Page 64 of #Lovestrong
Declan
By the time Mr. Gary and Mrs. Deb set breakfast on the table, Lena is fast asleep. Candice put on some romance movie about a guy in a wheelchair and his caregiver, and I stretched out on the couch with Lena between my legs. She laid her head on my chest and was out in five minutes. Something tells me she hasn't slept much in the last few days. The bags under her eyes are so dark, I don't think make-up would cover them.
She can't do this to herself. My anger hasn't lessened any. Over the last four days, every time my sister steps in the same room with me, I want to reach out and slap her upside the head. Darcy hasn't been able to leave the house. My parents took away friends, electronics, even cheerleading. I'm surprised at that one. Usually, my parents don't take away sports, no matter what trouble we've gotten in. But as far as I can tell, after what Darcy did . . . she's on lockdown until she leaves for college.
For a second time this year, I'm thankful Darcy is going to school in Florida and I'm going to Washington. Lena and I won't have to deal with all this crap.
"Declan, honey? Why don't y'all come eat," Mrs. Deb says, leaning over the back of the couch and gently tucking some of Lena's hair behind her ear.
"I'd rather let her sleep, if that's okay. Can we just eat later?"
Mrs. Deb leans over and kisses my forehead. "Of course it is, honey. Candice, Jackson, come eat, dears."
They both gently touch my shoulder as they walk by and I lean my head back, wrap my arms around my girlfriend, and close my eyes. Maybe it's just the stress, but she feels frail in my arms right now. There's no tension in her body like there usually is. She hasn't tossed and turned like she did the first few times she slept near me. She's just still. If I couldn't feel her body moving with each breath, I'd be freaking out.
Lena snuggles closer to me in her sleep and I match her adjustment so she won't be uncomfortable. Everyone else is eating as quietly as possible, with only the slight clink of forks and knives disrupting the calmness of the house. Three sharp knocks on the door startle me, and I almost sit up. When Lena turns her head and presses it into my chest, I settle back, lifting just my head as Mr. Gary heads for the door.
It opens before he gets to it and a tall man wearing jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up walks in, carrying a massive duffel bag. My eyes widen at the look of him. He's got to be six-four at least, with forearms like a mammoth python. He's not skinny, but this dude is built with dark brown hair and a beard long enough to hide most of his neck.
"My God, John," Mr. Gary says as the man drops his bag and hugs him with a solid thump on the back. "What in the hell are you doing here?"
As they move apart, Mrs. Deb walks briskly over to him and hugs the man tightly around the neck. He has to bend damn near in half for how small she is.
"Hey, Ma," he says in a deep, even tone. "Sorry, I didn't warn ya. When you told me what happened, I couldn't just stay home. Where's my girl?"
Mrs. Deb steps back and looks over at me. The man's eyes follow hers and he stares at Lena curled up in my arms. When his gaze meets mine, my heart almost stops.
This is Lena's father.
"This is Lena's boyfriend, Declan," Mrs. Deb says.
Her father walks over to the back of the couch and instinctively, I hold my hand out while trying to move as little as possible. "Mr. Harrison."
He shakes my hand with a tight, firm grip. He's not at all what I expected after the time I spoke to him on the phone. Dear God, he's intimidating.
"Has she eaten anything?" Mr. Harrison lets go of my hand and reaches over to brush Lena's hair back so he can see her face.
"No," Mrs. Deb says, coming to stand next to him. "But this is the most she's slept in four days."
Mr. Harrison's brows pull together, pain clear in his eyes. "Let her sleep then. It'll give me time to find a hotel nearby."
"Nonsense, John. We've got a bed in my office. You can stay here," Mr. Gary claps Mr. Harrison on the back and gestures for him to follow.
Quietly, Mr. Gary introduces Lena's father to Jackson and Candice and explains how they know Lena, and then the house is quiet again. I glance up and Mrs. Deb is staring at me with a smirk on her face.
"You look like you about died, boy." She chuckles. "Don't let how he looks scare you. He's a big ol' teddy bear."
I sigh deeply and squeeze my eyes shut, letting my head fall back on the arm of the sofa. Big ol' teddy bear, my ass. That is the most frightening person I’ve ever laid eyes on. If I knew that's what her father looked like, I don't think I would’ve agreed to go to Virginia for Thanksgiving. Now that he's here for who knows how long, there's no way I can back out without making a bad impression.
And he's the only parent Lena has, which means I need him to like me. Something tells me it won't be good for our relationship if her father doesn't approve. Deep down, I want that man to approve. I want him to know how much I love his daughter, and how I plan to spend the rest of my life being good to her and taking care of her.
Though, with him here, I'm definitely more nervous about giving Lena her birthday present.