I’d get the information out of Declan tomorrow, and if he didn’t want to open up to me, then I didn’t know if this relationship had legs to stand on.
Chapter 32
The next morning, I woke when I heard buzzing and felt Declan getting out of bed. It was dim when I opened my eyes, but I saw him grab his cell phone off the end table and vanish from the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Now what? Curious, and trying not to give in to that feeling of dread in my gut, I sat up and grabbed the robe at the end of the bed. When I stood and put it on, I reminded myself that it might just be someone calling from work. And him leaving the room was just a considerate gesture not to wake me up.
A glance at the clock told me it was almost eight. Eight am on a Sunday could still be work, I rationalized. Declan seemed to work at all hours of the day no matter what day of the week it was.
I didn’t pull on socks this time, just walked to the door and eased it open as quietly as possible. There was silence. I didn’t even know where Declan went.
But I still crept down the hall, hoping he didn’t hear me. Or hoping, rather that I’d catch some information to know exactly what he was up to. Which was horrible. I was trying to catch him in a lie, and it made me feel guilty. But not too guilty to stop.
I moved through the living room, to the kitchen, and then passed the dining room and walked to the whole other side of the house. And then I heard it, just the low murmur of a voice.
His office. He’d gone far enough away that I wouldn’t have heard him if I hadn’t woken up and seen him leave.
“This isn’t a good time,” Declan said in a growl.
It was quiet for another minute and I walked few feet closer. When the floor creaked under me, I winced. Then gasped when Declan appeared in the doorway.
He was in boxer briefs, and the phone was nowhere to be seen.
“Royal,” he said, surprised. “Did I wake you?”
“I heard you leave. And I heard you talking to someone.”
“Talking to someone? It’s just me here.”
He evaded the question, but the brief moment of hesitation before that told me the truth. I walked to the door of the room, brushing past him to peer inside.
And there it was—his phone, sitting on the edge of the desk where he’d probably set it after he’d hung up quickly.
“Who were you talking to?” I asked, trying to stay calm.
Declan folded his arms, getting that closed off look again. “No one. I was just checking my messages.”
“And the night before last? When you were supposedly talking to yourself in the bathroom? You had your phone with you then too.”
His eyes narrowed. “Royal,” he started.
I shoved my hands into my hair and then forced myself to stay calm. I wasn’t going to break down in front of him. That was another thing I promised myself. I wouldn’t completely lose myself and breakdown in front of a man again. But that didn’t mean my heart didn’t take a sharp dive.
“Forget it,” I said and turned back to the door. I’d barely made it two steps before Declan’s arms were around me. I gritted my teeth. “Let go.”
“Royal,” he murmured in my ear. “You know I do business at all hours of the day.”
“So that’s what you’re telling me? That was business? Because you’re being awfully secretive for something that has an easy explanation.”
“Royal,” he tried again instead of answering the question.
“No!” I jerked out of his grasp and held up my hands. “You don’t get to touch me like that. I think it’s time to go.”
I strode in the opposite direction, going to find my clothes from Friday. I hadn’t cared before, but now I was irritated that I didn’t have anything else to wear. A comfortable pair of jeans to slide into and a T-shirt so I could head to my dad’s house. I told him I’d stop by today and I wasn’t going to break my promise.
Declan kept up with me easily, his long strides eating up the floor. He kept trying to talk to me along the way, but I kept shaking my head. “It’s fine,” I told him. “You obviously have business to do, and I’m clearly in the way. I’m going to get dressed and go.”
“Dammit, Royal, stop. You can’t just race off—”
“Seriously?” I threw him a scathing glare. “You’re not trying to tell me what to do right now.”
“No, I’m trying to keep you safe. And you’re getting upset for no reason.”
I stopped at the bed in the master bedroom, incredulous. “No reason? So now you make the guidelines on what should make me upset? You told me we were going to be honest with each other—”
“And we are,” he said, voice softening.
He took a step toward me, and I backed up until the backs of my thighs hit the bed. “Don’t. I’m upset right now, and it would be better if you just don’t touch me.”
“It would be better for both of us if you would sit down and talk with me.”
“You want to talk?” I asked. “Okay. Who was on the phone? Today in your office. Or two nights ago?”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Ragged air escaped my lips, and my heart squeezed in pain. “I need to go.”
“I thought we were going to go to your dad’s house together later.”
“I’m going now. I promised him I’d be
