anything that’s not black and white, what you don’t get.” He stared Declan down. “I don’t know if this deal with the Marines is gonna help you with that or make it worse, but there was no sense in her handling you right now.”
“Right,” Declan said.
“Right, then. My ‘take’ is back in place until I say otherwise. I will kick your ass, somehow, someway, if you break it again.” He grinned when Declan glared. “What? I know people.” He lifted his brow. “You can’t fight us all.”
“Depends on what we’re fighting about,” Declan said, tossing his bag in the back of his own truck then making his way to the passenger side of Nolan’s and slamming the door shut.
He was pissed because Nolan was right and he was pissed that he would need someone like Nolan, who knew him better than his own self, to tell him when he was right for his rose.
When Nolan finally got in they made their rounds, telling everyone bye, which sucked because even when Nolan was staring his grandmother in the eye, he made no effort to discount the assumption he was going anywhere but with Declan.
Nash Rawlings, their grandfather, had the same knowing remarks, doors wide open for Nolan to fess up, but he didn’t. However, Nolan had no issue taking the extra cash Nash slid in his hand.
On the way back to their place hours later Declan spouted, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have all your money on you.”
“Gotta account,” he said, reaching over and tapping the glove box and handing Declan a stack of deposit slips. “You know, in case you want to contribute to the ‘free love’ tour.”
“Contribute? I’m your only sponsor.”
“You’re my only aware sponsor,” Nolan said, pointing at him.
“I don’t like it. I got a bad feeling.”
“I know you’re going to miss me because I’m adorable, but there comes a time when you’re gonna have to walk your own path,” Nolan teased in the most sarcastic tone he could manage.
“It’s more than that and you know it. The whole time I’m home after camp is going to be a shit storm because everyone is going to give me hell about covering for you. We won’t live this down until the day we die.”
“True enough.”
Declan raised his hands in a pissed gesture.
“Relax, they know.”
“I’m sure they do, but that is not the point. The point is you didn’t tell them. And you pushed my loyalty button so I couldn’t and now here we are. All you gotta do is say it, they will give you shit but it’s not like they’re going to stop you.”
“Maybe not, then again maybe somebody might be too convincing about how it would be best for me to stick around, help out this summer, then summer will turn into fall. Shall I go on?” he asked, with a lazy slant of his head to the side.
Declan shook his head and leaned into the door.
“Relax, I wrote a letter. Before you come back through they will be over it.”
“A what?”
“A letter, pen and paper. I know it’s old school, but when I want them to read it I will be nowhere near a plug. I told them why I did it and how I swore you to keep my secret.” Nolan glanced at Declan. “They know you well enough to know you didn’t have much of a choice.”
“If you ain’t gotta plug you’re not going to have a mailbox either,” Declan said, pointing out that he thought it was cowardly for Nolan to not look his dad in the eye, or their grandparents. A phone call would have still been cowardly but at least he would’ve heard the emotion in their voice. A letter? The sentiment was nice, but still. It wasn’t how the Rawlings’ clan rolled.
Nolan had been plotting this deal for years, making plans every time he met someone on a retreat, saving money, mapping out his path which meant for years he plotted to lie to the people he loved the most, and a letter was his solution.
Declan reached in his back pocket and pulled out the mail that came for Nolan that day—that Declan barely hid from their
“Right,” Declan said.
“Right, then. My ‘take’ is back in place until I say otherwise. I will kick your ass, somehow, someway, if you break it again.” He grinned when Declan glared. “What? I know people.” He lifted his brow. “You can’t fight us all.”
“Depends on what we’re fighting about,” Declan said, tossing his bag in the back of his own truck then making his way to the passenger side of Nolan’s and slamming the door shut.
He was pissed because Nolan was right and he was pissed that he would need someone like Nolan, who knew him better than his own self, to tell him when he was right for his rose.
When Nolan finally got in they made their rounds, telling everyone bye, which sucked because even when Nolan was staring his grandmother in the eye, he made no effort to discount the assumption he was going anywhere but with Declan.
Nash Rawlings, their grandfather, had the same knowing remarks, doors wide open for Nolan to fess up, but he didn’t. However, Nolan had no issue taking the extra cash Nash slid in his hand.
On the way back to their place hours later Declan spouted, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have all your money on you.”
“Gotta account,” he said, reaching over and tapping the glove box and handing Declan a stack of deposit slips. “You know, in case you want to contribute to the ‘free love’ tour.”
“Contribute? I’m your only sponsor.”
“You’re my only aware sponsor,” Nolan said, pointing at him.
“I don’t like it. I got a bad feeling.”
“I know you’re going to miss me because I’m adorable, but there comes a time when you’re gonna have to walk your own path,” Nolan teased in the most sarcastic tone he could manage.
“It’s more than that and you know it. The whole time I’m home after camp is going to be a shit storm because everyone is going to give me hell about covering for you. We won’t live this down until the day we die.”
“True enough.”
Declan raised his hands in a pissed gesture.
“Relax, they know.”
“I’m sure they do, but that is not the point. The point is you didn’t tell them. And you pushed my loyalty button so I couldn’t and now here we are. All you gotta do is say it, they will give you shit but it’s not like they’re going to stop you.”
“Maybe not, then again maybe somebody might be too convincing about how it would be best for me to stick around, help out this summer, then summer will turn into fall. Shall I go on?” he asked, with a lazy slant of his head to the side.
Declan shook his head and leaned into the door.
“Relax, I wrote a letter. Before you come back through they will be over it.”
“A what?”
“A letter, pen and paper. I know it’s old school, but when I want them to read it I will be nowhere near a plug. I told them why I did it and how I swore you to keep my secret.” Nolan glanced at Declan. “They know you well enough to know you didn’t have much of a choice.”
“If you ain’t gotta plug you’re not going to have a mailbox either,” Declan said, pointing out that he thought it was cowardly for Nolan to not look his dad in the eye, or their grandparents. A phone call would have still been cowardly but at least he would’ve heard the emotion in their voice. A letter? The sentiment was nice, but still. It wasn’t how the Rawlings’ clan rolled.
Nolan had been plotting this deal for years, making plans every time he met someone on a retreat, saving money, mapping out his path which meant for years he plotted to lie to the people he loved the most, and a letter was his solution.
Declan reached in his back pocket and pulled out the mail that came for Nolan that day—that Declan barely hid from their
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