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I felt horrible for the way I had blurted out about the post. I’d been so focused on updating him with what I'd learned that I missed the obvious. He wasn’t himself and I should’ve picked up on that the moment he walked in the door. “I’m sure you’ll find some way to get there before tomorrow. Why don’t you make the calls and I’ll go and pack our bags. This way you’ll be ready to go once you have a flight,” I said.
Declan nodded. “Thank you, Venus.”
I got up and was about to head to the bedroom when he reached over and held my hand. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I asked, puzzled. He surely had no control over what some idiot posted on the internet any more than I did.
“First the sailboat and now this. It’s like something is trying to prevent us from being together,” he explained.
The universe wasn’t playing nice, but I didn’t believe it was trying to stand in our way. If anything, it was bringing us closer. It didn’t feel like a one-way relationship. He was always helping me. I needed to be needed, probably more now than ever. Supporting him through this difficult time might be my only chance to show him how much he means to me.
“Declan, don’t think about that right now. Just send your mother positive vibes and think about seeing her again.” I know it was not easy to do, but I wasn’t going to allow him to have any negative thoughts.
“But what about you? What about your vacation?” he asked.
“Don’t worry about me. I am very good at vacationing. Did it for many years, just me and MaKayla.” Not that I was thinking about a beach either right now. I’d have to be a real insensitive ass not to feel for his family.
“Where are you going to go?” he questioned, still trying to take care of me.
At the moment, I had no idea. I knew it wasn’t the US or even Canada. Tabiq was off the list as well. “Some place with a sunny beach,” I lied, but had to have some sort of answer for him otherwise he wouldn’t leave me. That much I knew.
He nodded. “Good. I don’t want you sitting around doing nothing.”
That wasn’t something I wanted either. If we had more time together, and had a chance to talk about our relationship, I’d have offered to go to Portland with him. Hell, he might have asked me to join him. But time had been stolen away from us for us again. My place wasn’t with him right now. And his place was with his family.
I got up and said, “I’m going to pack. Let me know if you find a flight.”
Declan pulled out his cell phone and nodded as I headed towards the bedroom. I closed my door, not just to give him some privacy but for me as well. As I packed my clothes again, the heat from my tears was burning my cheeks.
I felt like a horrible person. His mother was in the hospital, and I selfishly wished Declan didn’t need to go. I was afraid that once he got home, he’d forget all about what we shared.
When I woke up, I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me. Now he won’t even be on the same side of the planet.He’ll never know I’m falling in love with him.
Maybe that was a good thing. The timing wasn’t right. He needed to be there for his family. And I needed to be alone. If I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do before, being with Declan only clouded it even more.
Pulling my dresses off the hangers and tossing them into my suitcase, I thought of all the countries I could go and visit. I could even look for a place where I could open another restaurant. Or maybe just find a house by the ocean somewhere and retire nice and early like I had originally planned.
So many options. Not one of them appealed to me if Declan wasn’t by my side to enjoy it.
I might not have perished at sea, but my heart feels as though it is sinking deep into the abyss never to be seen again.
With our luggage packed, I walked back into the living room. Declan was just finishing up a call. I could see from his expression that he had good news. Hopefully, that was his brother on the line.
Ending the call, he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “The doctor said she was lucky. My father got her to the hospital just in time and the damage is minimal. With therapy and time, she could even make a full recovery.”
I hugged him. “I’m so happy for you, and your family.”
Declan wrapped his arms around me and hugged me so tightly that it hurt. But I wasn’t going to stop him. I just squeezed him back as we stood there just holding each other.
When he loosened his hold, he said, “Let’s get out of here.”
“Where do you want to go?” I asked.
“I promised you ice cream. There is no way I’m leaving before you get what you want,” he said.
If I wasn’t getting what I wanted, then he wouldn’t be leaving. But even with the good news, he still needed to be by his mother's side. That was a close call, and she needed her sons there.
“Ice cream sounds good. But I could use a little bit of lunch first. It's sad when the most nutritious thing I’ve eaten in the last twenty-four hours is your PB&J,” I chuckled.
