“Oh yeah?”
Declan’s voice is so cute over the phone. “Yeah,” I say, glancing at Belle. “You should probably stop by my dorm so I can tell you about it.”
When he gets here, I make him sit at my desk while I tell him, because this seems like something you should be sitting down to hear. Belle stands next to me, nodding along as I talk.
“So… what do you think?” I say after revealing my plan.
“Where are you going to sleep?”
I shrug. “On the ground, I guess. We’re bringing blankets.”
Declan shakes his head. “No, that won’t work.”
Fear rockets through me. Is he going to forbid me to stay here? He’s the head gardener, after all. He could rat me out in a heartbeat. “Declan, please,” I start, but he holds up his hand.
“You’re not sleeping on the ground. I have a tent in my dorm. I used to be in the camping club.”
I crinkle my nose. “There’s a camping club?”
He laughs. “Not anymore. Turns out the Shelfbrooke elite don’t really care for sleeping in tents out in the wilderness. But I still have all my camping gear in my dorm. I have a tent, some solar powered lights, and a camp stove. I’ll bring it to the garden.”
“So you’re okay with this?” I ask, peering at him as if I could somehow tell if he’s lying.
Declan nods. “Let’s see... I either let my girlfriend get taken away to another continent against her will, or I help her stay here with me.” He lifts his hands, palms up as if weighing the options. “It’s a pretty easy choice, Sophia.”
“Did you just call her your girlfriend?” Belle squeals.
Declan’s dark blue eyes widen. “I guess I did?”
I walk forward and wrap my arms around him. “Thank you.”
“Wait,” Belle says. “Are you thanking him for the girlfriend comment, or for helping us out?”
“Um… both?” I feel my cheeks blush, and then look over at Declan and his cheeks are also turning pink. We both grin at each other like idiots, and Belle makes a fake gagging sound. I don’t care. Let her make fun of us. Right now I’m happy and I’m going to hold onto that feeling for as long as I can. My day started out with a terrifying trip to the office and it’s ending with a gorgeous, caring boyfriend, and a plan to take my life back into my own hands.
“Okay so…” Declan stands and presses his hands together. “I’ll go get the camping gear and set it up in the garden. Do you want to meet me there later? Say, after dinner?”
“And a shower,” Belle says. “Dinner and a shower and one final goodbye to my dear, precious, central air conditioning.”
“I have solar powered fans,” Declan says.
Belle cringes. “That is so not the same!”
I reach up and hug Declan—my new boyfriend—and then place a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” I say softly.
He winks. “Anything for you.”
Once he’s gone, and Belle has locked the door behind him, she turns to me and says,
“This is crazy, you know that right?”
I shrug. “So what? Life is full of crazy things. But at least I get to choose this one.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
It’s the second day.
Belle and I have settled in nicely at our little garden retreat, which is what we’ve been calling it. We have pillows and tons of blankets and Declan’s awesome tent which we’ve decorated with fairy lights. In the day time, we tend to the garden and read books and hang out under the beautiful spring sky. We have an ice chest full of snacks and drinks and Declan sneaks us meals from the dining hall. Last night wasn’t nearly as weird as I’d thought it would be. The gardens are peaceful in the quiet, chilly air. And no one can find us in this hidden garden, so there was nothing to be afraid of. Belle and I had talked about my plans for when this is all over. Graduating Shelfbrooke, and going to college, and maybe sticking around here with her and my aunt. It all seems like so many decisions to make a once. Right now I just want to get through these few days until my birthday.
