. Anxious and something else, something new.
Shaking my head to clear my muddled thoughts, I smiled up at Ronan to show that he hadn’t hurt me, and I wasn’t mad. “Where are the others?”
“We’re here.”
The voice belonged to Asher, the first, excluding Calax and Ducky, of the boys that I had met. The sweet, shy boy that had seemed so flirtatious that night at the restaurant. Now, he just stared down at me with wide, glossy eyes.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Sweetheart,” he said softly. Tam, behind him, took a step towards me and squeezed my hand. He didn’t make eye-contact with me, and he didn’t speak any words, but that was okay. I understood all that he tried to convey in that single gesture. I had been worried about him too.
“Where’s Ducky and Calax?”
“Declan’s in the dining room, and we don’t know where Calax is,” Ronan said.
“How do you not know where he is?” I asked in horror. A thousand scenarios ran through my head, each one worse than the next.
Asher rubbed my shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry. We’ll find him.” He paused, considering his words carefully. “But you should talk to Declan. He...well....you should just go talk to him.”
With that, Asher gave my shoulder another squeeze and nudged my chair in the direction of the dining room. When none of the guys moved to follow me or push my chair, I realized this was something I had to do alone.
What would I even say to him? Ducky had been my best friend, but Declan was a virtual stranger. How much of the long-haired, shy boy still lingered in the bitter man?
Shoving away my doubts, I tentatively rolled through the archway and into the dining room.
Declan sat at the table, profile to me. His eyes remained fixated on a single spot on the faded wallpaper.
For a moment, I sat and inspected the boy before he could see me.
The expression on his face, that distraught, horrified expression, was all Ducky’s. I would remember that face anywhere; it was the same one he gave me the night of my thirteenth birthday. The night everything changed for both of us.
I honestly couldn’t tell you how I felt about the realization that Declan was Ducky. I was surprised, sure, but I was also wary. A lot had changed in those few years. I had changed, and I knew Declan had as well. Would we still be compatible as friends? After everything I did, would he even want to be mine?
That last thought haunted me. If I were to admit it to myself, that was a driving factor in my hesitance to pursue a friendship with Declan. A part of me felt I didn’t deserve his friendship, despite his reassurances that I did. Guilt was a funny thing.
I also didn’t know if I was supposed to be mad at him or not. He left me believing he was dead, but, in his defense, he thought I hadn’t cared. I believed that fact hurt me most of all. How could he not know how much I loved him?
Moving slowly, so to not startle him, I rested my hand on his bicep. Declan jerked under my touch, eyes coming up to glare...
Only for a mask to fall over his face, becoming completely unreadable.
For a moment, he simply stared at me. His eyes traced each of my features as if he wanted to commit them to memory.
And then he began to sob. Mr. Glarey, the boy I once believed to be nothing but an asshole, began to cry in earnest. His hands fumbled, reaching for my own, and I grabbed onto both of his in both of mine. I don’t know how long we sat there holding one another, but it didn’t feel like long enough.
We had years to catch up on, and I was determined not to lose any more time with him than I already had.
