Agape

Abso-freaking-loutly

Chapter 7

Ella:

Well, it's official, yup Declan got suspended from school for three days. Three. It was supposed to be longer but somehow Wes was able to get his parents to talk to the board of education.

Apparently, the idea of expulsion was proposed, but thankfully there weren't enough votes. With the three days of suspension from school also came three days of detention when he came back. Declan was lucky.

Even though he was the one to get in trouble, I was the one heavy with miles of worry. He did some real damage to Noah, it was rumored he had a broken nose that would now be crooked.

Even though Declan doesn't show it, and it's not completely visible to most, he is filled to the brim with stress. To the point where sometimes he just needs to spill some, get it out of his system. He used to smoke, that was one of his ways of releasing it. Football is another way. Now I don't know, he has a full plate.

He works now, he has school, he has bills to pay, and even though Riley is well taken care of, he worries about her too.

On the outside people see him as the pretty jock who can play a killer game of football, but on the inside, he has just as many problems as the rest of us. Declan is human too, he suffers just like everyone else and even if you can't see it, it's there.

To know about Declan's life and parts of his past, it breaks my heart. He never even had a chance to be a kid, instead, he walked on eggshells, never knowing what was going to come next when he was going to be hit again. He could never feel safe.

Still even now that he's emancipated, he has to be an adult when he shouldn't have to be. He has to take care of himself when instead he should have parents taking care of him. His scars tell a very sad story, the story of his life.

I wish I could take it all away.

Declan had to work tonight till twelve. If he were in school he would have gotten out of football practice, took me home, and then went. But since he ditched school and was now suspended, he can just go. He worked five to twelve, eight hours total. How he gets up in the morning is still a shocker to me. Still, an actual job is much better than selling illegal things for Hayes.

As Declan dropped me off at my house borrowing my truck, he kissed my cheek and squeezed my hand. "I'll see you later, yeah?" He asks, hinting he'll be coming over after work.

I nod my head murmuring, "I'll be waiting."

He smiles my favorite smile, "Don't wait up, it's going to be late and you need to sleep." He tells me, tucking loose strands of my un-contained hair behind my ear.

I frown, he needs sleep too and I have a hard time sleeping when he's not there with me. "No promises," I whisper, knowing full well I will wait up for him.

After, I open the truck door and slip out. But before it's shut Declan calls my name. "Oh and Ellie." He says, and I turn my head. "No running by yourself." His forest green eyes were intense, he wanted confirmation that I wouldn't.

He held my gaze until I verified I wouldn't. "I won't D." He instantly relaxes, a sigh leaving his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," I say back, then shut the door. He doesn't drive away though until he sees that I've made it into the house. My heart sinks as I hear the rocks crumble under the weight of my truck, signaling that Declan is off to work.

Now I'm officially alone again. The house feels empty most of the time without Thomas around anymore, he lives in his college dorm. My mom works late all the time now too, so that leaves only me in the quiet house.