Page 48 of Declan

Declan enters the stage on the opposite side, on which my cage is positioned, so the crowd sees him first.

They immediately lose their minds, screaming, shouting, stomping, and clapping, and I can’t help but smile at their extreme level of enthusiasm. Not that my fans lack enthusiasm or anything, but this is a touch above the norm range.

He steps out in front of everyone and doesn’t say a word; he just raises his hands above his head, and the decibel level goes up another couple of notches. All he has to do is stand there, looking out at the crowd, and he has them in the palm of his hand.

I don’t feel Declan’s level of stage presence is something that can be taught. Sure, you can overcompensate with tricks, lights, smoke, water, and whatever else you wanna throw into your show. But for someone who’s able to walk out on the stage and be the show, that’s a whole other level of entertainment.

I’m so enraptured watching him that, at first, I don’t realize he’s talking about me. Then, I scowl as he says, “My wife wanted to try something different today. Do you like her cage?”

Now, the roaring is intermingled with laughs and hoots, and I shake my head. It’s not like I didn’t know he’d try and pull some kind of shit to make me part of the show. Otherwise, he would’ve put the cage in his dressing room or left me caged at home.

He walks over to me, still running his mouth, and I give him my most patient look as he stops directly in front of me. He looks me up and down and smiles. “I think the metal bars suit you, doll face.”

I roll my eyes but say nothing because really, what am I gonna say?

He drops the mic away from his mouth, so I’m the only one who can hear him when he says, “Don’t worry, darlin’. You’ll get your turn in the spotlight.”

He doesn’t wait to see if I’m going to say anything in return; instead, he spins on his heel and steps right back into the showcase.

And it’s true, for the next hour, I most definitely have the best seat in the room, even though I’m mostly watching the back of his head.

I won’t deny the fact that he’s hot, charismatic, and charming, on top of being a first-class musician. I bet the only thing that’d make this crowd lose their minds even more is if he pulled theFlashdancemove, stripping down and dumping water all over himself.

I’m still a bit annoyed that I’m in a cage, but my anger has certainly dulled since he’s been on stage. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t badger him into doing something crazy, and I suppose if this is the craziest thing he’s going to do, then I’m probably getting off easy.

And I did mean it when I said that I wanted to know the real him. He’s such a multi-layered individual that it’s easy to forget that those outside layers may not be his true personality. I suppose I’m lucky he didn’t leave me tied up in here, but I know he’s gonna do something.

Another hour goes by, and I start to wonder what’s going to happen. The crowd is no less excited, and he’s no less electrifying, even though he must be exhausted.

The electricity in the air hasn’t tapered, and it’s almost as if the crowd also knows something crazy is going to happen. He’s only mentioned me a few more times, each time being some teasing line about whether I’m enjoying my cage. I did my best to look bored, but I’m sure the crowd noticed that when Declan wasn’t looking, I was anything but bored watching him.

What’s crazy to me is that, even after all the wild things that have happened in the last few weeks, I don’t think that I can go back to the disdain I once felt. Even if the Declan of the last few weeks wasn’t the real Declan, he managed to wedge himself in there and thaw some of that iciness I felt for him.

I don’t believe that the Declan of the last few weeks was entirely a lie. It’s more a feeling that he dulled his rough edges to better suit whatever it is he felt I would react positively to.

And he wasn’t entirely wrong in doing so because it’s likely if he had come at me as his current form, I would’ve laughed in his face and run the other way.

And maybe I still will.

Maybe once I get a full dose of the real Declan, I’ll run scared, but as of right now, I don’t see that happening, which surprises me.

I don’t have a lot of experience with men, and maybe I should be a little bit more concerned over the fact that he has a timeline of our non-relationship tattooed on his back, but a small part of me can’t help but be almost charmed by it.

Which likely means I’ve officially lost my damn mind.

“Doesn’t my wife look gorgeous in her cage?” Declan’s booming question snaps me out of my reverie, and I blink, surprised to find he’s standing only a few feet from me.

The crowd roars with approval, and I raise my brows, shaking my head at how easily they go along with him. Then, he continues, “My wife told me earlier today that she wants me to be myself around her. Apparently, she doesn’t care too much for the silly and accommodating nice-guy Declan, so I figure I’ll be the dutiful husband and give her exactly what she asked for. What do you all think about that?”

It’s unclear specifically what they think about that, but their obvious enthusiasm indicates they think whatever he has planned is a good idea.

Admittedly, I’m now getting a bit nervous because even though I don’t believe he would physically hurt me, that doesn’t mean that he’s not so unhinged he won’t go too far and not even realize it.

He’s still talking to the crowd about what an egotistical, self-obsessed asshole he is, and no one is disagreeing with him, which I also find amusing.

Then, just as quickly as he started down this line of chitchat, he switches gears, heading into the final song of the night, leaving me even more confused because this song is a heavy number and has nothing to do with love or relationships. Instead, it’s all political outrage and the level of atrocities governments get away with.

The crowd knows every line he feeds them, and then he feeds off of them in return as they take the chorus and run away with it. He stands on the edge of the stage, both arms up, listening to them singing his words back to him, his face lit up in joy. I know firsthand what a euphoric feeling it is to have tens of thousands of people singing your words like an anthem. It sends exhilaration down your spine, a feeling that will follow you all night and, sometimes, even for days.

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