Chapter 31
THIRTY-ONE
ANDY
Yesterday, I was nervous about meeting Declan's bandmates. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen.
Would they like me?
Would they compare me to Declan's ex-wife?
How would they react knowing I'm not the type of woman that Declan typically goes for?
It turned out I was worried over nothing. The guys had been accepting, and Cece and Sara were amazing. During the drive home, Max couldn't stop talking about her new friends, Chloe and Maddy, Sara's six-year-old twin daughters. She'd run off with them right after they met, and the three of them were in a fit of giggles the entire party.
When they became tired of the game room where they'd been dancing around to Taylor Swift, they wanted to go swimming. I'd helped Max change into the swimsuit I’d brought for her, and then she was splashing around in the shallow end of the pool with her new friends while Sara, Cece, and I sat on the side of the pool, watching and talking.
By the night's end, the three of us exchanged phone numbers with a promise to keep in touch, especially since Cece shared that she often goes on tour with Cole.
Declan held true to his word about us leaving on time, but I was having such a great time that I did something I'd only done twice: calling into work. Considering I'm the manager, I had to email my boss to inform him I wouldn't be coming in, and then I had to text Jane, who typically works the morning shift with me, to give her a heads-up that she'll be on her own.
Can I afford to miss a day of work? Fuck no.
But I was having such a great time, and Declan leaves Tuesday, so I spent the day with him rather than at work. And thank fuck I did.
Today is Monday, and Declan woke me up with his head between my legs. He informed me that I was not allowed to get up until I came on his face as many times as possible.
Turns out five orgasms in a row is my limit.
With Max asleep down the hall, I had to bite a pillow to silence my cries.
By the time he was done eating my pussy like a starved man, I was sensitive and completely sated. To my horror, when he popped his head up, his mouth was drenched in my juices that were dripping down his chin.
While I showered to clean myself up, he tossed my sheets into the washer and made breakfast for us. Max was awake by the time I dressed, and we ate together.
Since then, I've spent the morning watching Declan interact with my daughter. When she wanted to listen to Taylor Swift and put on a concert, Declan was right beside her. He played her small pink keyboard and was backup vocals while she sang her heart out to “Shake It Off.”
After her concert, she wanted to go swimming again. I wanted to show Declan another piece of this little town, so I invited him to the reservoir with us where everyone in this town visits during the scorching summer days. To us locals, it's known as the resi , and many people will set up tents and camp there near the water and start bonfires. I've been coming since I was a kid. My grandparents loved to dip their feet in the water and roast hot dogs when the sun went down.
"We'll have to stop by the hotel so I can grab my shorts," Declan says, coming to stand beside me in the kitchen, where I currently stand in front of the counter, spreading peanut butter and strawberry jelly over some bread, getting us a picnic ready for another day of swimming.
"You have shorts?" I ask in surprise, considering he wore jeans yesterday while everyone else wore shorts. I've never seen him in anything other than black jeans.
He rolls his eyes, swiping his finger through the thick peanut butter I'd just spread over one side of the bread. "Yes." He sticks the finger in his mouth, sucking it clean. "I do have a pair of swim trunks, actually." He looks over his shoulder, seeing Max is still away in her bedroom, changing into her swimsuit.
While she's gone, he grabs my hips, turns me to face him, then leans in and places a kiss so deep on my lips that it steals my breath and has my heart racing. "I'm going to miss you," he mumbles against my lips, arms wrapped securely around my waist.
Smiling up at him, I wrap my arms around his neck, needing him close to me and feeling his warmth. Tomorrow is the dreaded day. He's leaving for Vegas to prepare for his first show on Friday, and he'll be there all week to make it easier since the band will need to rehearse for several hours a day.
I won't see him until Friday, when Declan's driver, David, picks me up after work and takes me to the venue.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried as fuck. Worried because he's voiced his concerns about performing to me many times. One thing I know for sure is that I will do everything possible to prevent him from doing something he'll regret.
I can be there for him. I can be his person. The one to keep him sober.
I can do it .
I was never enough to keep my mother sober, but I'm tempted to be enough of a reason for Declan.
"I'll miss you, too," I admit, hugging him tightly to me, nuzzling my nose into his neck, and inhaling his intoxicating scent deep into my lungs.
"I'm ready!" Max yells, her stomps becoming louder as she approaches, skipping down the hallway. My arms instantly fall from Declan's neck, and I attempt to pull away, but he holds me tighter, refusing to let go.
"Declan," I warn, placing my palms on his chest.
"I know, mama." He sighs, forehead resting against mine. "I just need to hold you another second." He places his lips against mine, stealing another lingering kiss before finally pulling away, just as Max joins us in the kitchen dressed in a purple one-piece swimsuit with green polka dot swim shorts. A towel is tossed over her shoulder, dragging on the ground, and pink sunglasses are on her face. Looking her over, I notice the blue sparkle flip-flops she's wearing on the wrong feet.
A slow smile spreads across my lips. "Wow, look at you. I love your style, kid." She pops her hip out and then places her hands on each hip.
"Let's go, guys!" She poses, clearly loving the mismatched outfit she chose for herself. I stopped choosing her clothes last year when she started throwing fits over the outfits I'd pick. Some days, she may wear a tutu, a tank top, and shorts, and other days, she may wear a dress with jeans underneath.
Little Miss Independent wears whatever she wants, and I love that for her.
"Your shoes are on the wrong feet." I point out, then grab the towel from her shoulder while she takes her flip-flops off and switches them. "I'll grab our beach towels, then we'll go." Taking the towel she uses for showers away from her, I exit the kitchen and return the towel to the bathroom. Instead, I open the hall closet and grab three large beach towels and my large beige tote bag I use every time we go to the resi .
Quickly, I step into my bedroom and change into the same red bikini I wore beneath my shorts and tank top yesterday at Cole's barbeque. I never got in the water or removed my clothes. The only part of me to get wet was my legs.
My pussy, too, if I'm being honest.
I slip on another pair of shorts and a white tank top, wanting to be comfortable but knowing that I won't be swimming or revealing my swimsuit to Declan. I may be comfortable enough to be naked around him, but I'm not about to wear a bikini in public and risk having other people see me. I'd be the talk of the town with how much of my skin I'd be revealing.
Once I'm dressed and ready to go, I return to the kitchen to find that Declan has packed the sandwiches in Ziplock bags, and all the food I'd gathered is packed into the little white cooler.
He meets my gaze, giving me a wink. "Are you girls ready?" he asks, and Max yells her response.
"Swimming lake pool, here we come!" She jumps, arms in the air.
Declan grabs the cooler from the counter and the tote from my hand and follows us out of my apartment.
Once we reach the parking lot, he unlocks the doors to his rental car and then pops the trunk, placing the cooler and tote inside. As if we've been in this car a hundred times, Max opens the back door and climbs into her car seat, already comfortable.
When the fancy white Range Rover was delivered to Declan yesterday, my jaw dropped. It's my literal dream car, but it is something I know I'll never have. Getting to ride in it was a fucking dream, and I won't lie and say that I'm not excited about getting to ride in it again today.
After ensuring Max is strapped in, I climb into the passenger seat, watching as Declan easily slips behind the wheel and presses the button to start the car.
Unlike my car, which grinds and clunks when starting, it comes to life smoothly and silently .
I watch Declan as he drives, leaning back in his seat with one hand on the wheel, confident in himself.
"I miss driving," he admits. "I've had a driver for so long. Sometimes I'd walk, but most of the time I was being driven."
"I hate driving."
He looks over at me. "It's a good thing you have me then. You can be my passenger princess." He smirks, his eyes returning to the road.
"Mommy isn't a princess!" Max chimes in, suddenly interested after hearing the mention of her favorite word, "I'm the princess, and she's the queen." She states as if we should've known.
"You're right, Max." Looking back at her from the rearview mirror, Declan says, "Your mom is a queen, and you are a little princess." I look over my shoulder at my daughter, watching as she nods in agreement with a broad smile at the mention of being a princess.
We arrive at the hotel, and he parks in an empty space in front of the door to his room. "Come in while I pack. I have to prepare my stuff for Vegas this week, too." He doesn't wait for my response before he turns the car off and gets out, already helping Max from her seat.
I follow him inside his room, instantly turning on the TV and finding a cartoon for Max to keep her busy. She curls up on the couch, eyes glued to the screen, and I follow Declan further into the room as he grabs his duffle bag and sets it on the bed.
"You can stay with me tonight," I offer, wanting to spend every second of his remaining time with him.
He grabs his toiletries from the bathroom, looking at me with a smirk. "I planned on staying anyways, but thanks for the approval." He grabs my waist with one arm, pulling me close to his chest as his lips find mine.
I want more than stolen kisses in the bathroom, but I'm afraid to tell my daughter I'm dating the man she decided is her best friend because part of me is still guarded and worried about the what-ifs.
Realistically, how can we work out long-term?
I'm not going to give myself false hope by believing that we'll be end-game because in the back of my mind, I know that all I am for him is a summer fling. He'll return to his fast-paced, famous rockstar life, and I'll be here.
I'll still be the single mom working at a hotel, struggling to make ends meet while he's touring the world and doing what he does best.
I'm a temporary phase for him while he's slowly becoming everything to me.
God, I wish I were able to protect my heart. One day, when he inevitably leaves, it's going to be so fucking brutal.
"Friday will be here in no time, mama. We'll be together then, and I'll spend the entire night worshiping this body." His hand roams down my backside, and he grabs a handful of my ass.
"Friday." I give him an easy smile and a quick kiss before pulling away, leaving him alone to pack. I join Max on the couch, but my eyes follow Declan around the room.
He meets my gaze, secrets and fear swimming in the dark pools of his eyes, forced away by the smile he plasters on his face.
He glides around the room effortlessly, packing up his belongings and returning the room to its vacant state. If I didn't know better, I would say that he wasn't planning to return.
He leads us out of the room with packed bags and back toward the car. I glance at the room, knots forming in my stomach at the empty sight.
He's taking everything.
Apart from the broken mirror, it's as if he was never here.
Ten minutes later, after I gave Declan directions, we made it to the reservoir.
Luckily, we found a vacant spot, parked on the dirt road, and hiked down the sandy path toward the water.
After I sprayed Max with sunscreen, put on her life jacket, and made sure it was secure, she went out into the water, splashing around near the shallow shore while I set up our beach towels.
Declan pulled his shirt off, revealing his inked chest and leaving him in a pair of black swim shorts. Then, he joined Max in the water while I sat on the towel, spraying myself with sunscreen and watching them together.
While they laugh and splash around, I discreetly pull my phone from my bag and take several photos and videos of them, wanting to remember this day for the rest of my life.
I will forever remember this as the day I started falling in love—against my will, of course, but falling nonetheless.
After several minutes of sitting there watching, Declan wades out of the water. He has a look of determination in his eyes as he walks straight toward me, a grin on his perfect lips revealing his single dimple.
"Get her!" Max cheers in the background, causing me to go on high alert.
Sand sticks to his wet feet as he stomps toward me.
"What are you doing?" I demand, putting my hands up in defense.
Ignoring me, Declan leans down in front of me, scoops my body in his arms bridal style, and takes off running toward Max in the water.
"Put me down!" I squeal, arms hooking tight around his neck, fearful that he'll drop me because of my heaviness. But I know I'm worried over nothing. I may be heavy, but his hold on me is solid and secure. I know that he'll never drop me.
He's got me. Momentarily, I enjoy being in his strong arms, committing the feeling to memory.
We reach the water, but he doesn't stop running. He continues splashing through the water, Max racing after us until we're deep enough for him to toss me into the air. My body goes flying through the air before cutting through the water's surface with a splash, the coolness enveloping me as I sink to the sandy bottom, finding my footing and pushing myself up.
I wipe away the water from my eyes, finding my daughter held in Declan's protective arms, matching broad smiles on their faces.
"You both are going to get it now!" I cup my hand and slice it through the water, sending a wave splashing at them both. This earns loud giggles from my little girl and promises of payback from Declan.
The three of us never stop laughing as we play in the water, splashing back and forth.
By the time the sun goes down, we're sitting on our towels around the fire Declan surprisedly built. Max fell asleep on her towel after eating her s'mores, melted marshmallows, and chocolate still on her face as she snores softly.
Eyes on mine across the blazing fire, Declan stands, holding his hand out to mine just as the song playing on his phone changes to “Touched By An Angel” by Charlie Wilson.
Though it's not a slow song, he still pulls me into his arms and holds me tight against his body as we slowly begin to sway, the low volume of the music filling the silence between us.
With our bodies pressed together, he presses his lips against my ear, softly singing the song's words to me, his voice causing a chill to race down my spine.
"I've been touched by an angel, but you've been touched by the devil," he whispers as the song fades, his lips finding mine.
In the pit of my stomach, I know that we'll never have another day like today. From this day forward, things will never be the same.