The Nearness of You

Chapter 26

Declan watched Livy as, chin held high, she proceeded him out of the door. He wondered what had caused her sudden change of mind about trying to make the marriage work. Hearing her ask for her inheritance and the wish to end their marriage was his worst fear realized. His heart had actually stopped at her words.

The only reason he wasn't in a complete panic was because she had looked as miserable as he felt when she had asked him if his offer still stood. In his gut, he didn't believe that it was something that she wanted.

He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and he turned to see Gabriel hide behind the door that lead into the study.

"Gabriel?" he asked, waiting for the boy to come out from his hiding place. When he eventually did, Declan could see the tears in his eyes. He was doing his best to hold them back but it was evident that they were trembling on the edge of falling.

"She's leaving, isn't she?" he asked and Declan could hear the tremor in his voice.

"No," Declan assured him, "she's not." He tried to control the angry frustration in his voice at the realization that Gabriel had overheard their conversation.

He was suddenly more determined than he ever had been, and that was saying something. She wasn't going anywhere any time soon, not if he had anything to say about it.

Livy had somehow gotten a hold of the wrong idea once again and, instead of talking to him about it, she was automatically jumping to the wrong conclusion. He had half a mind to drag her up the stairs and lock them in a room together until they had it all figured it out.

He probably should have done it a long time ago, but he hadn't wanted her to feel as if he had manipulated her once everything was settled.

"I heard her Uncle Declan! She said that she would keep us when you were gone. Don't lie to me I'm not stupid! Aunt Livy said we don't lie to the people we love!" The tears won and fell down his cheeks.

Declan wanted to rush to him but he knew that the Gabriel would only be embarrassed if he did.

"When did your Aunt Livy say that?" he asked instead, curious.

"When I had my accident in my bed, I begged her not to tell you but she said that she didn't lie to the people she loved!" He reached up and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

Declan hardly saw the tears, his heart had stopped as he looked at Gabriel, replaying his words in his head. Had she admitted to Gabriel that she loved him? Suddenly, he felt more hope than he had in a long time.

He walked briskly over to Gabriel and took him in a quick and fierce hug, then pulled back and looked at the boy. "I promise that your Aunt Livy isn't going anywhere. I love her and I don't let things I love go that easily." It was a relief to him to say the words aloud.

He looked at Gabriel until he nodded, wiping his tears away once again.

"Now go and help take care of your sisters We'll be back this evening, both of us."

He watched Gabriel walk away, waiting until he was gone before he turned to join Livy. He walked slowly through the door and joined her in the car, hoping he appeared as if he was relaxed and not as if his racing heart was about to beat right out of his chest.

He had to fight from grabbing her and taking her in his arms. He had been fighting the urge for over a year so a few more hours wouldn't matter. He had to calm down and come up with a plan, a plan that would assure her that he was nothing but sincere when he told her that he loved her.

His mind raced and he refused to look at Livy as he stared out of the window as the car started its short journey to the museum. His mind wandered once again to the question of what had happened to cause the change, to make her want out of the marriage? He knew that the answer to this question would influence the way he handled the situation.

Then as if someone had hit him over the head he realized that she must have overheard his conversation with Theodora just as Gabriel had overheard their conversation. He replayed the conversation in his mind and almost winced as he remembered the tail end of it. If she had heard that then she probably thought the worst. He had told Theodora that the two of them needed the trip, the two of them being him and Livy. Then he had told Theodora to keep the dates for the meetings he had set up for her and Garrett free. They were about to try a new business venture, a hotel, and Theodora was going to design it.

Declan had wanted to steal Livy away from the kids and everything that they had going on in their lives. He had wanted to romance her and make love to her the way she deserved. After her revelation of just how truly innocent she was, he knew she deserved more than a few stolen moments in between the regularity of their days.

He wanted to take her somewhere where there would be no kids knocking on the door or bickering about their toys, where his phone wouldn't constantly be ringing. He had arranged everything perfectly.

He couldn't repress the small smile that came to his lips. His Livy had once again leaped before she looked, but he knew that he would be able to pull her out of this mess just as he always did.

*******

Livy watched as Declan finally joined her in the car. He seemed relaxed, almost relieved. She knew it was because she was leaving him. He had wanted her to leave for a while but he hadn't wanted to ask her to.

She bit back a sob as she looked out of her window and replayed the conversation she had heard him having with Theodora in her head.

Why had it taken him so long to join her in the car? Had he taken a moment to call Theodora and give her the good news?

She snuck a quick look in his direction and saw a slight smile on his face as if he was pleased about something. Her life was falling apart around her, she was losing the only real family she had ever had, and he was happy. It only made her more miserable.

She squared her shoulders determined to get through the next few hours and days. She would never let him know he had destroyed her just like he had assured her he would. She would quietly pick up the pieces and make sure that she only presented a cheerful façade, especially to the children.

The children, how would she even begin to tell them?

"What will we tell the children?" she asked quietly.

"Will discuss that later," he assured her without bothering to even look at her.

The rest of the trip was made in silence, a silence that Livy had to fight to keep, as her anger started to rise. He didn't have to be so nonchalant about the situation.

*******

Declan had to fight his grin and keeping his hands to himself as she started to slowly seethe. He could feel the anger rolling off of her and he was thankful for it. An angry Livy he could deal with but a sad Livy made him feel like a bumbling idiot every time.

He had spent his entire life developing a hard skin and fighting some of the cruelest and most immoral people that existed. He could hold his ground against anyone and anything, anything that was, but one Livy Brooks. She had become his weak spot, the only thing he would ever give into every time, he would always give her anything she wanted.

He only hoped that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.