I relax against him, and kiss him back. And every bad thing that has happened up until now suddenly feels like it was all worth it.
Chapter Eighteen
Despite overcomingher trip to the hospital, Belle doesn’t want to leave her mom’s house for the next few days. As much as I want her back so I can show her the garden, I’m also enjoying my secret meetings with Declan in the times we can get away. Every day after school, we bring our homework and some snacks to the garden and hang out like a real couple. We take different routes so no one sees us walking together. Declan brings his gardening tools and he teaches me how to prune and tend to the flowers that have overgrown from their planters. Together, we work hard every day, bringing the garden back to its original beauty. I never knew I’d like a hobby like gardening, but it turns out I love it.
We still don’t know who made this garden, or why, but we figure it was probably one of Declan’s ancestors since the key has the same symbol as his necklace, which was passed down from his dad.
This garden is our own paradise. After a week of diligent work, we’ve made it into something spectacular. Here, we can be friends. We can be more than friends. We can flirt, and laugh, and even kiss.
And we definitely kiss.
But it’s more than that. This garden is my favorite place in the world. And I can’t wait to bring Belle here.
One day after school, Declan tells me he’ll be late to the garden because he’s going out to dinner with his family for his mom’s birthday. I use the time to walk to Aunt Kate’s apartment and visit Belle.
“The garden is so beautiful,” I tell her as we share a banana split made from all four of the ice cream flavors in Aunt Kate’s freezer. “You’re going to love it so much.”
“Are you sure it’s hidden?” Belle says. Her long brown hair is twisted into two French braids, and it looks really cute on her. I want to ask her to braid my hair soon.
“It’s totally hidden,” I say, scooping a bite of chocolate ice cream. “Only Declan and I know about it.”
“Wait a minute,” she says, pointing her spoon at me. “Why’d you say it like that?”
“Say what?”
Her eyes go wide. “You like Declan!”
The blush in my cheeks tells her all she needs to know. Her jaw drops. “I can’t believe it! You fell for a Shelfbrooke boy!”
“Shut up,” I whisper, hoping Aunt Kate doesn’t overhear. I don’t know why the thought of talking about boys with my aunt is embarrassing, but it is. “We’re just friends.”
“Friends who kiss each other?” Belle asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
I bite my lip. “Maybe.”
“Oh. My. God!” Belle slides closer to me on the couch. “Tell me everything.”
“I’ll tell you in the garden,” I say. “Whenever you want to go.”
She pouts and then sits up straighter. “Okay. I need to do this. I want to do this.” She glances back at the kitchen, where her mom is washing dishes. “Maybe even tonight.”
I clap my hands together. “Yay! You are going to love the garden. It’s amazing.”
Belle’s grin is so genuine, I can’t even see the traces of anxiety that usually linger in her eyes. “I can’t wait.”
After eating way too much ice cream, I walk back to Shelfbrooke and stop by the gardens. Declan will probably be back from his family dinner soon, so I’ll just wait in the beautiful evening weather until he gets to our secret meeting place.
I can’t believe how much things have changed since I started at this school back in January. I’m a better person now. I’m not stuck on social media or the Malibu party life. I don’t have fake friends who don’t actually care about me. I’m doing well in school, and although no one talks to me during class, it doesn’t matter, because I have Declan and Belle, and they’re genuine friends.
There are only two months until school ends, and then we’ll start on the next adventure. Declan and I haven’t talked about graduation yet. I don’t really want to. I’m afraid he’s going to stay here and I’m going to leave and we’ll never see each other again. But life is unpredictable, life is fun. And life can be changed. Whatever happens, I have to put my all into it and hope that it will work out.
I’m lying on a blanket that I brought from my dorm when my phone rings. It’s my mom. She hasn’t reached out to me in weeks.
“Hello?” I say, tilting my head up to the evening sun.
“Good news,” she says. “You get to leave Shelfbrooke.”
I sit up. “What?”
