Page 62 of Hearts on Ice
He did look at her this time. He’d held her back from her dreams once, to his detriment. He wasn’t going to do that again.
“Yeah, sure.”
Relief sagged her shoulders. “Great! We’ll do something easier, transitions or something. I’ll go see when Sandra can do it, okay?”
He nodded, and she headed toward the door, then stopped herself, half in and half out.
“Thanks, Deck,” she said, and disappeared.
He dragged a hand down his face, wondering what she was thanking him for.
* * *
Colby could senseDeclan’s nerves as they pulled up in front of Meghan and Evan’s house. She had tried to beg off, saying she would be fine staying at the rink or the apartment working on the routine.
“No, I want you to come. It’s important.”
She’d looked at him a long moment. He meant for their future. He wanted her to spend time with his family because he wanted to show them they had a relationship. Up until now she had been scared to think about the future, had just been living in the moment. She hadn’t let herself think about what her life would be like if she stayed. What would she have to look forward to? The videos they were doing? Following Josh and Lexi to competition? Then what?
She wasnotlooking forward to this. The driveway was full of cars, the street lined with them. Balloons framed the sidewalk leading up to the house, and through the open gate, she could see an inflatable of some kind in the backyard.
Declan reached over and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for coming with me.”
They should have done this another way. Should have met for a dinner with just the family.
“Your—your parents won’t be here, will they?”
“Ah.” He looked over at her, and his face reddened a little. “I mean, they don’t live here anymore. I told you that. But they came back for Tristan’s birthday. Just for the weekend.”
“Oh, Declan.” She breathed out his name. “I’ll just call a ride share or something. I can’t go in there with them.” They hated her. She thought Meghan had been rough enough, but his parents, his brother— “This is not a good idea.” She would be mad at him, like he’d set her up, but she knew he wanted to believe they would all get along. He had always been optimistic that way.
She pressed a hand to her stomach, as if that could stop the panic bubbling up in her, and she just wanted to run away.
“It will be fine. They’ll all be on their best behavior.”
“So you did think about it. Is that why you didn’t tell me about it before we got here? You knew I wouldn’t come?”
“No, I mean.” He blew out a breath and looked straight ahead. “Yeah, I knew they would be here, but I thought in front of everyone they’d make an effort to be nicer than they might be if it was just us.”
Well. Maybe that was true, but that didn’t make this any less uncomfortable.
“I wish you would have told me before so I could have prepared myself.”
“I’m sorry.” He touched her arm, his voice soothing. “But you know, you’re right, I didn’t think you’d come.”
“Why is it important to you for me to be here?” But even as she asked the question, she knew they couldn’t discuss it now. “You know what, let’s just get this over with.” She twisted to reach into the back seat for the wrapped gift that she knew she would be judged on.
On the plus side, carrying the gift gave her an excuse not to hold his hand as they crossed the street. She just knew his family would be looking for every interaction between them.
“Here, I’ll take that,” he said, scooping the box from her arms and balancing it on his opposite hip so he could, yes, take her hand.
She looked over at him, and he must have seen the panic in her face, because he lifted her hand to his lips.
“Oh, Declan, I don’t think either of us are ready for this.” Walking in there together meant that they were together, that they were looking at a future. And no doubt his parents were going to ask about that, what their plans were. She had no answer for that, but she couldn’t even voice that concern to Declan, not when they were about to walk into his brother’s house.
“We’re good, we’re fine. Don’t worry.”
She took a deep breath and held it as she opened the door.
