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I can hear Declan’s strong voice carry across the room. “I think you should go,” he tells his father. Simple, no-nonsense.
The older man spreads his hands in a welcoming gesture, but there’s a tightness in his expression too. “Is that any way to greet your old man?”
Nora comes rushing up to the two of them, her hands outstretched. “Declan, Declan—it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
“Did you invite this asshole?” Declan all but snarls.
Nora shoots a sideways glance at his father, her eyes narrowed.
“I did not,” she says carefully, like she’s trying to avoid provoking him. It’s easy enough to tell that she doesn’t like this man either. “But he can stay. Don’t trouble yourself.”
There’s a warning in her tone. A shiver goes down my spine as I wonder what happened the last time Declan and his father were in the same place.
“So that’s Declan’s father?” I ask in a small voice.
Reed takes pity on me, offering an explanation. “Yeah. That’s Johnathan. Real prick, if you ask… well, anyone, really. He and Declan don’t exactly get along.”
I’m about to ask what he means when Declan storms back over to us. His fists are still clenched, his eyes practically incandescent with fury.
“Okay, well,” Cole says, his tone forcibly lighthearted, “that kind of sucks.”
“I can’t fucking believe him,” Declan growls. “He doesn’t have the decency to just stay away.”
I want to speak, to reassure Declan, but I can’t find my voice. I also can’t stop glancing over my shoulder at Johnathan as he moves through the party, amicably chatting with some of Nora’s other guests.
“You’ve gotta let it go,” Reed says sympathetically. “He’s an asshole. You can’t let that ruin your time, you know? You’re here with your girlfriend.”
Declan glances down at me, his teeth gritted. “Yeah. You’re right.”
“Take it easy,” Cole says. “C’mon, let’s get another round. Reed, where’s Lena?”
Reed takes the cue immediately, pacing off into the crowd to track down his girlfriend. Maybe Cole is hoping that, if we all strike up a conversation together, Lena will be enough of a distraction to take Declan’s mind off his father.
But I don’t think so. It would be almost impossible, with Johnathan lurking around the room like a malicious shadow.
I can’t stop myself from looking over at him again, taking stock of just how much he looks like Declan. They have the same strong jawline, and while Johnathan’s posture is different—his shoulders are slightly stooped with age—he’s tall, well over six feet, like his son.
I remember what Declan said as he made me breakfast a few weeks ago—that for him, it was all about proving something to his father. Then he’d stopped talking. Abruptly, like it had been a mistake to bring it up in the first place.
Whatever happened between Declan and his father, it’s nothing good, and he’s far from willing to tell me about it.
Reed walks back to the table, an irritated-looking Lena alongside him. “What do you guys think—should we all go for another round?”
We make our way around the party. I stick close to Declan’s side, unsure of what’s going on, and worried that I’ll get caught up in whatever strange dynamics are at play.
Declan introduces me to a few more people, a mixture of family friends and old business partners. Cole and Reed hover close by, like they’re keeping an eye on him. Good. Someone has to. I know that I won’t be able to get between Declan and his father, but they might.
Slowly but surely, as the party goes on, Declan begins to unwind. He does an excellent job of ignoring Johnathan, even though the older man keeps lingering on the edges of Declan’s conversations.
Maybe he thinks his mere presence will be enough to provoke Declan. Maybe he’s right; Declan still seems annoyed. But he pointedly doesn’t talk to his father, and even seems to be enjoying himself.
Enjoying showing me off, really. And I can’t help but love it too. Being on Declan’s arm. Being introduced as “Declan’s girlfriend.” I could get used to this.
It’s also nice to see how Declan’s friends have his back. Cole and Reed are never more than ten feet away from him at any given moment of this party, but they’re also minding their own business, only chiming in to talk to him when he seems like he wants to. Close enough to intervene if Johnathan tries to speak to him, but not so close that they’re breathing down his neck.
As the party continues, I enjoy the conversations with Reed and Cole the most. Lena is a lot to swallow though. Declan and I sit by the fire, talking to Reed and doing our best to ignore Lena, who is drunkenly scrolling on her phone.
We’re giving Reed the PG-rated rendition of how we got together. It’s a little hard to edit around all of the ridiculously hot sex, but I’d say we’re doing a decent job.
