Page 88 of Try Me

Much Easier That Way

Declan

“What took you so long?”Declan asked, pulling open the door.

He’d spent most of the day on the balcony watching the tourists at Waikiki. When he’d grown tired of that, he’d tried to nap, but sleep had eluded him.

He thought he would go mad waiting for Pearl to come to his room, and he’d practically sprinted to the door when he heard the knock at close to 5:00 p.m., but when he wrenched open the door to his suite, it wasn’t Pearl waiting in the hallway. His heart plummeted when he saw Linda standing there looking just as beautiful as she had the first time he’d seen her on a rare rainy day at Waikiki. They’d taken shelter under the picnic area to get out of the driving rain. He could still remember how blue her eyes had been against the gray sky. She’d been with Eddie even then. A year older than him, and completely off-limits.

“Hi, Declan,” Linda said, smiling up at him.

Pulse pounding, he took a step back into the room. Linda had a way of making Declan feel like an awkward teenager all over again. Unsure of what to do with his hands, he shoved them in his pockets. “Hey,” he said.

“I tried to call your room, but you didn’t answer,” she said. “Your agent said you wanted to speak to me.”

Declan felt a black cloud of anger descend on him. “You talked to McKenna?” he asked. “Why?”

Linda narrowed her eyes at Declan. “He called me. He said you wanted to talk to me.” Lowering her voice, she said, “He told me about your relationships.”

Declan’s eyes widened in surprise and he glanced down the hall to see if anyone had heard. There was an older couple walking to the elevators, but other than that, the coast was clear. He stepped back into the room a few feet, motioning for Linda to come in.

“Wow,” she said. “I’ve never been in a room this nice before.” Linda walked over to the window and moved aside the curtain. “You can see all the way to Diamond Head.” She spun to face him, and her dress flaring around her thighs. “Remember when we used to watch the sunrise at Black Point?”

Declan took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He couldn’t believe McKenna would tell anyone the truth about his fake relationships. “What did McKenna say to you?” He asked.

Linda smiled almost shyly and walked across the room until she stood in front of him. She looked up at him with her huge cornflower-blue eyes. “He told me everything,” she said. “Is it true that they are all fake?”

Declan’s vision blurred as a stabbing pain ricocheted through his head. He never thought he would have this conversation with Linda. He’d never thought he’d see her again. He needed a drink. He stalked over to the fully stocked bar and rummaged around for a moment looking for the Irish whiskey before he remembered that he didn’t drink anymore.

He straightened up and faced Linda. “Yes,” he admitted. “It’s true.”

In the early days after his second stint at rehab, Linda had been one reason he didn’t want to date. She’d been all he could think about. The last time they’d seen each other before he’d left Oahu, Declan had been lying in a hospital bed, miraculously alive after being thrown through the windshield of his Corvette. Declan reached up to rub his neck where he sometimes still felt pain from the accident.

“I called you,” Linda said, walking toward him. “A dozen times.” She took another step. “I left messages.”

Declan licked his dry lips. “I’ve been kind of busy,” he said. For two years, Declan had tried to forget about Linda and everyone else from his past. He’d told himself he didn’t deserve to know what happened to them. He’d messed up their lives enough.

Linda’s eyes didn’t let him off the hook. “I’ve heard that excuse from you before,” she complained. “Why d’you do it?” she asked. “Why d’you fake all those relationships? Your agent said it was me.” She reached up and laced her hands around his neck. “Is that true?”

Declan couldn’t lie. “Yes,” he said.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Why didn’t you take my calls?” she asked. “It killed me to see you photographed with all those women. It killed me,” she whispered. Reaching up on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Linda,” Declan said, untangling her arms from around his neck. “You don’t get it.”

“So tell me,” she said. Her tears were flowing freely now. “Explain it to me.”

Declan held his tongue as he thought of the best way to tell Linda the hell he’d been through blaming himself for Eddie’s death and feeling guilty about her. “You were only part of the reason,” he said finally, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. “Eddie was the rest.”

“Eddie again?” Linda said, her voice rising in annoyance. “Eddie’s dead. He can’t come between us anymore.”

Declan’s lips thinned and he crossed the room to the door. “Eddie will always be between us,” he said. He yanked the door open. “You need to go.”

Tears streaming down her face, Linda strode toward the open door. “I hate you,” she said on her way out.

“Good,” he said sadly. “It’s much easier that way.”

Declan closed the door behind her and leaned against the solid wood, letting it take his weight. His eyes stung with tears that he refused to cry. He’d dreaded Linda’s accusations, and her hatred. But now that it was done, it didn’t seem so bad. It hadn’t killed him, just the opposite. He’d never felt stronger.

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