Page 34 of Freeing Emily

I’ve been able to confide in Declan as much as a younger sister can to her older brother. But I can’t talk to him about this. I can’t hide the pain that I have within me.

“I’m fine.” I say with little emotion in my voice.

I hear him release a sigh and then a hand is wrapped around mine. I peer down at it, studying the skeleton fingers he has tattooed over his.

Liam has a rose tattooed over his hand. I loved to trace the lines with the tips of my fingers when we’d lay in the wildflowers. When I asked him why he got it, he shrugged and said because he wanted to.

All of Declan’s tattoos have some sort of meaning. From the owl he has across his throat, to the stupid worm he has on his knee. He was sixteen when he and Rhys bought a tattoo gun and tattooed each other.

I feel the tears start to gather in my eyes and quickly blink them away. All of my recent happy memories include Liam in some way.

How do I let that go?

“I’m fine, Dec. Really. Ryan is… Ryan is great.” I plaster a fake smile on my way.

Declan gives me a pointed look that tells me he knows I’m hiding something. But he doesn’t push – and for that I’m thankful.

With a gentle squeeze, he releases my hand and continues driving toward the penthouse.

The elevatorpingsand the doors open to the vast entrance of the penthouse. The contrast between charcoal and white fills me with nostalgia. When Declan bought this place a couple of years back, I made him remodel everything and threatened to castrate him if he made it a typical-looking bachelor pad.

I’m glad to see he kept it that way.

I haven’t been to the penthouse in at least a year. I had no reason to. I also had no desire to see or hear Declan with his next fuck.

But I guess now, I won’t have a choice.

My phone chimes with an incoming text, and I pull it from my back pocket.

Ryan Monroe:

Would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?

Ugh.

“I’m having Jackie over tonight.”

I don’t bother hiding the disgust that mars my face. Jackie isn’tbad, per se, but she’s an airhead who walks around like she owns the place. She’s also a whore.

Okay, that’s mean. Declan is also a whore, and I don’t really judge him for it.

I quickly reply that I’d love to, even though I don’t. I don’t want to be here with Jackie. She’ll bother me about looking like shit the whole time.

“I’m going to go out to dinner with Ryan. I’m going to get ready now.”

He nods. “Alright, I’ll see you later then.”

I nod and then make my way down to the guest room.

My bags sit on my bed when I step inside my room. The plush carpet quiets my steps the further I walk inside.

Unzipping the first bag, I pull out a white pantsuit and lay it on the mattress.

I need to wash off this depressing day.

Setting out the rest of my outfit, I head to the ensuite to shower.

Bang! Bang! Bang!