Page 64 of Hooked on a Demon
Declan sips his drink, putting his hand out for Buckley to walk under as he comes over to comfort his distressed human. “Yeah.”
“Dude.” Lachlan reaches over, playfully punching Declan’s shoulder. “So why are you here?”
“Everest doesn’t know. No one does. I’m tired of it being a secret, and I don’t know what to do so that I don’t lose my friend and the woman I’m crazy about.”
Petra’s eyes look like they are about to pop out of her head. “Hold on, your best friend doesn’t know that you’re in a relationship with his sister?”
“Nope. She was worried about how he would react, and I didn’t want to risk not having a chance to see how things would play out with her. But now I can’t stop thinking about her and want to be with her anytime we want without having to worry about him busting in and discovering us at any moment.”
“How have you kept it from him for so long?”
He sighs, resigning himself to the truth. “A lot of lies. So many lies. I fucking hate myself for it.”
“Aww, Declan,” Sloan says, leaning forward and giving him her full attention. “You are in a tough position, but it sounds like this is more than fooling around.”
“It is.”
“Then you need to be honest with him,” Sloan continues. “Continuing to lie to him and to yourselves, forcing what you’re feeling to be a secret, isn’t going to help anyone.”
“I know,” Declan says, his head dropping back in frustration. Buckley lays his head on Declan’s lap, trying to soothe him. His hand lands on Buckley’s head, petting it to reassure him he’s okay. “He’s gonna fucking hate me.”
“Maybe,” Lachlan says. “Or maybe he’ll be understanding. If anything, knowing what I know of him, he’ll likely be more upset about you lying to him than you being in arelationshipwith his sister.” He puts extra emphasis on the term relationship, and while Declan knows it’s his brother trying to tease him, because in the past that would have sent him running, he’s relieved to feel no tension in his body. The idea of a relationship with Eliana doesn’t scare him. It does the opposite, actually. It excites him.
“Maybe. But how do I even broach the subject with him?” Declan asks. “It’s not like I can hand him a beer and be like ‘by the way I’m in love with your sister’ and expect it to go well.”
All of their eyes go wide at that revelation. His own body freezes as he plays back what he said. As he looks around, he sees nothing but knowing smirks looking back at him. “Fuck off,” he retorts to their unspoken reaction.
The group busts into laughter, and Lachlan claps him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the club, Dec. It’s a whole new world on this side. You’re gonna love it.”
CHAPTER37
Eliana
“How are we doing today?” Dr. Colson asks as she takes her customary seat on the small couch.
Unable to fight the smile on her face, she says, “I’ve been good.”
Colson laughs. “From the look on your face, and the way you’re blushing right now, I’d say you’ve been more than good since we last spoke.”
“Shut up!”
“I will not,” he playfully gasps, feigning hurt. “Why don’t we start with what has you feeling this way?”
Happy bubbles bounce under her skin as she repositions herself on the sofa, sliding one leg underneath her and pulling the other one up to rest her foot on the edge. She wraps her arms around her now-bent knee, putting her forehead on top so she can attempt to hide the stupidly cheerful grin that seems to be plastered on her face while she talks. “I had a really good night. With the guy I’m seeing.”
“I figured he had something to do with it,” he teases. “Things are going well then?”
“Very well,” she says, the smile even evident in her tone.
“I’m happy to hear that.”
“Thank you. I’m honestly surprised. He’s surprised me in every way possible. I can’t think of a time I’ve felt this way. Or at least it’s been such a long time that I don’t remember when I last felt this way.”
“The beginning of a relationship is usually exciting. Did you ever feel this way about your ex?”
The happy bubbles within her begin to burst, popping and fizzing like a high school volcano at the mention of Sam. Eliana shifts her body again, moving to sit cross-legged and folding her hands in her lap, playing with the hem of her sweater as she stares down at them. She hasn’t told anyone about his last text. Not even Kaia, even though she was with her. She played it off as a scam and put it aside as best as she could. He hasn’t tried again since, but she knows it’s coming.
“Not that I can think of,” Eliana responds, her voice more somber.
