Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
ALICE
“You know, this was the perfect way to spend the afternoon,” I say.
Walking hand in hand with Declan, we stroll through the aquarium. The sounds of happy children echo around us.
It might not be the most exciting of dates, but it’ll be the last one we can squeeze in before the regular season starts next week.
“I’m glad Leon let you off.”
“You know him—he's all about me and that work-life balance.” I smile at him.
“I really enjoy this new equilibrium you’re trying to employ.” Declan presses a kiss to my temple as we walk into the shark exhibit.
“Hey. Someone has to work around here. Besides, I don’t think the life of a professional athlete is the definition of balance.”
Declan drapes an arm around my shoulder as we head into the dark, cavernous room.
“Hey, if we’re going to defend our title, I might be a little MIA.” He raps his knuckle on the closest hard surface.
“I for one hope that happens.”
“Hey! Knock on wood.” Declan looks at me like I’ve committed a grave error because I didn’t somehow acknowledge that it might jinx them.
“Athletes and your superstitions.”
“See if I take you out on my Cup day again.”
“To be stood up on the kiss cam? I’ll pass.” I laugh.
I shake my head as I pull him toward the thick glass. Sharks lazily swim by. Fish scurry past as seaweed moves with the current.
It’s peaceful, standing here in the dark and watching them go about their days. Not a care in the world.
“Hey.” Declan wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back against him, dropping his chin on my shoulder. “You did give me the hand, Froggie.”
“Only after you kissed the Cup instead.”
“Sue me. You know I only had a day with it. I have a whole year with you.”
I swallow down the emotions that threaten to bubble up at the thought of being done with Declan in a year.
It seems the two of us have only just gotten started, but I don’t want to lose him. I mean, he’s my best friend. We’ll always be best friends. But this new place the two of us are in? I really like it.
He's been my best friend since I puked all over his tennis shoes and he took care of me, not once trying to sleep with me. Whenever anyone questioned our friendship, we always brushed it off. I mean, how could you fall in love with someone when they puke all over you?
But now? Now things feel different. The more we act like a couple, the more it feels like we are a couple.
Based on Declan’s comment, he doesn’t seem to mind the end date this thing between us has.
Oohs and aahs bring me out of my thoughts. Faces are pressed up against the glass as kids try to follow the sharks.
“Would you want to be a shark?” I ask, needing to steer myself back to a better headspace.
“I mean, I’d be at the top of the food chain, so why not?”
“Kind of like the Black Diamonds?”
“Aren’t you funny?” He tickles my side.
“It’s why you love me so much.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I grab his hand and head toward the tunnel connecting the exhibits. Fish move all around us. It’s like we’re a part of their world like this, as they’re coming at us from all sides.
“I wish the season weren’t starting,” I confess.
“Why’s that?” Declan asks, looking down at me.
“I know it’s going to get busy for you, but I like that we get to do things like this together.”
“Just because the season is starting, Froggie, doesn’t mean we can’t do this.”
“With what free time?”
“Fair, but it’s not like I won’t make time for you,” he says, leading us out of the tunnel and toward the dolphin exhibit.
The water in here is still before a dolphin zooms past. Another one is quick to follow, racing in circles in their tank.
“Ooh, look!” I point to a scuba diver floating halfway down. “I would love to try that someday.”
“Really? You would?” he asks.
“Yes. It’s something I’ve always wanted to learn.”
“How did I not know this?”
“You don’t know everything about me, Dec.”
“Alice, please. I’ve known you for almost a decade. I know more about you than I know about myself.”
“Not everything, apparently.”
“Umm, Alice? What are those two doing?”
Declan’s hand points to the other side of the exhibit, and—
“Oh my God!” I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh.
“Are they really going at it?” I can hear the amusement in his voice.
“I mean, they did say when we got here that we’d get an immersive experience.”
“Mommy, what are those two doing?” a nearby child asks.
“Come on, dear. Let’s go pet the stingrays.”
The mom grabs her kid’s hand and tugs them away.
“Someone isn’t up for a biology lesson,” Declan whispers. “It’s all a part of the circle of life. Maybe I should break it to the kid.”
I turn, burying my laughter in his chest. Other kids are still pointing at the two dolphins in the corner.
“I think you might traumatize the mother if you did that.”
She’s still trying to get her kid to leave, but they’re still eyeing the dolphins like they’re the coolest mammals around.
“If we brought our kids here and they saw that, we would definitely be telling them what’s happening,” Declan says with no hint of argument in his tone.
“Are you serious? You cannot tell our kids about dolphins having sex.”
“What? It’s a perfectly natural part of life.”
“And what happens when that leads to other questions about sex?” I quirk a brow at him.
“Okay, now you’re getting into a weird territory, Froggie.”
“You just said it’s a natural part of life.”
“Fine. I see your point.”
“Good. I don’t want little Declans running around school telling all their friends how dolphins are made.”
“We would definitely get a call from their teacher.”
I smile at him as we walk away, leaving the dolphins to themselves.
“Something I’d let you deal with, Dec.”
“Maybe I could bribe them with Black Diamonds tickets.”
“Assuming you’re still with the team.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks, affronted. “Don’t even joke about that.”
“If we’re talking about taking our hypothetical children to the aquarium, they have to be at least seven or eight, especially if we’re getting calls from the teacher about how they’re misbehaving in class.”
“Okay, fair.”
“And as much as I love you, Declan, professional athletes retire much earlier than the average person.”
“Again, seriously? You’re killing me, Froggie.”
The room in front of us opens to a small, fenced-off pool of water. Kids are crowded around the plastic barriers. Through the glass, we can see stingrays swimming in the touch tank.
“I take it we won’t bring our kids to the aquarium then?”
“Maybe not even the zoo.”
“Then we better pet the rays before you ban us from coming.” I wink at him and dart over to an opening between people. After reading the sign on how to do this, I brush two fingers along the back of a small stingray as it swims by.
“How does it feel?” Declan asks.
I turn to face him, and he snaps a picture of me.
I smile at him. “Weird.”
“This whole day is weird.” He laughs. “I’m learning new things about you, plus there’s the mating dolphins.”
“Aww. Is your poor mind blown?” I kiss his cheek, pulling him close so he can touch the stingray too.
“Maybe.”
Declan mirrors what I’m doing as he pets the ray that comes toward him. I rest my chin on his shoulder as I watch him.
His happiness is infectious. This is what I’ve always loved about him. He finds so much joy in everything he does.
He’s been like this ever since I met him.
“Okay, I kind of want a pet stingray now,” he says, sticking his hand under the sanitizer and rubbing it around.
I do the same.
“I am not letting you get a pet stingray when you won’t be home to take care of it.”
“That’s the only reason?” He quirks a brow at me.
“That and I don’t want to take care of it.”
“You’re no fun.”
Spying the small café on the other side of the room, I nod my head in that direction. “Then how about we get some snow cones instead. Will that help soften the blow?”
“Only if I can pay.”
“Fine.”
Standing in line, I notice the eyes that follow Declan. It’s easy to spot him wherever we go. People now easily recognize him as one of the Black Diamonds. I love that he’s getting the attention he deserves. A few people ask to take photos with him as I order us two snow cones.
“That’ll be thirty dollars,” the man behind the counter says.
“I’m sorry, what?” Declan pops up, confusion written on his face.
“Two snow cones with three flavors each is thirty dollars,” he repeats.
“Thirty dollars?” Declan taps his credit card on the machine. “That’s insanity.”
“Thank you.” I press up onto my toes to give his cheek a kiss.
Grabbing the two holders, I follow Declan to a small table for two set in the corner.
“You better enjoy every damn ounce of that,” he says, grabbing his cone. “I mean, thirty dollars? Holy shit.”
“Technically it’s only fifteen.”
“Fine. Enjoy every bite of your fifteen-dollar snow cone.”
I stab the paper straw into it and suck out a bite. Sugary goodness bursts on my tongue. “You know I will.”
“Damn, this is good.”
“Fifteen dollars’ worth?” I ask.
“Yeah, yeah.”
I slurp up more of my treat as Declan watches me from across the metal table.
“What?”
“Do you really not know what you’re doing?”
He shifts around, an almost pained expression flashing across his face.
I smile back at him. “Can I not enjoy my fifteen-dollar snow cone?”
“Not when you’re driving me crazy with it.”
A knowing look fills his blue eyes. Damn. Seeing him like this drives me equally as wild.
“You want to cut this afternoon short?”
“No, because I want to pet the stingray one more time.”
“And then you want to cut it short?”
“I wouldn’t be opposed. Maybe give you a real lesson on how babies are made.”
I snort before taking a bite of my blood orange, cherry, and pineapple snow cone. “Mmm. I like that idea.”
“Okay, you’re teasing me.”
“You’re the one that started it.”
The rest of the afternoon goes by in a blur of laughs, fish, petting stingrays, and another visit to the shark tank.
It’s not until the ride home—with Declan’s hand splayed across my thigh—that the afternoon really starts to sink in and the discussions that we had. This thing has an end date, but here we were discussing our children.
Hypothetical children.
Right now, I have no idea what the future holds. My biggest priority—my only priority—is getting Enchanted Petals. After that, I can figure the rest out.
But being with Declan? Talking about our kids?
It’s not our future.
No matter how badly I may want it.