Page 128 of Ruin

I take Declan’s phone from his lap, and ask him to open it for me which he does without question, or looking at me strangely. Handing it back to me I open the notes app.

In pain, but happy Declan found me in time.

“Oh, he wouldn’t have stopped until he found you.” Lileah thanks her mom for her coffee, and I smile at her as she hands me a plate with a piece of toast and soup.

“I knew you two would end up together.” I have to smile at Lileah’s words and type on the phone.

I have to laugh, because I didn’t. Thought he was an asshole.

“No, your words were a handsome asshole.” I turn to Declan who gives me a wink, as I remember our first meeting, when I did in fact call him a handsome asshole.

Yes, a handsome asshole.I lick my lips, there was something I wanted to ask him, but I know he will say no because he doesn’t like him.

“Ask what you want Trixie, I’m not a mind reader.” I hand him his phone back, and he puts it down on the coffee table, and laughs at something Mason just said but I didn’t hear it.

Can I call Ash-

“No.” The reply comes fast, without me even having the chance to explain anything.

You can be with me the whole time. I won’t smoke anything. Plus, there is always a reason someone is the way they are. I smoked and cut myself for a reason, he has a reason, too. Please, he was the only friend I had in the whole school.

“I have no idea what she said to you, but it looked like she’s annoyed with you,” Miles jokes with Declan, and their dad laughs.

He hasn’t said anything to me yet, not sure if he is worried how I’ll react, because I’m sure Declan has told everyone what Robert did to me.

I don’t like him, and the fact I told you to stop smoking, but you still fucking did it. He gave you that shit when I told him to stop.Declan signs back to me, and I look at him as he watches me to see my reaction.

He was my only friend.I sign a little slower this time.

Eat your food, and I’ll think about it.

Asshole.

“Now that has to be something mean, it looks like she is telling you to fuck off.” Miles looks at me and I shake my head. “Asshole?” I nod, and he smiles. “I’m going to start using that sign.” He gives me a wink, which makes me smile.

“Sweetheart.” I turn to Declan’s mom. “Eat up before it gets cold.” I nod and take a spoonful of soup, and then turn to Declan.

“I said I’ll think about it,” Declan tells me again, and I continue to eat my food. I knew it was going to be a hard one for him to agree on, but I’m hoping he says yes to me.

A sharp shooting pain hits my side making me drop my spoon, and the soup slips a little. My hand lands on Declan’s thigh as I squeeze hard, and he quickly takes the plate off my lap, as I scream in pain.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Declan cups my face as he kneels in front of me.

It…it.Fuck this pain is hurting me too much. I look down at my side, and Declan looks at where I’m looking and lifts my sweater up. “Pain,” I whisper to him.

“It’s okay, everything is okay. Dad?” Declan looks over at his dad walking over to me with the first aid kit. I hear Hayden on the phone telling someone what’s happening. Whatever it is, I don’t like it. “Dad is going to have a look, I’m right here.”

Declan moves out the way for his dad to look at the stab wound, and I lean my head on Declan’s shoulder. My eyes feel heavy. I’m tired, I want to sleep. I feel Declan kiss the top of my head, telling me he loves me. I smile as I hear the words, coming from my sexy boyfriend.

Declan starts moving his thumb over my hand, I know he's trying to relax me, and even though I’m in pain, having him do that is really helpful. I take a deep breath in and close my eyes as his dad looks at my stitches.

* * *

Four days later and I’m finally feeling a little better. When I woke up after the attacks, I was scared because of the amount of pain I was in. The doctor said it was my body registering what it had been through. Even though no one spoke about it, my body woke up a little later than my mind. He gave me some strong pain medication, and prescribed bed rest for forty-eight hours. I already knew Declan will make sure I don’t leave the bed. I swear he didn’t sleep while I was recovering, but he won’t admit it. Lileah said he had about an hour or so each night, but Declan never agreed with her.

Now, my body is still in a little pain, but I was so fed up with being indoors, and almost begged Declan to let me out for a bit. It wasn’t easy, he’d get Doc to check me over three times before he agreed to let me out.

Now, I’m back at school, and Declan hasn’t left my side. He’s even joined me in classes that he doesn’t take, and the teachers have not once questioned him about it.

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