“You have a cute place. How long have you been here?”
“Um, a few years,” Avery answered, filling the vase with water from the sink.
After placing the vase on the counter, she stepped out of the tiny kitchen to find Declan staring at the pictures on the wall - the picture of her, Nick, and Aria.
“Your family?” he asked, pointing over his shoulder to the picture as he turned to look at her.
Replying shyly, she said, “Yea,” and offered no further explanation.
Taking the hint, Declan stepped closer and put his hands on both of her shoulders, immediately calming her nerves.
“Ready for some fun?”
Smiling graciously at his change of subject, Avery nodded her head and followed him out of the apartment to his awaiting car.
The drive was quiet and Avery was surprised when they arrived at a music festival. She followed Declan as he walked through the gates, then she took a hold of his hand and glanced up at him.
“Thank you. I needed this.”
Stopping in the midst of throngs of concert goers, Declan pulled her close and placed both of his hands on her cheeks.
Looking deep into Avery’s eyes he whispered, “This is just the start, you’re going to be extremely special to me.”
Not knowing what to say, Avery smiled and continued to look into his dark chocolate eyes. Leaning forward, Declan pressed his soft lips against hers in a chaste kiss; just long enough to leave Avery craving more of him and his touch.
Stepping back, he brushed his fingers through her hair and took her hand before leading her closer to the stage. He found a deserted spot off to the side and sat down, pulling Avery to sit between his legs. Leaning back, she rested her body against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
“Let me know if you get cold, Avery.”
“I will,” she relented, knowing her body would crave the heat from being wrapped up in him.
During breaks in the music, Declan and Avery talked about their lives. He felt like a kindred spirit, even then, and she found herself disclosing her darkest secrets - the life that at every turn seemed to follow a darkened path. Declan revealed that he, too, had felt his share of loss. His mother died during childbirth and his father passed a few years back of pancreatic cancer. The pain in his voice was just as strong as Avery’s when she talked about her own tragedies. They stayed wrapped up in each other through the remainder of the festival and she found sublime comfort in the arms of this stranger who had, just that morning, knocked her so off-kilter.
It felt like she’d known him her entire life. How could she feel so connected to someone that she had just met?
When they arrived back at her apartment after the festival, Avery couldn’t help but feel overcome by nerves again. Declan must have sensed her anxiety because he tucked her into a tight hug before turning to leave.
Standing at the base of the stairs, he turned back to her and said, “I can’t wait to see you again, Avery. Now go inside before I can’t control myself any longer.”
With a squeak, Avery quickly opened the door and hustled inside, panting as she complied. His heated words left her a quivering mess and she couldn’t help but feel the pulsing going on in an area that had been ignored for the past few years.
Her relationship with Declan was easy. The companionship she craved came at no cost to him and he freely gave her his love, never letting her wallow in the hole of self-pity into which she had buried herself. He left notes with Max and Melanie at work when she was helping a patient, or tucked them precariously into the pockets of her scrubs when she was not looking, constantly surrounding her with affection.
Declan moved in with her six months after they both whispered the “love” word to each other. Avery knew that to outsiders it would look like they were moving fast, but they both knew how quickly your life and plans could change.
They even broached the topic of marriage and children one morning. She could tell that Declan was weary to discuss moving forward, knowing that she had been engaged previously to Nick. But Avery told him that it felt right and that she wanted to move on with her life. The past week as they had walked past a jewelry store, Declan pointed at a ring he wanted her to have, but she brushed his comments away.
“I don’t need a ring, Dec. I just need you.”
While he made decent money working as a personal trainer, Avery knew that both of them wanted to save their money to buy a home.
“Well, you’re getting one after we buy a house, ok?”
“Ok,” she replied, smiling up into his handsome face.
A few weeks later Avery arrived home from work one night, her instincts on high alert. She rested back on the couch, praying that her premonitions were wrong. Neither she nor Declan carried cell phones, so she couldn’t call or text him to make sure he was alright. Turning on the television, Avery flipped through the channels, but nothing caught her eye. Instead, she hopped up off the couch and began working to make Declan’s favorite meal – meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
As Avery pulled the meatloaf from the oven, she heard the front door open and then close as Declan arrived home. Stepping outside the kitchen to greet him, she sucked in a breath when she was greeted not by his typically smiling face, but by a grim and somber expression.