Kat grabbed my hand. “Don’t worry, my dear friend. We’re going to have a great night on the town tomorrow. I already made reservations at a fancy restaurant and we can walk around downtown afterward. It’ll be like the old times when we’d go out in Raleigh, only Charlotte’s much better.”
Declan turned his attention to the window and our eyes met. The warmth that filled my soul as I gazed into his deep blue eyes was undeniable. It was as if timestood still in that moment, the world outside our window fading away into the background. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, and was unsure if it was out of fear or excitement. But one thing was certain—there was a connection between us that couldn’t be ignored.
He was mine. As I played the words over in my head, I couldn’t stop the smile that took over my face.
I loved that he was mine.
I lovedhim.
Chapter 16
Declan
Being in downtown Charlotte was nothing compared to the New York city streets. There was still the hustle and bustle of people walking and car horns blaring, but it was a slower pace of life. I never thought I’d be happy to get away from New York, but I was. I had no regrets about moving to the small town of Magnolia Grove.I never thought it possible to feel as if I belonged somewhere. Living in the city wasn’t for me anymore . . . it never would be.
Ayla squeezed my hand and I looked at her. The wind blew her chocolate-colored hair around her face and she pushed it away with a smile. It was hard to believe she was mine. I never thought I’d find someone like her.
“Does this remind you of being in New York?” she asked, flourishing a hand at all the tall buildings surrounding us.
Chuckling, I pulled her in against me as we walked down the sidewalk. Kat and Jonah were ahead of us, leading the way back to their apartment building.
“This place is tame compared to New York,” I replied, winking at her playfully.
Ayla let out a sigh as she peered up at the buildings. “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that. Charlotte’s a lot smaller. I bet New York has some amazing restaurants, though.”
There were too many to count. The food was one thing I did miss about New York. However, nothing could compare to Linda’s baking.
“There are a lot of them,” I said, kissing the top of her head, “but where we just ate was pretty amazing, too.”
She placed a hand on her stomach. “Oh, I loved it, but I think I enjoyed grilling out at the cabin and eating outside better.”
Kat glanced back at us like we’d lost our minds. It was clear she was a city girl.
“Same,” I said, whispering in Ayla’s ear.
Kat snorted. “The mountains are nice, but I love ithere. You can’t beat the nightlife.”
Jonah wrapped an arm around her waist. “Exactly.
Ayla giggled under her breath. “It’s crazy how they’re so much alike.”
“The same could be said about us,” I replied.
She looked up at me and smiled. “True. And I never would’ve known that if I didn’t storm over to your house that day.”
I stopped in front of her and pulled her into me. “That was the luckiest day of my life.”
She kissed me before I could kiss her, and at that moment, I couldn’t deny that I was in love with her.
“Mine, too,” she said, whispering the words against my lips. I didn’t want the moment to end, but we were in the middle of the sidewalk on a busy Charlotte street. I let Ayla go and we caught back up to Kat and Jonah, who were waiting for us at the crosswalk to head over to her condo building.
“I hate that it’s our last night with you guys,” Kat said, frowning sadly at Ayla. “Maybe Jonah and I could come visit you in Alabama this fall?”
Ayla’s face brightened and I could feel her excitement. “That would be fantastic!” she squealed.Then, she nudged me with her elbow. “Declan and I will show you the perks of small-town life.”
They bantered back and forth about small-town versus city life. I wanted to join in, but suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. It was the same prickly sensation I always got when danger was near. Instantly, I went on alert and scanned our surroundings. There were so many people around walking up and down the street without a care in the world. Nothing stuck out at me . . . at least, not until I saw someone I wasn’t expecting to see.
Vincent Deluca.
