He squeezed her tight in his arms, and whispered against her hair, “It’s so good to have my best friend back.”
He reached for the light switch above his bed stand and engulfed the room in darkness. He smiled a mile wide as he played the night over in his head.
Damn, he couldn’t wait to have breakfast with her tomorrow.
Finally, Squirt was home.
Bree tiptoed around Declan’s home, letting her fingers trace the walls of the stairway on her way down. She didn’t want to wake Declan, so she’d left the lights out. She locked the door and pulled it closed behind her.
She crept to his rocking chair on his porch and glanced at the time on her phone. Seven a.m. She called the first person she knew could handle a situation under pressure. And above all, one who could keep a secret.
“Bree? That you? What’s wrong, sis?”
“Gwenn, I need you to pick me up,” Bree whispered.
“What? I can’t hear you!” Gwenn said. “Speak up!”
“I can’t talk any louder.” Bree looked over her shoulder into the window next to the rocking chair. The living room was still dark.
“Where are you?” Gwenn asked.
“I’m at Dec’s. I texted you last night.”
“Oh, right. Sorry. You woke me up, so I’m not really sharp right now.”
“You need to come get me. Now.” Bree said on a stage whisper. She winced, worrying she’d been too loud. She glanced behind her again, but everything was still quiet.
“I’m coming. I’ll be there in twenty. Stay inside and wait for me.”
Bree groaned. “I already locked myself out. I’m sitting outside on his ugly ass porch.”
Gwenn sighed. “That’s not smart, Bree. What were you thinking? Dec’s place is safe. Now you have to wait outside for me to—”
Bree hushed her sister. “Well, next time I’m creeping out of someone’s home after a good fucking, I will think back to this conversation. Will you just get your butt in gear?”
Gwenn laughed, and Bree winced.
“Can’t believe you said that out loud,” Gwenn said, knowing her sister. Bree heard a door closing in the background. “I’m walking over to your car. Call me if you need me. Be there soon.” Gwenn said before she hung up.
Dec always insisted Bree to park on an exact spot right under the streetlight. He’d deemed it the safest in the parking lot of her apartment building. He’d showed Bree three other spots, just in case that ‘safe’ spot had been taken. Always looking out for her. That’s Dec.
Like a stupid teenager, she hadn’t cared they didn’t use protection last night. She just wanted him to never stop. Too afraid he’d come to his senses and turn her away again.
Bree groaned at her own stupidity. She’d just started on the pill again. So she wasn’t worried about getting pregnant. She was also safe. She hadn’t been with anyone since her last year in college. She had an all clear test done after Blake, who’d been her first and her last. Hmm, Declan was her last now.
She looked up at the Texas sky and puffed out a deep breath. Orange, yellow, and pink clouds painted the sky as the sun rose. Why on earth had they had sex last night?
She realized it had been a mistake the moment he mentioned Craig. Ugh. He said he hated the thought of Bree with Craig. If that were all it took for Declan to finally notice her, she would have started dating years ago.
She shook her head. Declan dismissed her feelings so easily last March. Like he couldn’t believe she would tell him she’d loved him. Sure, he’d been understanding and sweet. But he’d never led her to believe he’d felt the same way.
Not even once in the past six months had he shown an ounce of regret. It was like he’d turned her down, and that was that. He wanted to stay friends. But who was he kidding, anyway?
Like a kicked puppy licking her wounds, she’d tried to move on. It hadn’t been easy. Their paths crossed everywhere. At his brother's dojo where Bree took self-defense classes. At Declan’s family pub, Lucky. At Cait’s apartment.
Everywhere.
Agreeing to a first date with Craig had been a milestone. Declan only felt jealous because she wasn’t lusting over his ass anymore. Now someone else had grabbed her attention. Pfff.