Declanwould still always be his friend. Ash had never known a better person.
Butmaybe it wasfinallytime to move on, like he’d been telling himself heneeded to for years. He’d never be happy clinging to a man who didn’t love him.
“Uh…I need to go to the grocery store first,” Declan said, heading into the hall tograb his coat. “You want anything?”
“No,”Ash said.
Hewanted lots of things, but Owen didn’t stock any of them.
“Okay.I’ll be back before we open, promise.”
Ashlistened to Declan head down the stairs, every footfall echoing in the otherwisesilent house.
No,home.
Thishad been Ash’s home, with Declan, and now he was about to lose all of it.
Heshould have known better than to get his hopes up.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Declan’sheart pounded in his chest as he made the walk from the bookstore to thegrocery store, his stomach tied up in knots.
Ashwas divorcing him.
He’dknown that was going to happen. Hell, he was the one who’d sent for the papers,but…
Thatwas before. Before everything that had happened last week.
Ashhad seemed like he was ready to go ahead, and maybe he didn’t want to be tiedto Declan forever.
Noone else had, so it made sense that Ash wouldn’t, either.
Thethought of losing what they had right now still made Declan feel sick. Hecouldn’t do any of this without Ash. Ash had tried to teach him, but hecouldn’t match years and years of experience.
Andeven if hecould, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to be without Ash. Hewanted…
Hewanted to bewithAsh. Physically and emotionally.
Heloved Ash.
Hewasin lovewith Ash.
Thatwas why the thought of losing him hurt so much.
“Declan?”
Declanlooked up at the familiar voice, staring as Charlie approached him.
“Uh,hey,” he said, his voice thick. He was about to burst into tears in a grocerystore.
Heshould have said something before he left, but he hadn’t known what to saythen.
Hestill didn’t know what to say now.
“Youlook upset,” Charlie said.
Obviously,Declan wasn’t doing a great job of hiding the fact that his whole world wascoming crumbling down around him.
