Page 72 of Surrender

Chapter forty-three

Declan

"So, how's it going with Serenity?" Daniel asks me a month later at The Envelope.

She wants six months, so I haven't pushed for any dates or intimacy yet. I expect she'll ask me when she's ready. She's been the one calling the shots this past month. It's been uncomfortable not knowing what to expect, but I trust her. We do our daily runs together, with Hank, and send flirty texts all day and all night but she hasn't initiated anything else.

I explain as much.

"She's wooing you," Harrison says with a smile on his face.

"Why aren't you wooing her back?" Daniel challenges.

"What?"

"You going to let her do all the work when it comes to building this relationship?"

Well, when he puts it like that... fuck. I was letting her call the shots. This break, this re-do is what she wanted, but he's not wrong. I should absolutely be trying to win her back.

So, while I sit at our table, watching Serenity work, I come up with ideas for how to win her back. While I hated her leaving, shewas absolutely right. She deserves her own romantic story. The girl obsessed with happily-ever-afters deserves to be wooed, to be romanced, grand gestures, and a love she never doubts.

I absolutely hate watching her get on the bus at the end of her shift, but I know the bus stop is near her apartment, so she should be safe.

Joseph drives me home in silence, as professional as ever, but I feel a shift in his demeanor. I think he misses her, too. Or at least how she smoothed my rougher edges.

After I wish him a good night, my tired feet walk me into Serenity's library. I've never romanced someone before. I've never thought about how I should be as a partner. For so many years, I've only had to worry about myself, and I never felt the need to change, or work on myself.

I was an asshole, sure, but if people didn't want to deal with me like that, they didn't have to. But Ser? I want to be better for her. I want to be the best possible partner for her.

With that in mind, I pick up the first book in her collection and take it to bed with me. Surely, if she loves these 'meet cutes', and 'tropes' and 'book boyfriends', they should give me some inspiration on how to be better for her.

Chapter forty-four

Serenity

Things are going really well with Declan. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but for the past month, I've woken up to a "good morning, beautiful" text and fallen asleep to a "goodnight, beautiful" text. We text little updates throughout our day - dumb little things just to let the other know we're thinking of them. Candid pictures of Magda and Joseph, what he had for breakfast, a text to remind me to eat. And of course, our daily runs together.

I'm sleeping better now that I've adjusted to the new apartment, and Ella, and my classes started this week. I'm anxious about learning anything and passing with my ADHD, but now that I'm not content just to survive it, but to thrive with ADHD, I'm determined to find a method or system that will help me. Declan's offer to pay for a therapist is also in the back of my mind if I find myself struggling again.

I take the bus to work, letting myself in with the key Madame gave me. I like to get here early because waiting in my apartment with nothing to do when I know I have to be here at five ispainful. It'd rather get here hours early and double check the inventory or rooms than wait around.

So, it surprises me when I walk into The Green room and find a gift and a bouquet of greens and soft blue flowers. I look around for some sort of clue as to who it's for before I see him.

Declan lounges easily on one of the leather couches against the wall. His ankle is crossed on one of his knees and his commanding body language has my blood heating. I want to run to him, to hold him, kiss him, tell him much I miss him. Instead, he nods to the presents on the bar.

"For me?" I sign since he's so far away.

He nods again.

A giddy excitement tickles my chest as I pick up the bouquet and bring it to my nose. It smells faintly floral, but not overwhelming. I hug it to my chest before setting it down again and picking up the present. Just holding it I know it's a book. I rip it open to find Bound By Desire, one of my favorite books. It's clearly my own copy, the wear on the corners familiar. I leaf it open, and a paper falls out.

I dip down and scoop it up, intrigued.

It's a book review paper, with Declan's messy handwriting outlining the tropes, the meet cutes, some spicy phrases and a "hated the third act break up" written in the notes. Happy tears prick my eyes as I pull the book against my chest.

He read my book.

He read a silly romance book.

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