Alice doesn’t say another word before grabbing the card in my hand and driving up to the window to hand it over to the cashier.
He hands over two Styrofoam cups and straws and Alice hands the chocolate one to me before tearing open her straw and stabbing it through the rounded plastic lid of her shake. Turning onto our street, seeing our house, pulls a sigh of relief from me.
Maybe Alice will actually talk to me now.
But that’s wishful thinking as she parks the car and walks into the house. Her footfalls are heavy as she kicks off her heels and rips the clip out of her hair.
Undoing my tie, I watch as she paces around the kitchen. Itake one of the barstools, sucking on my drink as she keeps moving.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but I’m worried. Even more so now because she hasn’t said a word. Just drinking her stupid milkshake and muttering to herself.
When she slurps down the last dregs, she slams the empty cup on the counter.
When she turns to face me, tears wet her eyes. “Why are they like this? How could two people who raised me care so little about me that they’d go through the trouble of finding a way to void my trust?”
I fly out of my barstool and wrap my arms around her, squeezing her tight. I pour every ounce of love I have for this woman into the hug.
“I’m sorry.” It’s all I can say, running my fingers through her hair. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“I hate this. All because I never wanted to work for the family business.”
Pulling her back, I wipe the tears from her cheeks. Her blue eyes are red rimmed and it breaks my heart.
“They don’t deserve someone as good as you.”
“Maybe if they had a son, it wouldn’t matter. Someone they could groom like they couldn’t me.” She pause for a moment, then continues, “Declan…”
“What, Froggie?”
“What’s going to happen? Do you think they’re going to out us?”
“Do you really think they’d be that cruel?”
“I didn’t think they’d stoop so low as to do what they did tonight, but they proved me wrong.” She brushes a tear away with anger.
“If it happens, if people start snooping about our relationship in the press, we’ll deal with it.”
“But—“
I cut her off with a kiss. “It doesn’t matter, Alice. We’ll tellthem we’re in love. That it just made sense. I don’t care what anyone says.”
I love this woman and will do anything to prove it.
“I think…”
“What?” I tip her chin up to look at me.
“I need to lie down. I’m exhausted.”
“Want to put on a movie and curl up on the couch?”
That earns me a small smile. “Will you rub my head for me?”
“Anything. Anything you want, Froggie.”
I chuckle to myself the minute she walks into the living room and turns on an action movie. I should have known.
Dropping down next to her, I nestle a pillow under her head and run my fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp. She burrows as close as possible to me.
