Page 20

NINETEEN

willa

“We’re moving in together today, right?” Declan asks. “We talked about it, and I thought we agreed.”

I bite the inside of my lip as I look into his playful green eyes. “I have something to confess.”

His eyes narrow. “You better not have a secret boyfriend living in your house. You promised Jo was a girl.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “Zero boyfriends, secret or otherwise. Jo is definitely a girl.” Jo and I haven’t spoken much since she confronted me in my hotel room a few weeks ago. The three of us living together might get awkward.

He reaches over and grabs my hand, intertwining our fingers. “What is it, Princess? You know you can tell me anything.”

I look at his sincere face and really hope I’m not about to hurt his feelings. “They don’t know about you,” I confess.

His forehead crinkles with his confusion. “You didn’t tell them we’re married?”

“I haven’t told them anything, Dec. They don’t know you exist at all. Well, they might know of you because of hockey, but they don’t know that we’re friends.”

Declan pulls back like I just slapped him. The hurt on his face is unmistakable. “What the fuck, Willa?” he shouts before standing and pacing in front of me. “Are you that embarrassed by me? I know I haven’t exactly been an angel, but I never guessed I was so horrible you had to hide me.”

“It’s not like that!” I swear, the burn of tears starting to sting my eyes.

“What is it like? Because it fucking hurts,” he says, anger flashing in his eyes.

“I didn’t want to share you! If they knew about you, if they met you, then you would be theirs too. You were the only thing I’ve been selfish with. I share my friends, I share Belle with Kai, I even share my damn house.”

Declan stays quiet and just watches me, his face impassive.

I jump up from my seat and grab his hand. He pulls it back immediately, causing the first tear to fall. “I just wanted to keep you,” I whisper. “You’ve always been the one thing that was only mine. I just wanted you to stay mine for as long as I could.”

Declan’s face softens, but the hurt is still in his eyes. He closes the distance between us, cupping my face in his large hands. The rough pads of his thumbs brush against my skin as he wipes away my tears. “I’ve always been only yours, Willa. I probably always will be.” He brushes a soft kiss on my temple before leaving and slamming the door behind him.

“What’s going on with you?”

Belle is sitting next to me on the floor, stacking blocks for Cora to knock over.

“Nothing,” I say and try to smile. Belle looks at me with a face that lets me know she doesn’t believe me for a moment. Cora knocks over my tower and laughs. I smile genuinely at her. She’s the sweetest little girl, and I still can’t believe she came from Cal.

“Wanna try again?” Belle asks. I should tell her about Declan, but the words get caught in my throat. I don’t know if he’s going to show up for dinner. He isn’t responding to my texts. He told me last night that he wanted a relationship with me, and I couldn’t even make it past the morning before I ruined it.

“Things are awkward between Jo and I.” It’s part of the truth. Jo isn’t the friendliest person, but we got along really well until recently.

“What happened?” Belle asks.

“She accused me of sleeping with a married man.”

Belle’s eyes go wide, and her mouth hangs open. “Why would she do that?”

I shrug. “I’m not, by the way. I haven’t slept with anyone in almost a year at this point.” I sound whiney. But it’s hard to get laid when you’re concerned about your well-being. Or that you might get kidnapped for trying to find your missing friend.

“I’d never accuse you of being a home wrecker, Willa. But why would Jo?”

I tell her about the random rumors Jo found and how she connected them to Gideon Banks. Belle knew I was at that game, just like the rest of our group. So she wasn’t surprised that someone may have spotted me.

“I told you the wig wasn’t a good disguise,” she says.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Are you sleeping with Gideon Banks?”

“No!” I scoff. Cora thinks that’s funny and giggles while clapping for me.

“Then yeah, that’s all I have to say.”

“Willa! Can you set the table?” Cal calls from the kitchen. Belle breaks out into a fit of laughter.

“Shut up,” I mutter, rising from the floor and sulking all the way to the dining room. I pause in front of the plates. There’s nine of us here right now, not including Cora.

I grab ten.