Now I’m aggravated. “Come on, it’s not like that. Really, Connor was drinking and tried to blackmail us…” As soon as that rolls of my tongue, I realize this sounds incredibly bad.
Ford throws his hands in the air in disbelief. “I don’t know what to think right now. The fact my son has the balls or the fact that my friend is using my sister—”
I interject. “I’m not using her.”
Connor skates over. “Yeah, my vote is that you should focus on bad-boy Declan since we all know that I’m freaking awesome anyhow,” he announces as he slowly skates on by, clearly satisfied with the chaos he started. His smug grin is a reminder of me on a few occasions.
“Don’t get excited. There is a long conversation happening later,” Ford calls out as Connor skates to the other side. Ford returns his death stare to me. “That’s why you two are here together? To inform me of this forsaken blessed union?”
“Stop this. You’re being overdramatic.” I swipe my jaw with my thumb and wonder why we’re still standing on the ice.
“She’s my sister.”
“I’m aware.”
“Are you two done now?” Violet reminds us that she’s here. We both glance to her and see that her hands are stationed on her hips. “I’m an adult, and you either accept this or not.”
Ford growls in frustration. “Violet, I know you’re an adult. But you’re my little sister who I owe so much to, and I simply can’t ignore this protective need I have to watch out for you. Brother bear is here to stay, so get used to it. My point isn’t that I’m pissed that you two are together; I’mlividbecause you’re with a guy who will only break your heart.”
“Stop saying that,” I insist.
“Fine. Tell me you both want the same long game,” he challenges.
My mouth opens, but only a sound croaks out.
Ford watches me and scoffs a sound. “Thought so.” He steps into me to ensure only I can hear and whispers, “If you care even an ounce about her at all, then you’ll be honest with her.”
Then he leaves me there to ponder in my own fumes.
* * *
We haven’t saidone thing since we walked from the rink back to the car. Violet and I move side by side with our arms occasionally grazing. As we approach my car, I turn to her and notice her eyes dip low as she avoids facing me.
“That was not how I expected it to go,” she mumbles with a weak laugh. Her hair blocks half her face, but now I’m far too familiar with her and recognize that she’s somber and affected by the last fifteen minutes.
If this were after a hockey game, I would be running on adrenaline and energized to say anything. Yet Ford is right, this isn’t hockey, and Violet is a whole other scale.
Maybe that’s why I feel empty inside, my chest hollow, which is crazy because my heart is beating far too fast.
I touch her shoulder. “He has a point.”
This hurts. It feels like misery. An impending doom.
When Violet flicks her gaze up to me, I see a glaze of sadness over her blue eyes. “I don’t want him to have a point.”
“Neither do I, but…”
Tears well in her eyes, and she steps forward to claw my shirt.
“Be honest with me, Vi,” I rasp with urgency. “I know what’s going on in my head in this very moment, but I need to know what you’re thinking.”
“It’s not in my head, Declan.” Her words startle me, because it means they come from a deeper place. “I’m giving you pieces of my heart, all for a chance.”
My thumb brushes a teardrop away from her cheek. “A chance that I want the longest game there is?” I finish her thought.
She nods softly. “I don’t want to be that woman who thinks you will change for them. I know you don’t really want kids or a wife, and still I signed up for more with you because it feels better than nothing. But… you have the pieces of my heart in your hand. It’s up to you…”
“To figure out if I’ll break them or not.” I cup her head in my hands to plant a long kiss on her forehead. “He’s right. I feel a lot for you, which means I shouldn’t lead you on. I need to be 100% sure of our direction, that we’re on the same path. It’s only fair to you that my head is clear.”
