Hot Summer Night

29 - Seraphine

Everly and I may be trapped in a terrible situation, but strangely, it's also been a good thing—we've taken this time to get to know one another better.

We talked a lot to pass the time, but she did most of the talking, and I'm glad she did. I learned a lot about her and why she'd given Declan such a hard time over the years. She said she's always loved her father and always hated how her mother talked about him, but what upset her with him was Declan missing out on her life events, which is understandable. But she also said she understood why he's missed attending things because of his job.

She admitted that even though she spent time with him every other weekend, she still felt he was absent from her life and that his job was more important to him than spending time with her. Then she confessed that because of what happened to us, she understands her father's job so much more about what he does and why he has to cancel their time together when something comes up—like this.

I also learned a lot about the letters he wrote me, what was said in them, and when they were returned—after seeing me with Chadwick. He wrote to me practically every week until I got into his care. Everly confirmed, without me telling her our discussions, that everything Declan told me was the truth.

Everly talked so much she talked herself to sleep, and because I feared Chadwick would harm her while she slept, I forced myself to stay awake. So I've used this time to think about everything that's happened in my life since meeting Chadwick, everything said and done to me, my reoccurring dreams, and things Marla had mentioned when she helped me escape. I thought about everything, and the conclusion I came up with scared me. Chadwick set up ending Declan and me from the beginning—and Felicity was purposely planted on Declan.

That's why Chadwick mentioned I was supposed to hate Everly and despise Declan. It was part of the plan to keep us apart. That's why Felicity has done everything she could to get Everly to hate Declan, why she tried so hard to keep them apart, and why she's filled her head with so many lies. She didn't want Everly to discover the truth about how she came about.

Felicity is one of them... or she was paid handsomely to ruin Declan's life. Fuck...

My heart is broken for them both.

The door opened, and I instantly became vigilant. Seeing it was Chadwick, my eyes flickered over to Everly. She was still asleep, so I prayed hard he'd leave her alone.

He walked straight to her and kneeled, checking whether she was sleeping or fake sleeping. He pushed her shoulder, held his finger underneath her nose, and lifted her eyelids. Then he turned and eyed me, his lips evilly curling upward.

Fuck. I'm in trouble. Oh God... Declan. Where are you?

"Finally, the brats asleep," he boasted.

"Leave her alone," I begged. "She's done nothing wrong."

He stood, smiling like the creep he was. "Oh, that's where you're wrong, Seraphine," he said, heading toward me. "She's done plenty wrong." He walked behind me, stopped, and leaned to my ear, giving me the creepy crawlies. "She was supposed to make you hate that slimy piece of shit, Declan. She was supposed to make him never want anything to do with you. She was supposed to do many things. As was her mother."

I thought that might be the case.

My breathing hitched when the corner of my eye caught a flash of silver. In my ear, he laughed while sliding the gun along my chin. "I'll never forget the look on his face when he saw me with you." I gasped. "And when I taunted him by pulling you in for a long fucking kiss, showing that you were mine and who he'd never have again." He laughed again, causing the hairs on my arms to stand. "I thought he was going to lose it and break down right in front of everyone. He stood frozen, watching me make out with his girl with my hands all over you, his face red in anger, and his eyes watery and hurt."