Page 37 of One Hot Chase

"Oh, I bet they aren't as uptight as you're making them sound," she teases, sidling up to me. "Besides, I thought you were supposed to be showing me a good time. What could be more entertaining than an awkward family dinner?"

I narrow my gaze on her. "You're enjoying this far too much."

She grins, unrepentant. "Guilty as charged. So, what do you say? Shall we give your family the shock of their lives by showing up soaking wet and disheveled?"

For a moment, I actually consider doing that. But no, I have a sodding reputation to uphold. Yes, and my outdoor adventures with Bree fit right in with my vaunted status. Maybe it's time I developed a bad reputation.

"You wanted to know about my past romantic entanglements," I say. "Well, there was only one serious relationship."

"What happened?"

"Eleanor and I dated for three years. I wanted to get married, and after two more months of thinking about it, she finally agreed." I rub my hand over my mouth, an unconscious delaying tactic that has become a habit lately, even before I met Sabrina. "But it didn't work out as planned."

Silence follows. An extended silence. Sabrina watches me with a neutral expression until she finally can't stand it any longer. "Are you going to explain the rest?"

I glance at her clothes. "You're shivering. Let's find someplace to get warm."

"Nice try, Declan." She gives me a stern look that she doesn't seem quite capable of pulling off. "Why won't you just tell me what happened between you and Eleanor?"

Because I know how it will sound, that's why. But I owe her the truth. So, I take a deep breath and meet her gaze.

"Eleanor left me at the altar," I say quietly. "Quite literally. I was standing there in my tuxedo, waiting for her to walk down the aisle, when her maid of honor came running in to tell me Eleanor had fled the church. Later, I learned she had run off with my best man."

Sabrina's eyes widen. "Oh, Declan. I'm so sorry."

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "It was a long time ago. Water under the bridge and all that."

But Sabrina sees right through me. She steps closer, placing a gentle hand on my arm. "It still hurts though, doesn't it?"

I look away, unable to meet her knowing gaze. "Sometimes. But it's not the leaving that hurts the most. It's the not knowing why."

Sabrina's hand tightens on my arm, her eyes softening with understanding. "She never explained?"

I shake my head. "Not a word. Just vanished. I spent months trying to figure out what I'd done wrong, what I could have changed."

Bree clasps my hand. "It wasn't your fault. Sometimes people just...run."

Her words hit close to home, and I give her a pointed look. "Like you've been doing?"

She has the grace to look sheepish, but there's a spark of defiance in her eyes. "That's different. I'm not running away from you, not really. I'm running...toward something."

"And what might that be?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she admits softly. "But I think...I'm running toward the person I want to be. The one who isn't afraid to take risks, to let go, to..."

"To what?" I prompt, my voice barely above a whisper.

She takes a deep breath. "To fall in love again."

Chapter Thirteen

Sabrina

Holy cow, I can't believe I confessed all of that to Declan. I've never told anyone else about my innermost feelings. I feel like I've just stripped naked in front of a stranger. Well, not exactly a stranger anymore, I guess. Declan's piercing gaze seems to drill deep into my soul. It's unnerving and exhilarating all at once.

"Has your brain frozen up, love?" he teases, that infuriating smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "And here I thought you'd never run out of clever quips."

I roll my eyes, desperately grasping for my usual wit. "Oh please, I'm just giving you a moment to process all that information I just dropped on you. Wouldn't want to overwhelm that pretty little head of yours."