Chapter 35 Lyra
LYRA
"Declan, I can carry my own luggage. I'm barely pregnant, not disabled," I say as we approach the private jet.
He takes the small duffel from my hand anyway, his fingers brushing mine in that deliberate way he does that sends electricity through my veins.
It's been a month since I found out I'm pregnant, and Declan's already transformed into some overprotective beast I both resent and adore.
"Doesn't matter. I don't want you lifting a damn thing," he says as he slings the strap over his shoulder like it weighs nothing. "As a matter of fact, I'm getting one of those rolly bags when we get back."
I laugh. "You're ridiculous."
We walk down the red carpet that's between the small secluded terminal and a sleek private jet, sunlight shining off the windows.
I've never been on a private plane. The steps leading up to it might as well be the stairway to another world, one I still don't fully believe I belong in.
"This is crazy," I say, smiling at him.
"What, the plane?" he says with a smile. "You'll get used to it. This is how you travel now, baby."
I doubt it. Part of me is still waiting for this bubble to burst, for someone to point and say, There she is, the Albanian's medic. The girl who was sold. She doesn't belong here.
A flight attendant comes and takes our bags from Declan, and he turns and helps me up inside.
Somehow, with all that's going on, Declan managed to clear his entire calendar for six days. He called it a "fun getaway," and I haven't been able to pry a single detail from him.
Inside the cabin, it's all cream-colored leather and polished wood, empty except for us. Declan settles into a seat and pulls me down beside him.
"Six days, just you and me," he says, his arm sliding around my shoulders.
The flight attendant appears with a tray of drinks. Water for me, something amber for Declan.
"So, are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" I ask, genuinely curious.
Declan smiles mysteriously. "Patience."
My phone buzzes with a text from Keira,
How are you feeling today? Still puking your guts out?
I smile and type back,
No! Hopefully the morning sickness is behind me. Just very tired.
She responds immediately,
Lucky you! What are you up to today?
Declan's taking me on that little getaway. On the plane now.
Oh shit, I forgot! Okay, have fun, see you guys when you get back.
"Keira checking in?" Declan asks, glancing at my phone.
I nod. "Yeah, she wants to know if I'm still throwing up."
I laugh. Despite her sharp edges, Keira has been unexpectedly supportive. When Declan told her about the pregnancy, she'd hugged me hard enough to crush ribs and said, "Welcome to the family. Now I don't have to hide your body."
"Do you feel sick? Are you okay?" Declan asks, his face etched with concern.
"I'm fine. Just tired," I say.
The engines roar to life, vibrating through the floor.
Declan takes my hand, interlacing our fingers. "Ready?"
I nod.
As we take off, I lean my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. The hum of the engines, the constant tired feeling, the comfort of being next to him, it's so relaxing.
I feel myself slipping into sleep, but I don't want to miss anything so I pop my head up.
"Gosh, I think I could fall asleep," I say, rubbing my eyes.
"Well, the doctor said you might be tired."
"Yeah. So, are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
"Oh no, you're not going to do that the whole way, are you?" Declan asks, laughing.
I smile. "Unless you tell me where we're going. Maybe," I say and stretch, my body feeling stiff.
He smiles. "Okay, okay. I guess you've waited long enough," he says and leans into me. "Well, I remembered what you said about Transylvania and that mountainous Romanian village you wanted to disappear to, your escape."
I roll my eyes. "Before I met you."
"That's good, because I didn't want to take you that far being pregnant right now," he says, and I laugh. "But I found the next best thing. A place in Vermont. It's got nature, forest, seclusion. I think you'll love it. But I still plan to take you to Bra?ov."
I smile.
I would love that, but the truth is, that dream belonged to a different Lyra, one who thought she would always be alone.
I lean in and kiss him. "As long as I'm with you, I'll love wherever we go," I say. "I am very excited about Vermont."
I turn and look out the window, just staring at the clouds.
A few minutes later, Declan's head is next to mine, looking out.
"What are you thinking about?" he asks.
"How different everything is now," I say, still looking out the window. "I went from thinking I couldn't have kids, to finding out I could, to being pregnant and on a private plane flying to Vermont in like a month."
Declan nods. "Yeah, talk about a whirlwind."
I turn to look at him. "And that's on top of falling for you and realizing I may not spend the rest of my life alone after all."
"You sound like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop."
I shrug, unable to deny it. "Old habits."
"No shoes dropping," he says firmly. "Just you and me and the baby. And a wedding. Soon."
The idea of a wedding, a real, formal event for us, still leaves me breathless with something between terror and joy.
"Are you hungry? I can order some food. You need to eat more, you know, for the baby," he says, grabbing a menu.
"That's a myth," I say. "The baby's the size of a poppy seed. It doesn't need its own meal yet."
"Humor me."
"I humor you too much already. I wouldn't be able to move if I took all the food you offered me the last few weeks."
He smiles and puts the menu away. "Okay, fair enough. You let me know when you're hungry."
The flight attendant comes over and tells us to prepare for landing.
"Almost there," Declan says, squeezing my hand.
The plane begins its descent, and we land. When the plane comes to a stop, a man in a suit climbs aboard and starts taking our luggage off and down into an SUV with tinted windows that's waiting for us right on the runway.
Declan helps me off the plane and we slide into the back of the car. After a few minutes, the driver hops in and we start moving.
The SUV winds through tree-lined roads as Declan's hand rests on my thigh, his thumb rubbing me. I'm captivated by the scenery. It's just miles of untouched forest stretching in every direction.
"It's so beautiful," I say, looking around us.
"Wait till you see the house," Declan says, a hint of excitement in his voice.
The drive takes about 30 minutes from the small private airstrip, each turn taking us deeper into isolation. Finally, the trees part to reveal a massive structure of wood and stone, its windows glowing with warm light.
"House? This is a mansion," I say as we pull up to the front entrance.
Declan laughs. "It's just a cabin, baby."
Just a cabin. As if anything about this could ever be just anything.
We step out into cold that bites at my cheeks and fingers. The air smells of pine and burning wood, clean in a way Boston never is.
"You like it?" Declan asks, his breath forming clouds between us.
"It's perfect," I say, and I mean it. It's like he's plucked the image from my dreams.
The front door opens to reveal a huge space dominated by a stone fireplace large enough to stand in. A fire already crackles, casting dancing shadows across leather couches and fur rugs. Twinkling string lights are draped along wooden beams overhead, giving the space a fairytale quality.
"This place is..." I trail off, overwhelmed.
"Ours for the week," Declan finishes, his arm sliding around my waist. "If you like it enough, I'll buy it for us. It could be our little getaway whenever you want."
The casual way he talks about buying what I'm sure is a property worth a few million is something I don't think I'll ever get used to.
The driver brings in our suitcases. Declan speaks to him briefly and the man waves goodbye.
"Here, let me show you around," Declan says, shutting the front door and taking my hand.
The tour is brief. Five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a kitchen that would make a chef weep, a home theater, a hot tub. It's luxury beyond anything I've ever experienced.
I stop him in the hallway and kiss him. "Thank you, this is all so amazing."
He looks around and nods. "Yeah, it'll do for now. But when all this family drama is over, you, me, and the baby, anywhere you want to go."
I smile.
"What if I just want to stay home in Boston with you?"
He laughs and then leans in and kisses me. "Then we'll stay home in Boston."
We make our way back downstairs and the sheer size of this place hits me.
"This just seems so big for the two of us," I say, looking around the enormous house.
"Nah, it's perfect," he says, then checks his watch. "I have a surprise for you."
"Another surprise? Declan, this is already more than enough."
He smiles. "Come with me. There's something I want to show you outside."
He takes my hand and leads me toward the back of the house. As we approach the large double doors, he pauses.
"Close your eyes," he says softly.
I give him a skeptical look but comply. I feel the cold air again as he guides me forward outside.
"Okay," he says. "Open them."
I do, and gasp.
The back deck opens onto a clearing where an outdoor dining table has been set with plates and candles, like something out of Pinterest. String lights twine through the surrounding trees, casting a golden glow over everything.
In the center of the clearing stands a stone firepit, flames leaping high into the night air.
"Oh my god," I breathe.
Declan's hand finds mine, squeezing gently. "Do you like it?" he asks.
"Like it? I love it. It's amazing."
"I wanted you to have the celebration you deserve in finding out we're going to grow our own family. Also, there's something else."
I turn around to look at him.
"Lyra," he says, his voice deeper than usual. "My soul, my life, the future mother of our child." He drops down onto one knee and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box.