He smirks at my childish cliché but links his pinky with mine anyway. As our hands fall, so does his gaze, and silence fills the room. Almost as if he just realized what he agreed to.
“My dad…” His voice trails off like he doesn’t even know where he’s going with that sentence.
I should’ve known that his night was ruined because of that man, just by the way his demeanor shifted when he saw his dad at the game.
“He’s cheating on my mom.”
The words spew out of his mouth so quickly that I don’t know if I heard them right. The only confirmation I need is the look on his face when his eyes meet mine again.
“And she knew about it.”
His voice cracks, and he bites his bottom lip like that’ll help him hold back his tears, but they’re already clear as day on his cheeks.
“Declan,” I whisper, reaching out and resting my hand on his; there’s a hitch in his breath, and I don’t know if it’s from crying or the contact between us. This time feels different than when I put my hand on his leg like it’s somehow electrically charged. I don’t know if it’s because of the vulnerability of the moment or if something has changed between us since then.
“I mean, my dad has always been kind of a dick, you know?” He forces a laugh and avoids my gaze. “He’s always been pushy. And my parents, god, they fight. Too much for a healthy marriage, but I never thought that—"
His voice breaks off as he shakes his head.
“No one wants to think their parents are capable of that, Declan. You have every right to be upset.”
“He’s fucking someone else,” he repeats, and I think it’s more for his clarity than mine. “But my mom fucking knew. How could you be with a man who’s sleeping with another woman? Someone he works with. Someone who’s half his age.”
“I’m—" I almost apologize but stop because I know it won’t help the situation.
“Why would she stay with him? Why would she put herself through that?”
“Did you talk to her about it?” I wonder; he had to find out some way that she knew. “She probably thought she was doing what was best for you. For Brinley.”
His hands fly up into his hair, and my hand falls back to my side.
“Shit, how am I gonna tell Brinley?”
“I don’t know,” I reply. “But if you need moral support, you got me, okay?”
His head falls back against the bed as his shoulders relax, and he smiles at me. “Thank you,” he says. His warm breath travels across the small gap between us and sends a chill down my spine.
“Anytime.” My voice is small and breathy.
His gaze locks on a new spot—the ceiling. But then his hand reaches out and finds mine again, and we sit silently.
As the silence builds, I worry that this moment between us will end. He’ll want to return to the party and celebrate like that’ll help him get his mind off everything. So, I share something with Declan that I’ve never told anyone else—
“I was a virgin.”
The words feel bitter leaving my mouth, and I instantly regret them. Part of me hopes he didn’t hear me, but I know he did when his head pops up, and his eyes land on me.
Just like the Sandersons do when they’re talking about something personal, I find myself avoiding his gaze.
“What?” he whispers, like if he speaks louder, he might scare me off.
“Before Tanner, I was a virgin,” I continue, his hand slips out from under mine, and I hate that I miss the warmth. But he turns his body toward me so I have all his attention.
“I didn’t really have friends in high school.” I laugh because I think it’s obvious. “Only Cam and Maia, so I don’t think it’s hard to believe I didn’t…”
He doesn’t say anything, and I still don’t look at him.
“Not that I really felt safe with anyone to get that far. The only people I ever trusted were Cam and Maia… until Tanner.”
