Eden and Selene looked up at Declan with puppy dog eyes.
The former held out a small bag of sour candies, Selene standing behind her, her hands on the younger girl's shoulders.
What had once been plans to make out in his car had turned into picking up Eden from school and then into the three grocery shopping when Tatiana had sent a list as she was caught up at five-month-old Fen's doctor.
Declan leaned against the shopping cart. An army green hoodie draped over his torso, a black puffy vest on top and unzipped. Black ripped jeans clung to his long legs, and his signature chains dangled from his neck, his hair messy and almost in his eyes. He looked damn good. This was one of the things she liked about Declan; he put effort into how he looked. He had an eye for designer brands and fashion and looking good and it showed.
"That's not on the list," Declan said, his gaze bouncing between the two.
"Please," Eden begged, stretching out the word.
"Please," Selene begged, imitating Eden.
His gaze continued to bounce between the two, unfazed. Only a few seconds passed before he caved, sighing as he gestured for them to put the candy in the cart. He could never say no to them, after all, they were two of his favourite people in the world.
Eden reached for Selene's hand, the two following Declan as he picked up items from Tatiana's grocery list.
"Selene?"
The three all turned at the sound of her name being called.
Carter stood down the aisle, a basket dangling from his arm.
Selene stopped breathing. She had only agreed to come into the grocery store because she knew her parents didn't shop there--it was far too bougie and the groceries were overpriced.
Declan leaned down. "Do you know him?"
Her dad appeared from another aisle, dropping something into Carter's basket. "Selene," he said almost in shock.
Declan took a step back from her. He had seen enough of the photos on the walls of her home to recognize her dad.
This was not how she imagined Declan meeting her parents--in fact he was never supposed to meet them.
Selene found her voice. "What are you doing here?" she asked them.
"Your mom wanted to go grocery shop and she refused to step foot in any other place," Carter said.
Wait so was she--
"Selene!" her mom cried.
All of her parents glanced at Declan, looking at him from his head to his shoes and back up again.
"Are you going to introduce us?" her father asked.
"Dad, mom, Carter," she started, "this is Declan... my boyfriend."
Declan moved forward to shake their hands. "Nice to meet you ma'am a-and sirs."
The charm fell away from Declan as he stuttered out a greeting. He moved back to Selene's side and on instinct wrapped an arm around her shoulders. When Lucille's eyes narrowed, the arm fell away quickly and he took a stumbling step backwards from Selene.
Zoë's parents were chill and uncomplicated and he had known Nyx's parents since forever.
Declan was nervous. She could have laughed if she wasn't completely mortified.
"I'm Eden Grey," Eden said suddenly, unaware of the tension as she extended her hand like the queen.
Carter was the first one to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you," he said, crouching down so they were eye level. "Tell me a secret," he asked.
Eden leaned in close.
"Is your brother nice to Selene?"
Eden nodded eagerly. "Sometimes he kisses her and it's yucky because boys have cooties."
Carter laughed, Micah did not.
Carter stood to his full length and glanced at Declan. He gave the eighteen-year-old an easy smile, causing Declan to visibly relax. Carter snapped his fingers. "I have a great idea. Dinner so we can get to know Selene's boyfriend."
Lucille nodded, smiling tightly. "Sounds magnificent, Carter." Her voice sounded a bit too high pitched whenever she talked to Carter after Selene had told her that Carter basically ran the house.
"Seven PM sharp," her father barked.
Selene had never seen her father act like this--mostly because she had only had one boyfriend and he hadn't known about him until they broke up--he was an angry father.
"Yes, sir," Declan responded. "I will be there."
Micah stared at him.
"Dad what?" she asked.
Micah's eyes flicked to her. "Has he been inside my house?"
"What?"
"He didn't ask for an address."
"He's dropped me off a few times," she lied. "Dad, you're scaring him shitless."
Micah smiled. "Good. I'll see you at home, my only daughter."
"Fuck," Declan muttered, low enough that only she heard.
Micah placed a hand on Declan's shoulder and squeezed. Declan winced. "I'll see you tonight, young man. Keep your hands off my daughter."
Declan's eyes were closed tight. "Of course, sir."
Micah, Carter and Lucille walked off together.
Declan turned to Selene. "Selene, I like you a lot but I think it's time to end our relationship."
She laughed. "You're not getting rid of me that easy." Plus I still need to decimate your fucking heart.
He groaned. "They already hate me."
She didn't even try to console him as she nodded. "Yep."
He pushed her shoulder gently and grabbed the handlebar of the cart, pushing it out of the aisle. "You're not helping."
"Hey, I'm just telling you the truth," she said. "Think of it this way; if they already hate you, you can't mess up anymore at dinner tonight."
"Could I tell them I have a project due tomorrow or something?"
She shook her head. "You already said yes. They will literally hunt you down until you sit at that dining table and ask them to pass you the salt."
Declan stared off into space for a while before he spoke, "You're lucky I like you. Now help me pick out a cake to bring to your scary family."
»
Declan texted Selene at six forty-five. 'I'm going to be sick.'
She rolled her eyes as she texted him back. 'You're a drama queen.'
'What if they hate me?' he asked.
'They won't.'
'Come open the door for me?'
She sent him a thumbs-up emoji and ran down the stairs in her flats.
She opened the front door to reveal Declan with a nervous smile on his lips.
He wore a white shirt with grey slacks and a pair of suspenders. He held a box with a vanilla cake inside, a paper bag with the neck of a bottle of wine sticking out and a bouquet of dewy red roses. His hair was gelled back to perfection. He looked like the poster child for both private school and the perfect high school boyfriend.
She smiled. "You look cute," she said as she reached for the bouquet.
He yanked them out of her reach. "They're for your mom," he said.
She raised an eyebrow. "You came ready to impress huh?" She took the cake and wine.
He nodded and leaned down to kiss her quickly.
"You ready?" she asked him.
"No, but let's do this."
She kicked the door closed behind him and led him into the dining room. "Mom! Dad! Carter! Declan is here!"
Carter had set up the dining room with the finest china that the Calloways had own, passed down from generation to generation. The finest linens sat perfectly folded on the plates along with silver cutlery.
Micah entered the dining room quickly, Carter on his heels and held out his hand for a handshake.
Declan shook his hand, wincing as Micah squeezed his hand. "Nice to meet you again, sir."
"I wish I could say the same."
"Dad!" Selene hissed at the same time that Carter hissed, "Micah."
Micah ping-ponged between them as if to say 'what?'
Carter stepped forward and shook Declan's hand with a large smile. "Welcome to our home, Declan." Carter glanced around the two. "You brought something!" he exclaimed.
Declan nodded. "I couldn't show up empty-handed to your house."
Micah nodded stiffly as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Like a dowry."
Carter hit Micah's arm laughing. "Micah stop." He hissed, "Really, stop."
Carter reached for the alcohol first. "Chardonnay?"
"My step-mother suggested I'd give that to you," Declan said and took his seat. "She said it was for raising an amazing daughter."
Carter smiled. "Tell her I say thank you. I'd love to have her over sometime."
Declan nodded. "I'll be sure to let her know."
Lucille sashayed into the room, wearing her nicest furs.
Selene hoped it was vegan.
Declan quickly handed the roses to her. "Hello Ms. Calloway, how are you doing?"
"I'm great, Griffin."
"Declan," Carter said quickly, from his seat at the foot of the table.
"Declan," she corrected. "So sorry."
"No worries," Declan responded with a smile but Selene could see his jaw ticking.
"Carter, you're sitting in my chair," Lucille said softly.
Carter began to stand.
"No, he's not," Micah said. "Carter sit. Lucille, you can sit in any other chair."
Lucille smiled, her left eye twitching. "Of course."
She sat in the chair across from Declan and Selene.
"Grace," Carter said and bowed his head.
Everyone followed his lead as he prayed though he was pretty much the only one who was religious.
Declan intertwined his hand with hers and squeezed quickly. She squeezed back, a small smile on her face.
»
Dinner goes surprisingly well.
Selene's mother and father had bonded over telling embarrassing stories to Declan's open ears as Selene shifted further and further down her seat, her face red. Declan and Micah had talked about basketball for a solid twenty minutes which made everyone else at the table ignore them and Lucille was even being nicer to Carter.
It's halfway through dessert, all the adults having had at least one glass of the Clicquot and everyone having had a slice of vanilla cake when Micah clears his throat.
"I have an announcement," he starts slowly. "Carter."
Carter smiled, causing Micah to come to a pause as he smiled back.
Selene's heart melted.
There was a number of years before Carter came into the picture that he father just bounced back and forth between stoic and panicked--especially when she started going through puberty--and he spent a lot of time blaming himself whenever Selene cried for her mother but when Carter entered their lives it was like a reset button was pressed. Micah was happier, an extra jump in his every step--still panicked as the single parent of a girl but less so.
"Carter," he breathed, starting again. "I couldn't have done this without you. And I'm not talking about the stupid dinner; I mean life. You've helped me more than you could ever imagine and I am forever grateful. You hold this family together."
Selene's eyes watered.
"You are the biggest part of this family and you have been for years." Micah travelled to the other end of the table where Carter sat and got on one knee. "So will you officially--legally--become a part of this family?"
Carter pretended to think for a second before a grin took over his face, giving away his answer. "Of course," he said, softly.
Declan passed Selene a tissue.
She squeezed his thigh in lieu of a thank you.
Micah held Carter in a hug, his face buried in Carter's shoulder.
"I'm going to show Declan out," Selene announced. But no one was listening.
Carter and Micah were suspended, frozen in time as they embraced each other and Lucille was taking photos on her phone.
Selene and Declan stood.
"Thank you for dinner," he said as they pushed their chairs in before heading for the front door.
"Wow," he said once they stepped out into the early May air.
It was slightly dewy--it had rained early in the morning but now golden light shone on Declan's face as the sun set.
He looked breathtaking. She knew that was a typically feminine adjective but the way Declan looked with the warm hue of the sun bouncing off his ice blue eyes encapsulated every connotation possible of the word.
"Did not expect a proposal when I was freaking out in the car on the way here," he said.
She led him to the porch swing. "You freaked out in the car ride here?"
He nodded. "Full-on panic. Almost did a U-turn and pretended to be sick."
She knew Declan was worried that her parents wouldn't like him but she had no idea he was full-on-panic-in-the-car worried.
She kicked off her heels as she sat. Declan took the seat next to her.
"Welcome to the kids with a step-parent club," he said. "Half of the population is pissed at the stranger in their house and the other half is living their best lives."
Selene snorted and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm happy for him. Happy that he has someone especially since I'm probably going away for school."
Declan titled his head to look down at her. "You are?"
She nodded.
"I thought that you'd be going to Simon Fraser or something."
"SF is a safety school. I wanted to go out of province."
Declan licked his lips. "Have you thought about... us?"
She paused, lifted her head. "What do you mean?"
"Us," he repeated.
She sighed. "We'll figure it out when we get to that point."
"Selene, we're graduating in six weeks."
She paused. Four years of her life, over just like that. She felt like she was just finishing her terrible grade nine year.
"We'll figure it out before then," she said softly.
I'll break your heart before I have to pretend to care about the future of our relationship.
"It's getting late," she said.
Sometime in the past few minutes, the sun had finished its descent below the horizon.
He nodded slowly and stood. "I'll see you soon."
She stood and kissed him, her arms wrapping around his neck.
His hands gripped her hips as he kissed her back.
She pulled away. "See you soon."
His lips parted like he was going to say something more but he stopped before he turned and headed for his car.
He waved one last time before speeding off.
Selene sighed before going into her house.
Breaking Declan Grey's heart was becoming harder and harder. And now she was on a deadline.
Six weeks to get him to fall in love with her and break his heart.