I sucked in a breath of air that turned into a sob. I missed Declan already. And he was probably expecting a call from me soon. Or for me to answer when he called. He was probably expecting to come over tonight so we could sleep in the same room and be together.
And God, I craved that with every fiber of my being. But my father’s words kept echoing over and over in my head. Stay away from Dark.
If that meant keeping my father safe, I needed to consider it. And maybe, that would keep Declan safe, too. And Xander. It seemed like the smartest choice.
I turned off my phone again and walked back to the living room, where, just as promised, Xander had a big glass of wine prepared for me. He’d also piled blankets on the couch and had the TV on, ready to stream whatever we chose.
“Now, we just need food and… Ro, what is it?”
“I listened to a message from him,” I said miserably.
“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.” There was no judgment in his tone. He just walked over and hugged me, holding me close while I sobbed.
“I hate this,” I told him. “I told myself I was never going to do this again. I was never going to cry over a man—”
“Royal. You can’t spend your entire life being strong, being made of steel. Sometimes vulnerability is what makes you stronger. Or else how would you ever have any meaningful relationships?”
“But I love him.”
Xander gave a compassionate chuckle. “Yes, we can all see it. And that’s not a bad thing, Royal. You fell in love. Millions of people, or at least thousands, do that every single day.”
“Yeah, but they don’t usually fall in love with someone that their father tells them not to be around.”
Xander eased back. He grabbed a tissue box off the end table and held it out for me to pluck one. “It's situational. It’s not because it’s Declan, it’s because of the place he’s in.”
“And who he is. If he was just a regular guy, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“But Declan is the man you’re in love with. It’s just a fact, and you can’t change it. But… at the risk of you being frustrated with me, I think your father’s right. I think a break from Declan would be a good idea.” Xander shrugged. “At least until we either know who's been following you or until things calm down.”
“I hate saying this, but I think you’re right. But I’m supposed to go to work tomorrow.”
He shook his head. “Why? It’s a fake job.”
I frowned. “Not entirely. We have our resort project. It’s important to me.”
“It’ll be there later. Right now, your safety is the most important. If Declan can’t see that, then he’s an ass.”
We both jumped at a knock on the door. I turned wide eyes to Xander, and when I heard Declan’s voice, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
“Royal? Are you in there?”
“I can’t see him,” I whispered.
I didn’t have to explain, Xander just nodded and walked to the door. I knew if I saw Declan right now, I’d give in. I’d toss myself into his arms and hold on tight, and then I’d convince myself that it made more sense to be near him instead of away from him. And then I’d still be stuck with lies. I’d still be putting people in danger.
Xander opened the door just enough to peer outside. “Dark,” he said by way of greeting.
“Is she here?” Declan asked.
“She is, but she can’t talk right now. And right now, it’s better if you give her some space.”
“Xander,” Declan ground out. “I need to see her.”
“She’s here and she’s safe. That’s all you need to know right now.”
Declan’s voice rose, reaching me where I stood hesitantly in the hallway, ready to go to my room if I needed to get away from the conversation.
“Royal? I’m sorry. Let’s just…talk. I’d feel better if you’d let me stay here tonight.”
Xander glanced back at me, but I shook my head. A tear slid down my cheek.
Xander looked back at Declan. “I’m going to need you to go now. Let Royal have her space and you guys can figure this out later.” Declan started to say something else and Xander shook his head. “I’m serious, Dark. Go take a breath yourself, or I’m going to have to call the police.”
He shut the door after those words, the thud loud and final in the quiet apartment. Crap. Xander had sounded dangerous there for a minute. And I believed him. He probably would call the police if Declan wouldn’t leave us alone.
Xander stared at the door for a minute, listening, but seemed satisfied when he didn’t hear anything.
He walked back to me. “Okay, the hard part is done. Now we just have to figure out dinner. And what to watch.”
“I thought you said the hard part was done,” I whispered.
He put his arm around me. “If figuring out dinner and a movie is the hardest thing we have to do for the rest of the night, I think we might just make it.”
I hope so, I told myself.
But it took effort not to spend the rest of the evening thinking about what I might have lost. And it was even harder to sleep. I was used to Declan’s warmth and the strength of him next to me, holding me, keeping me sane even though the world was trying to stress me out.
I woke up an hour before I was supposed to be at work the next morning so I could call Tim. I
