Lust Thy Neighbor (27 page)

He waited until after she came the second time to follow her into the abyss.

*

"S
o can we get back to our regularly scheduled rooting for Team Declan and Violet?"

Violet shifted the phone to her other ear and smiled even though Beck couldn't see her. "Yes."

"You have a ridiculously sappy smile on your face right now, don't you?"

"What do you think?”

"Declan just did ungodly things to your body to put that smile on your face, didn't he?"

Violet giggled but still blushed as she spied Declan just a few feet in front of her, flipping over another grilled cheese sandwich on the stove. "Sure did."

"Did he grovel?"

She made a face. She didn't think Declan Pierce would ever grovel. But he had admitted he was wrong several times. "In his own way, yes."

“Good.” Beck’s voice softened, his tone suddenly serious. "Are you happy?"

"Yes." She didn't have to think twice on that one.

"Good."

They spoke for several more minutes and Beck promised to come visit her next weekend. As she hung up, she noticed Declan watching her. "Am I going to have to deal with an angry best friend?"

Violet smiled. "Not anymore."

"He came to talk to me. Did he tell you?”

"Oh?"

"He basically called me an idiot and made me realize that I had my head up my ass. But by then, I was already regretting what had happened."

She snorted. "Beckett came to me and defended you."

He flipped a sandwich onto a plate and handed it to her. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. He made me see that blaming you for everything wasn't right and that I still cared for you."

"Seems like I owe him." Declan smiled.

Jacob entered the kitchen with Bear yapping at his feet and his eyes locked onto the food that was prepared. "One of those for me?"

His brother rolled his dark eyes. "You had lunch."

"That was almost three hours ago."

"Take the rest. I'll make more."

Jacob grabbed the last two grilled cheeses and sat down next to Violet. "You feeling okay?”

"Much better, thank you. And I never got to say thanks for calling Declan to let him know that I was in the hospital. It really helped out." She reached out and touched his arm.

Jacob blushed. "I'm just glad you're okay." The kitchen was briefly quiet as Violet dug into her sandwich and Declan returned to the stove to make another. Jacob swallowed his bite and asked, "So ... you two back together now?"

"Is that all right?" Declan asked without looking up from the slice of bread he was buttering.

"Yeah."

"Good."

Violet smiled at their exchange and took another bite of her lunch.

*

"J
acob said he wouldn't mind if I married you."

Violet could barely process the words that Declan uttered softly next to her. She whipped her head to face him on the pillow they shared. "What?" Her voice was a high screechy sound.

He smirked and turned onto his side, easing one of his legs between hers and nudging his erection against her hip. It was a wonder he could muster any strength after the sex they just had. "You heard me."

"You just said the M word."

"Too soon?" He sobered and stared back at her in a way that always managed to unnerve her.

"We just got back together!"

"We took a two week break," he countered.

"But...”

He cocked his head and smirked. "You never thought about it?”

She had but she wasn't going to admit that to him. "You're really throwing me for a loop here. We just made up."

"But still. What do you think?" When he saw her hesitate, he answered, now unsure of his position. "I know that I don't really have a typical family situation, what with me having custody of Jacob and all that. I can understand if it's too much—"

"Shut up. That's not it and you know it. I love him like he's already part of my family."

He smiled at her forceful statement. "So what is it? Is it me?"

"I love you."

"Then?"

"It's just a big step."

"I wasn't actually proposing, you know?" His lips kicked up in a grin.

Her jaw dropped open. "Then what are you doing?"

"Seeing how receptive you are to the idea."

"You're ready?"

"With you?" He smiled. "Yeah. Someday soon."

Her heart skipped a beat and she thought about her future. Yes, she could see herself waking up to this man every day for the rest of her life. She thought back to when she had accepted Henry's marriage proposal. At that time, she thought she was getting the prince. But one look at the man next to her made her realize just how wrong she was.

"So how will you propose then?” She heard herself ask. “You know, since this isn't a proposal.”

He grinned widely. "Well, for starters, I'm not going to begin with the fact that Jacob was the first one to mention the idea....”

Three years later

"J
acob Bradley Pierce."

Declan stood up to clap and whistle only to hear the mumbled comments behind him. He didn't give a shit if he wasn't supposed to cheer until all the names had been called because his younger brother had just graduated high school, and he wasn't going to let anything get in the way of letting Jacob know that he was proud of him. Declan saw out of the corner of his eye that Beckett had stood up too and was waving his arms in a wide sweep to let Jacob know where they were sitting. When more people complained about not being able to see around them, he finally relented and took his seat.

It had been a long journey since they moved to their new house and Jacob started high school, but it felt like the time had just rushed by in a blink of an eye. Declan couldn't believe that his brother was now a high school graduate and would be leaving in the fall to go to school in California. They had discussed several school options, and while Jacob had been reluctant to leave home and go so far away, Declan knew that deep down, he had really wanted to return to their home state. He understood that his brother was scared to be on his own for the first time, but he also had confidence that everything would be just fine.

He zoomed in as far as he could on the video camera and captured the principal shaking Jacob's hand as he received his diploma. He watched as his brother grinned and moved his tassel to the other side of his cap, and Declan had never been so proud. They had the best of both worlds. They joked, shared, and ripped on each other like brothers, but Declan had stepped into the role of parent many times over the last several years to help his brother become the man that he was today.

Well, he hadn't exactly done it on his own...

"Vi doesn’t look very comfortable," Beckett mused, pointing her out in the crowd below where all the teachers sat adjacent to the graduates. “Poor thing. She was telling me last night how she missed the sight of her feet.”

Declan zoomed the camera in on her beautiful face. "She wore mismatched Converse out to the mall the other day when we went shopping for baby clothes.”

"You didn't tell her?"

"Why would I?" Declan asked. "It was cute as hell."

They had gotten married shortly after Jacob turned sixteen. In Jake’s opinion the timing was great because the distraction of being a newlywed and all the time Declan spent coaxing his new bride into the bedroom prevented Declan from freaking out every time he took the car out on his own.

Declan didn't think that being married would change much in his life since Violet had already been living with them by time the wedding rolled around, but he was wrong. There was something incredibly primal and satisfying for Declan to know that Violet now belonged to him, heart and soul, and he to her. He was still reminded of it at odd hours and moments when she would turn to smile at him when she brushed her teeth, or when they would spend a quite Sunday morning in bed reading the newspaper, or even when they just sat out in the backyard making lunch. He was happy being a husband, something he didn't think would ever happen for him, but there he was—in love, married, and expecting a baby girl by the end of the summer. Declan saw Violet swivel her head, her eyes searching the crowd. Though he knew she probably wouldn't see him, he waved and thought about how she changed his life.

*

V
iolet scanned the crowds for Declan, remaining at the goalpost where they had previously agreed everyone would meet after the ceremony. She watched many of her former students disappearing into the crowd and marveled at how just a few years ago, they had been her freshman students. Feeling a flutter in her belly, she smiled and rubbed her hand over what she had guessed was a foot.

"Is she giving Chuck-Effin-Norris a run for his money again?”

Violet turned and tilted her face up to stare into her husband’s chocolate brown eyes. "Absolutely. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you wait until I go to sleep to bribe her into beating my ass because I’m pretty sure she just roundhouse kicked my bladder.”

"That's my girl." He wrapped his arms around her as best as he could with her stomach in the way, kissing her upturned lips gently. "Have you seen Jacob yet?"

"Nope. He's probably off talking to his friends." She peeked over Declan's shoulder, frowning. "Where did Beck disappear to?”

"He had an emergency call from work and had to rush back. He told me to say sorry to you and Jacob and to give you this.” Bending he kissed her cheek, but she wasn’t paying attention to him as she started jumping up and down at the sight of something behind him.

"Jake! Over here!”

He glanced over his shoulder to see his brother headed their direction, his graduation robe partially unzipped, before he scowled down at his wife. "If you don’t calm down, you’re going to go into labor."

“You calm down. This is an exciting day.” But she loved that he was overprotective of her. It made her feel safe and cherished. As soon as Jacob was within touching distance, she launched herself at him, standing on her toes and wrapping her arms around him. “Congratulations! I’m so proud of you!”

His ears turned red, but he smiled widely. "Thanks, Vi.”

"You did it, kid." Declan brought his brother into his arms for a hug and gave his back an emotional pat. “Mom and Dad would've been really proud."

Jacob nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah," he said softly. “I know.”

"We are too."

"Thanks." Pulling away, Jacob grinned boyishly, his face taking the more mature shape of the man he would soon become. "For everything." The brothers looked at each other, saying in silence everything that couldn't be voiced in words.

Thank you for being there for me. For changing your life to take care of me and give me a home.

Thank you for coming into my life. For showing me love. For giving me the chance to meet my wife.

"Oh..."

Declan looked down to see Violet in tears. "Babe,” he groaned.

"I swear I’m okay." She patted his arm and then laced their fingers together. "Just seeing the two of you together makes me a little weepy."

Jacob smiled in understanding. She had been emotional for the last month, crying at the drop of a hat at everything from not having enough eggs to make brownies to Bear snuggling up in the new baby’s crib.

Her lips shook into a smile. "These are happy tears,” she told her brother-in-law as he drew her into his arm for a hug.

"Thank you,” he whispered softly enough that only she could hear him. “We wouldn't have made it without you." He grinned over her head to his smiling brother and mouthed, “Thanks again.”

To the three of them, this wasn't just the accomplishment of graduating high school. Today marked something much greater. They had survived together. For Declan and Jacob, it was the end of an important period in their lives. Jacob was going to move out and start his own life and his brother would have to adjust once again.

"Hey, Jacob!"

The younger brother released Violet and twisted around to where one of his friends was waving and pointing in the direction of the parking lot. When he faced Declan and Violet, he lifted his shoulders sheepishly. "I guess it's time to get ready for grad night."

Declan cleared his throat. "Have fun and be careful. We'll see you tomorrow."

He gave them both one last hug and went off with a smile.

Violet leaned into Declan. "It's like watching our own son leaving us for college."

He grinned. "Just think, we get to do this all over again in eighteen years. And if we’re lucky, another couple years after that. And maybe—”

"Calm your junk," Violet said with a wicked grin. "Let’s focus on this one for now. And you'll probably be holding onto her for dear life, not wanting to let her go at her graduation." When he laughed, she sighed. "Speaking of go, we should probably get home.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Good idea. We better take advantage of our first night with the kid out of the house. We're not going to have that again for a while."

"Well, we have a few more months before she gets here...."

He looped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Grinning down at the woman he loved—his former neighbor, the woman who was never meant to be casual—he felt his chest expand. “Let’s go home, beautiful.”

-The End-