The Heartbreaker's Home

Chapter 11

I skate every year when the lakes and ponds freeze over. Redwood Creek was too small to have it's own skating rink, but we tended to head out to the lake when the temperature was right. There were always a few older kids or adults on the lookout as the children of the small town squealed and stumbled, learning the hard way how to stay upright, or for some, learning tricks they have seen off YouTube or Facebook. Skating isn't a foreign sport to me, yet hand in hand with Declan in a town that wasn't Redwood Creek, surrounded by fairy lights and a silence that went beyond just peaceful, the feeling was very different.

As we skidded to a stop right in the middle, I laughed as I turned to Declan, grinning up at him. "That qualifies as one of my top ten best birthday presents ever, and it's not even my birthday yet." I announced with a chuckle. My cheeks were flushed from the cold air, a sight which I knew Declan liked from the way his eyes stirred as he slipped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to claim my lips in a kiss far away from prying eyes.

Caught in his lips and the way his hold tightened around me, I instinctively lay my palms on his chest, returning his kiss until he finally pulled away, a shaded look darkening his irises. "Baby, any further and I'll be putting the backseat of my car to good use." he warned with a deep chuckle that had heat curling at the pit of my stomach. I chuckled, as he each took a step back.

"The skating is only part of the top ten? C'mon, I can't be number 1?" Declan teased, to which I cheekily turned my chin up at him.

"Nope! That goes to Dad. He got me my piano when I was fifteen. Can't beat that." I stuck my tongue out at him.

To my surprise, Declan smirked, reaching behind him to pull out two strips of white paper, grinning as he waved them. "How about two tickets to The Apollo Theatre, for a weekend's worth of Amature Night shows?"

My eyes widened, as alarm bells went off in my head. "The very same Apollo where people like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin started off?"

He nodded with a proud grin. "The very same."

"Oh. My. God." I paused, and then frowned. "But that's in New York?"

"I have two flight tickets booked for us for Friday, and we'll return on Monday. Kay," He slid forward and took my hands, pressing the tickets into my palms. "I promise you, you'll have fun. I've called Seeley and Mr. Harrington-"

"You did what?!" I echoed, my eyes further widening. We hadn't told them yet that we were together again. Seeley could have a conniption.

"I called them. Oddly enough, Mr. Harrington was cautious but he just told me to tell you to message him periodically."

"And Seeley?"

"He was... distracted, somehow. I found him in the kitchen of the House. He wasn't happy to see me, but the moment I told him of the plan, he just gave me a glare and dashed out of the place."

I frowned hearing that. Seeleys' behaviour was getting odder and odder, but I pushed that to the back of my mind, as my gaze flitted down to the tickets in my hand again, a heavy feeling settling on my chest. "I-"

"Just go, baby. I promise you. Everything will be fine. And I got an open ticket. We can come back anytime we want, okay?"

Indecisions and the memory of what had happened the last time I left town more then 10 years ago haunted me, yet for the first time since then, I suddenly felt a sense of calm sneaking over me as I felt the heat of Declan's hold through our gloves. Something about Declan invokes a sense of calm within me no one else ever could. Everytime.

"Okay."

---

I had been to the airport before. A long time ago. So no, I don't remember much about it. So when I stepped in to Los Angeles Airport, my muscles tensed up upon the inundation of everything at once. The amount of people rushing by with determination and a goal in mind, the lights that drowned out the darkness of the Thursday night behind us, the amount of information to process at once that made my steps ground to a halt.