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“My mom talks about it all the time. She’s from England but moved when she met my dad.”
“Oh, I bet they miss it. Have they been back since the move?”
The light turns green, and he hits the gas.
“They haven’t. What about your parents? Were they born and raised in Connecticut?”
I go to open my mouth but stop. A car at the intersection to our left barrels right toward us. Declan focuses on me and doesn’t see the car. Like it’s in slow motion, I can’t yell at him to watch out fast enough—the car comes closer and closer. I point, and a shrill scream leaves my throat. Declan turns and catches sight of what’s going on, and somehow, he speeds up and misses the car coming for us.
He slams on the brakes. I squeezed shut my eyes, and the loud crunch of the aluminum hood hitting something else is loud and alarming. My eyes fly open as the airbags deploy, dust falling like ash in the car.
“Oh my God,” I scream, my face instantly feeling like it’s been burned.
“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Declan says soothingly. His hand brushes the hair from my face, but I can’t pull my attention to him. I’m stuck in that frozen, scared state that always seems to happen whenever something huge and scary happens to me.
He’s promising me it’s okay, but it doesn’t feel okay. It feels horrible. My chest is heavy, and I can’t even focus enough to make sure I’m breathing. My door opens, and someone reaches in. They tug at my seatbelt and drag me out. That familiar scent. Citrus and spice. I cling to him, my fingers digging into his arms.
“Sammy, breathe, baby. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
I close my eyes to focus on his voice. He inhales loudly so I can hear him, and I copy him. I inhale and exhale over and over to the sound of his breaths until I feel safe enough to let the world in.
“There she is,” Declan says, his voice gentle like he’s talking to a wounded bird he’s just found on the side of the road. His hand clutches my face. “Besides the scrapes, are you hurt at all?”
I shake my head. “I . . . I think I’m fine.”
“Good.”
Declan’s lips press against my forehead and then he pulls away, leaving me cold despite the summer heat. Blue and red lights flash in the distance, and then the sound of sirens screams at us when they approach.
Chapter Nineteen
“She’sfine,”Haley,mysister-in-law, says, resting a hand on the small of her back. She places the other over her growing stomach. “I promise. Let her take a little nap and she’ll wake up just fine. It’s just some cuts and bruises.”
I turn to my brother, who’s sprawled out on the couch in the sitting area of the hotel suite. It’s Saturday, so he’s not in his typical work attire. He’s wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. He also has a smug smirk beneath his auburn beard. I narrow my eyes at him.
“You look like you need a doctor, too,” Haley says, pointing her finger in my face.
“I’m fine,” I promise. “Sammy is not, though. She screamed like it cut her leg off. Are you sure she’s okay?”
Haley nods. “She was probably in shock, but she’s settled now. I gave her ibuprofen, and I’m sure she’ll be sore for a bit, but back to normal in a few days. No concussion, no broken bones. Everything is perfect, Declan.”
“I wonder what Saoirse is going to say,” Callum says in that smug Irish accent. “When Haley runs into her at their next girls’ night and tells her you’re sticking your dick in her wedding planner.”
I wave both middle fingers in the air toward him. It only causes him to let out a burst of laughter.
“Saoirse won’t care,” Haley says. “She’ll be happy that you’re happy.”
I raise my hands in defense. “Oh no. No. We’re not dating. This is a onetime hook up thing.”
“Says the man driving around the woman’s SUV,” Callum says. “I believe the worrying and calling Haley to have her checked out also should be moved to the ‘Declan is pussy-whipped column.’”
“He’s going to hurt you,” Haley says to her husband. “You better stop. I need you alive to help me raise twins.”
She heads over to him and reaches for his hands. Callum takes hers in his and stands. His gaze is on me, though. “We’re leaving. Don’t call my wife again.”
Haley offers me a smile. “See you, Dec. I promise she’s fine.”
I follow them to the door and when they’ve left, lock the deadbolt. Haley may think that she’s fine. But I don’t believe it. I can still hear the bloodcurdling way she cried out. If not in pain, then in fear. That coupled with all the ways she jumps at loud, sudden noises. She’s traumatized over something.
