5. Ayla

Chapter 5

Ayla

E very time I was around Linda, I knew it’d be comical and entertaining. Declan and I never got a chance to speak while eating dinner, but that didn’t matter. I enjoyed hearing all of Linda’s tales.

After dinner, Declan and I washed and dried the dishes while Linda watched us and continued with her stories. She didn’t believe in using dishwashers, so we had to scrub them well. Declan offered to do that part while I rinsed and dried. Once we were done, I pulled out my phone from my pocket and looked at the time. I didn't realize that four hours had passed.

“Linda, it’s getting late. I think I’m going to head home,” I said, folding the dish towel and setting it by the sink.

Linda walked over and hugged me. “Well, thank you for coming over.” Then she winked at Declan. “Both of you. I think the night went by splendidly.”

I looked over at Declan, and my heart did a crazy flip-flop dance in my chest when his lips pulled back into a small smile. There was so much I wanted to know about him. He was a mystery.

“I think so, too,” I agreed, turning my attention back to Linda. “Thank you for setting tonight up. I don’t hate my neighbor as much as I did yesterday.”

“As much?” Declan joked. “So, you still hate me a little bit?”

That made me smile. “Don’t know yet.”

Linda patted his arm and giggled. “Why don’t you walk Ayla home, and you two can sort all of that out?”

Declan lifted his brows at me. “Do you mind? I don’t want you walking alone at night.”

A laugh escaped my lips. “I’ve walked a million times during the night, Declan. I know how to take care of myself. Plus, this is Magnolia Grove. Nothing ever happens here.”

There was a darkness that flashed in those blue eyes of his, and for a moment, I saw a glimpse of a different side of him. It was obvious something bad had happened to him.

He stared right into my eyes. “Until it does, Ayla. Bad shit happens in small towns, too.”

“You can walk me home, Declan. I wasn’t saying you couldn’t. I just wanted you to know I’m a big girl.”

“And feisty,” Linda laughed, pushing us both toward the door. “Trust me, young man,” she said to Declan, “if anyone tried to hurt Ayla, I feel sorry for them. I watched her beat up little Kevin when they were in the third grade.”

We stopped at the door, and I threw my hands in the air. “He pulled my braid and it hurt.” Declan seemed impressed, and I smiled. “He never did it again.”

He opened the door and held it for me. “I’ll be sure not to do that then.”

I stepped out and he followed me while Linda stayed in the doorway, watching us with a sly smile on her face.

“She sure does have some stories, doesn’t she?” I said to Declan as I waved at Linda one last time.

Declan snorted. “She’s definitely interesting.”

“Got that right. I had never heard the popcorn story until tonight. ”

Apparently, there was a popcorn shortage many years before I was born. Linda said she’d bought all the popcorn in Magnolia Grove and even drove to Mobile and cleared out all the stores there. She didn’t want to live without it.

“I like popcorn, but not that much,” Declan replied. “What really amused me was the part about her husband and how he always thought Linda was trying to kill him.”

I burst out laughing. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. He used to tell me that all the time, especially when she bought him a motorcycle back in the day. I kept telling him it was because she thought he looked sexy on it.”

Declan shook his head and smiled. “He sounds like a good man.”

I nodded. “He was. Linda and George were two peas in a pod. I’m just glad Linda didn’t lose herself when she lost him.” A hushed silence filled the air, and even though it was dark, I could see the sadness on Declan’s face. “Bet you didn’t have a neighbor like Linda where you came from,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Declan chuckled. “No. I lived in an apartment in Manhattan. I don’t think I remember what my neighbors looked like. ”

Living in a big city was never something I wanted. My time at UNC-Chapel Hill was the closest I ever came to that. Nothing could beat living on Magnolia Lane by the lake with magnolia trees lining both sides of the road. It was a picturesque scene, something you’d see in a Hallmark movie. As far as I could remember, nothing bad had ever happened in our small town.

“What made you want to move here?” I asked, slowing my pace. I didn’t want to get home too fast.

Declan tensed and kept his focus on the road. “I just needed a change of scenery.”

There was a story there; I could feel it.

I slowed down even more. “Do you have family in New York?”

His jaw muscles clenched, and he nodded. “My parents. They live upstate.” Then, he turned to me and smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “What about you? I’m assuming your parents live here in Magnolia Grove.”

“Their whole lives,” I said. “My dad retired from the dental office and passed it down to me, and my mom is a retired high school teacher.”

“How is it being a dentist?” he asked, staring at me with genuine curiosity.

“It’s actually quite fun. I love working on teeth.” Declan lifted his brows as if he didn’t expect to hear that response. “What? Am I not supposed to love my job?” I wondered.

Declan held up his hands. “Hey, it’s not every day you hear someone say they love their job, especially one where you have to see nasty, rotten teeth.”

There were some disgusting parts of my job, but that was why I chose to become a dentist. I wanted to help people have beautiful teeth.

I bumped Declan with my shoulder. “That’s where my job can be the most rewarding. If someone comes in with a broken tooth, I fix it. I like seeing people smile.” When he didn’t respond, I bumped him again. “What about you? What line of work are you in?”

“I’m not working at the moment.”

His answer was very clipped, almost as if he didn’t want to speak anymore on the subject. We stopped at the edge of my driveway, and it didn’t look as if he was going to walk any further.

“What did you do before you moved here?” I questioned.

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, his smile long gone. “I think it’s getting late, Ayla.”

I shook my head. “It’s not late, Declan. You’re avoiding my questions. Why? ”

His gaze never wavered from mine, and a chill ran down my spine. “Because I don’t think you’ll like the answers.”

So many things ran through my mind. What kind of answers would I not like? Judging by the turmoiled expression on his face, it had to be something bad. Did he go through a nasty divorce? Did he just get out of prison? I tried to think of other things, but nothing came to mind. All I knew was that he didn’t want to talk about his life. But why? I wanted to know.

“How do you know?” I countered.

Declan chuckled but there was no humor to it. “I just do, Ayla. My past is not a pleasant one. There’s a lot that’s screwed up in my life.”

He stared right into my eyes, and I couldn’t look away. I didn’t know what to say, but I did know that he was keeping something inside of him that needed to be let out.

I stepped closer to him, hoping he could hear the sincerity in my voice. “I’m here if you ever want to talk. Sometimes, that’s all you need.”

Declan’s shoulders relaxed, but only slightly. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He looked at me for another split second and then turned to head home. “Good night, Ayla. ”

“Good night,” I called out, watching him disappear behind the fence.

Declan underestimated me. I wasn’t scared of anything he could possibly tell me about his past. I may be from a small town, but that didn’t make me na?ve. I knew the kind of world we lived in. However, if there was one thing I did know for certain, it was that I was going to break down Declan’s walls. One way or another, it was going to happen.