Chapter 22
ASK ME AGAIN
Isla
A week later…
“I think you made the right choice.” Louisa peeked outside the window facing the building next door.
I opened my mouth to remind her I didn’t really have a choice when it came to Declan.
He wanted to marry Harper, the mother of his only child.
Who knew, maybe with time, they would decide to have more children—something Declan and I would never be able to have together? I couldn’t have kids. He knew that.
“Oh, wait.” I shook my head to make the images of Declan’s beautiful face go away. It was going to take a long while before I could stop thinking about him for a second. “You mean the studio.”
“Yeah, it has good bones. I mean, you’ll need good curtains to block that guy across the way, but this will do.
” She beamed at me, then her smile faded.
“You’re still thinking about him, aren’t you?
You should’ve talked to him. The poor guy sounded devastated.
” She put up her hands when my eyes watered.
“But that’s up to you. Maybe a little bit of time apart is a good thing.
Not that you should care what the tabloids print, but it’s better to stay out of the line of fire for now. ”
“I know. It’s been a while since they’ve had a good story on him. They’re in heaven right now—a baby and two women. I’m sure they’re thinking this is way better than any lie they’ve made up about him in the past.”
“At least he’s not trending anymore.” She chuckled. “Don’t fret too much over it. Things have a way of working out in the end. You’ll see. Synchronicity, remember?”
“Yeah. Though I don’t remember asking to be tabloid fodder.”
“Give it time.” She glanced down at her watch. “Oh, crap, now I’m really late. I gotta go.”
“Thank you for letting me drag you all over Chelsea to find this place.”
“I was happy to do it. Are you going to be okay?” She squeezed my arm. “I have to go to work. I’ve been out all week.”
“I’ll be fine.” I plastered on a smile. Truth be told, I didn’t want her to leave. I didn’t want to be in this empty apartment. “I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. Don’t forget dinner this weekend. I’m making my special sauce and the whole crew is coming over.” She beamed at me.
“I’ll bring dessert.” I laughed, mostly because being here, standing in my new place making dinner plans with my half-sister was still surreal to me. “Thanks again.”
“Don’t mention it.” She waved good-bye and shut the door behind her.
I paced the length of the studio, making a quick inventory of the few boxes I had brought with me and other stuff Louisa and I had bought earlier today to get me started.
Plopping myself down on the full-size mattress, I stared at the empty walls.
The odd thing was that in all the three weeks I had spent in Declan’s apartment all alone, I never felt lonely—lost. How the hell was I supposed to get over him?
Was that even possible? Out of habit, I fished out my phone and scrolled through the latest pictures of him.
The one that kept popping up was the one of him at Tiffany’s.
Still no wedding pics. Or maybe he managed to make that happen in complete secrecy to protect Harper’s identity.
Before I knew it, ugly and dark stories made their way into my head—stories where Declan left Harper to marry me because I was pregnant. In some scenarios, I was even expecting twins.
“Stop it.” I shot to my feet. “This is not how you get over him.”
I tossed my phone on the bed and walked over to the small kitchen on the opposite end of the studio and unpacked my brand-new plates.
I unwrapped each item slowly because once I was finished moving in, this place would be my home.
I would have officially moved on with my life.
Maybe that was the reason I had dragged my feet for days, imposing on Louisa’s hospitality.
I hadn’t even bothered to look for a new job after I quit Noble consulting.
Being here felt like my story with Declan was truly over.
Hugging my belly, I curled into a fetal position on the mattress and let the tears do their thing.
By now, I was used to these quiet outbursts.
After a while, I inhaled and focused on clearing my mind.
When that didn’t work, when I could still see Declan’s blue eyes, I pictured a field of flowers.
I stayed with that image for a few breaths until the pressure in my chest lifted.
The doorbell startled me back to reality.
My heart raced from the sudden rush of adrenaline.
For a moment, I felt disoriented. Had I fallen asleep?
The loud knock on the door made me jump again.
Jeez. So impatient. Had they been waiting for a while?
I glanced back at the kitchen clock. Maybe the breathing exercises Louisa showed me did work if I had managed to block everything and not hear the door.
“Coming,” I called out even though I was just a few steps away. When I swung the door open, I froze, heart thumping. What the hell was Declan doing here? How did he find me? “No, you can’t be here.” I shook my head several times before I slammed the door shut.
I was seeing things now, for sure. I had wanted to see Declan so badly, I made him appear at my studio. When he spoke with Louisa last week, he seemed to understand that staying away from me was the best thing for all of us. Wasn’t that why he had been gone all this time?
“Isla, I’m not leaving until we talk. Open the door.” That familiar and oh so sexy voice of his made my heart do a quick summersault.
“No.”
“Isla.”
His imploring tone compelled me to amble toward him and reach for the doorknob. A part of me wanted to ask why he had waited so long to come for me. But I knew why. He had Joey and Harper. Even if he missed me, nothing had changed.
“Wait, what?” I pressed my eye to the peephole. I’d been so shocked to see him, I hadn’t realized what he’d been holding in his arms—or rather who. I swung the door open. “You brought your son? Why?”
“I thought you might want to see him.”
God, he looked so handsome when he did that half-smile thing.
I switched my attention to Joey, who immediately wiggled toward me.
How about that? The little guy missed me.
I let him fall into me and then squeezed him tight while I took in a big waft of baby scent off his head. I had missed them both so much.
“You’re not playing fair.” My eyes watered as I lifted my gaze to meet Declan’s.
“No one smart ever does.” He stepped inside the studio and shut the door. “I’ve been dying to see you. Be with you.” His hand reached for my elbow.
“What do you want?” I stepped back.
“I only have one question for you.”
“Okay. Make it quick because I’m super busy.” I pointed toward the scattered boxes in the room. Unpacking and settling in would literally take two hours. But he didn’t need to know that. He needed to not be here, messing with my head and my heart.
He took Joey from me and set him down on the floor. Joey kicked a few times, then walked a circle around me. “Omigod. He’s walking.”
“Oh yeah, he started a few days ago.”
My chest tightened. Though it had no reason to. So what if I missed a major milestone? Joey wasn’t mine. This incredibly sexy man standing in my small apartment wasn’t mine.
“He also said his first word.” He chuckled. “Mum. He says Mum a lot.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I bent down to touch his head, and Declan caught my hand. My jaw dropped to the floor when he got down on one knee. “Isla, would you marry me?”
“What? That was your question?”
“It is.”
Did I want to marry Declan Noble? Of course I did…but. “What about Harper?”
“We’ve worked things out.” He let out a breath, his intense blue gaze never leaving mine. “I’m not in love with her. I tried to do the right thing, but my thoughts, my whole being were always somewhere else. I love you, Isla. I want you. No one else will do.”
“I don’t know what to say. I honestly was not expecting this at all.” I raked my free hand through my hair. “You were gone.”
“I know.” He squeezed my fingers to get me to face him. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to figure things out. I promise you; it was never about my feelings for you. That part was very clear to me since the beginning.”
“Harper is okay with this?”
“She is. I have full custody of Joey now in case, you know, the treatments don’t work out.
I have power of attorney, so her doctor knows to include me in all health-related issues.
She doesn’t want her family involved. Long story there.
” He shot a glance toward Joey, who was now inspecting one of my boxes.
“In a year when she’s better, we’ll revisit all the legal stuff.
Today is actually her day with Joey, but she let me bring him here. ”
“She knows you’re here to…” I waved my hand trying to figure out which word would describe our current situation and could only come up with one. “To propose?”
“Yes, she does.” He beamed at Joey. “Who do you think dressed him in his Sunday best?”
“He looks very dapper.” I laughed.
I had spent my days wondering what Declan was doing, wondering if he ever thought of me, if he missed me, if he ever loved me.
As it turned out, he had spent his time sorting out his life so he could be with me.
Only the fixer could come up with such a thorough solution.
Every aspect of Harper’s and Joey’s life had been taken care of.
This was exactly what I loved about him.
He never did anything half-ass. And now I could be with him without guilt.
Declan was here to offer me his heart, his whole heart.
I blinked to clear my vision and take in his face and tall frame.
I inhaled and the pain and regret from all the days he was gone, simply vanished. I loved him so much.
“Tell me I’m not too late.”
“You’re not too late.” I bit my trembling lip. “Ask me again.”
“Marry me.” He slowly rose to his feet and brought me in close.
His hard chest rubbed against me, and it was all I could do not to melt into a puddle of want. His accent was already doing things to me.
He cocked his head to look me in the eye. “Before you say no, just know that I’m not giving up on you and this family we have built together. I have made arrangements to be at your door. Every. Single. Day. Until you say yes.”
“Yes.” I threw my arms around his neck and took in his manly scent. How the hell did I manage to stay away from him for so long? “A hundred times yes.”
“One moment.” He searched around the room until he spotted Joey by the bed. “Come on, mate, you’re laying down on the job.” He rushed toward him, grab him by the waist and set him in front of me. “Show Mum what you have in the pocket of your jumper.”
Mum? Tears welled up in my eyes at the word. He’d said so easily. “What do you have there?” I pointed at his sweater.
Joey looked up and gave me his binky.
“We practiced this. I swear. Not your dummy. The other pocket.” Declan reached in and pulled out a Tiffany blue box.
“I can’t believe you used your own son to get in the door.” I gave him my hand.
“All’s fair in love and war.” He flashed me a sexy grin and slid the diamond ring into place.
The princess cut fit me perfectly. “Wow, it’s beautiful.” I melted into his arms. “I am so in love with you.”
“I was afraid you’d figure out a way to forget about us.” He cupped my cheek and kissed me.
“Never.”
“I love you, Isla.” He pressed his lips to mine.
Adrenaline surged through me. I wanted him out of that suit in the worst way possible. When his tongue collided with mine, my doorbell rang.
“Worst timing ever,” I mumbled.
“Actually.” He pulled back, looking at me through his eyelashes as if he’d done some naughty deed. “That’s Joey’s ride home.”
“What?” I hit him square on the chest. “You made plans to have sex with me today?”