Page 69 of Stolen Sun

“You name the place, and I’ll put Velocity right in the center of the fucking town. With me is a given, but I know you don’t want to be in Birmingham.”

“I haven’t thought about leaving in such a long time,” I say, unsure.

“Then, start,” he says, like it’s so simple to uproot myself now that I’m established in a career. “I’ve taken you out of Birmingham, out of Alabama, even. While we’re here, think about what you want.”

He kisses me then gets out of the shower, leaving me with my thoughts.

Declan and I had so many late night phone calls when we were younger about getting out of Birmingham. Yet we’re both still firmly planted there.

We used to dream about living in the mountains of Tennessee. It’s hot enough in the summer to have a swimming pool but cold enough in the winterto snow. The best part was that it was far enough away that I couldn’t be under my parents’ control.

We were just kids though. We didn’t do any of the things we had planned together. Well, I guess that’s not completely true. Declan did.

He created a successful business like he said he would. But me? I love my job, but it isn’t my passion. I didn’t even get an art degree, and I never rarely visit studios anymore.

That’s what he sees. A girl who didn’t grow up to be what she had dreamed of becoming. I look at myself in the mirror, ready to accept his challenge. When I’m finished getting ready, I walk out of the bathroom to find Declan on his laptop at the desk in the living room.

“I’d like to go to a museum today,” I say without waiting for him to stop typing.

He finishes up whatever he’s typing then closes the laptop before he looks up at me.

“Let’s go,” he says, grabbing the keys and walking out the door.

We find ourselves in an art museum, wandering around when my phone rings. Quickly silencing it, I see it’s my dad calling me. I show Declan, and his expression turns violent.

Grabbing my arm, he pulls me along with him to the stairwell close by.

“Answer it,” he grinds out, clenching his jaw.

“Hello, Dad,” I answer the phone, trying to keep my emotions out of my voice.

“Noel, where are you?” He asks without a greeting.

“Out of town.”

“Mom said you ran out on her at lunch yesterday. I came to your office to discuss things with you myself as it was not her place to do so,” he says, sounding impatient and angry.

Declan steps into me, putting a hand on the wall above my head and taking the phone from me with the other. He switches the call to speakerphone as I lean against the wall, my head spinning.

“What do you want?” I stammer out.

He sighs into the phone. “Elle, I didn't want to trouble you with the details. Jeff and I just thought the two of you may find some comfort in your shared loss. Just two fathers not wanting their only children to be alone and grieving, honey. Your mother took things she overheard out of context,” he says.

Declan narrows his eyes at me. “Noel is far from alone or grieving,” he says, his voice low and threatening.

“Who is that, Noel?” My dad asks, yelling into the phone.

Declan chuckles darkly into the phone.

“Her past, present,” he draws out in a threatening tone. Then he pauses to search my face before saying, “and future.”

Fuck.My breath leaves my body in a rush of air.

My dad yells into the phone, but I don’t hear a word.

Declan ends the call and slips my phone into his pocket. While his hands are busy, I wrap mine behind his head to pull him down into a kiss. His arms find their way around my back just as I press my body against his. Our kiss deepens, blurring the world around us.

When we pull apart to look at each other, he stands to his full height again.

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