His answer was very clipped, almost as if he didn’t want to speak anymore on the subject. We stopped at the edge of my driveway, and it didn’t look as if he was going to walk any further.
“What did you do before you moved here?” I questioned.
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, his smile long gone. “I think it’s getting late, Ayla.”
I shook my head. “It’s not late, Declan. You’re avoiding my questions. Why?”
His gaze never wavered from mine, and a chill ran down my spine. “Because I don’t think you’ll like the answers.”
So many things ran through my mind. What kind of answers would I not like? Judging by the turmoiled expression on his face, it had to be something bad. Did he go through a nasty divorce? Did he just get out of prison? I tried to think of other things, but nothing came to mind. All I knew was that he didn’t want to talk about his life. But why? I wanted to know.
“How do you know?” I countered.
Declan chuckled but there was no humor to it. “I just do, Ayla. My past is not a pleasant one. There’s a lot that’s screwed up in my life.”
He stared right into my eyes, and I couldn’t look away. I didn’t know what to say, but I did know that he was keeping something inside of him that needed to be let out.
I stepped closer to him, hoping he could hear the sincerity in my voice. “I’m here if you ever want to talk. Sometimes, that’s all you need.”
Declan’s shoulders relaxed, but only slightly. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He looked at me for another split second and then turned to head home. “Good night, Ayla.”
“Good night,” I called out, watching him disappear behind the fence.
Declan underestimated me. I wasn’t scared of anything he could possibly tell me about his past. I may be from a small town, but that didn’t make me naïve. I knew the kind of world we lived in. However, if there was one thing I did know for certain, it was that I was going to break down Declan’s walls. One way or another, it was going to happen.
Chapter 6
Declan
“Elijah!”
I jumped awake at the sound of my own voice screaming my brother’s name. My heart raced and my skin was drenched with sweat. It was how I woke up most mornings, only it was never daylight. I’ve watched the sun come up for the past six months. Guess you can say I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in those six months. I couldn’t escape the nightmares, nor could I escape the reality of my life. Moving away to a different state hasn’t helped, and I was beginning to think it never would. My past was going to haunt me forever.
I looked over at the alarm clock on my dresser. It was five o’clock.
Huffing, I threw off the covers and ran my handsover my face. Tomorrow was going to be July Fourth, a day full of memories for me. All I wanted was to get it over with.
I hopped out of bed, grabbed a T-shirt and running shorts out of my dresser, and put them on. After guzzling a bottle of water, I took off out of the house, not even bothering to lock the door behind me. Magnolia Grove’s record of break-ins was literally zero. I never knew such a place existed. I was certain the people of Magnolia Grove didn’t know people likemeexisted. There were only a few dozen who did. That was what made me different, but it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. If Ayla were to find out what I was, she’d never look at me the same.
The sky was just beginning to get light, and the humidity was stifling, but I pushed myself as hard as I could down the road. My calf muscles burned like fire, and my lungs demanded air, but I ignored it all. The pain was all I could feel. It wasn’t just physical pain but emotional, as well.
I ran out of the neighborhood into downtown Magnolia Grove. There was no one around. It was just me and the morning dawn. The thumps of my steps as I ran echoed down the streets. I tried to concentrate on that sound instead of the visions flashing through my mind.All I could see was Elijah, his smiling face that looked exactly like our mother’s. And for just a split second, I thought it would end there, but then the vision shifted to the night everything went to hell.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself harder, the stores flying past me in a blur. My legs were cramping even more; the pain almost unbearable. I thought at any moment I’d pass out from exhaustion. I’ve been on that edge many times, thinking the darkness would take over and I’d get a break from the misery. But unfortunately, that break never came. The pain was punishment, something I deserved.
I felt my body slow down and found myself right in the middle of Magnolia Park. The sweat dripping down my face fell into my eyes, burning them and clouding my vision. I used the hem of my shirt to wipe them dry, but my eyes still burned. This time it wasn’t from sweat.
There was a bench up ahead, so I made my way toward it, hanging my head the second I sat down. All I could see in my mind was Elijah’s face, remembering that last moment we made eye contact. He knew he was going to die, and I wasn’t fast enough to stop it.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook my head andtried to force the memories out. “I’m so sorry, brother,” I whispered, hearing the torment in my voice.
The sharp, jabbing throb in my chest intensified. I’d lost loved ones before, but never someone as close to me as my brother was. It’d been six months since his death, and it wasn’t any easier to bear.
Time seemed to slip by, and eventually, the sun came up high in the sky and I could hear people in the park walking their dogs. I kept my eyes shut and took in a deep breath. My body was so sore I didn’t know if I could get up. Before I could even move, I heard footsteps edging closer. My eyes flashed open, and I looked up to see a guy heading toward me. I’d seen him in his uniform walking into the Magnolia Grove police department once before. He looked to be around my age, but he was probably a couple of years younger.
“Hey,” he called out, tossing a hand in the air. “You must be the new guy who moved in beside Ayla.”
The mention of Ayla’s name struck something in my gut, almost like I was jealous of him saying it with such familiarity. The guy held out his hand and I stood.
