Chapter 20 - Whispers of the Past
Later that afternoon, as the crowd began to thin out and the late-afternoon sun cast a golden hue over the lake, Declan walked down toward the private dock at the edge of his property. The wooden boards were warm beneath his bare feet, and the gentle lapping of the water against the pilings provided a soothing background rhythm.
He sat down on the edge of the dock, letting his legs dangle just above the cool water.
A soft crunch of footsteps sounded on the gravel path behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Tessa asked softly, walking out onto the dock and sitting down beside him. She held two cups of iced lemonade, handing one to him.
Declan took the cup, offering a grateful nod. “Just thinking about how strange life is, Tessa. Two years ago, I thought I was living in a nightmare built by my enemies. Then I found out it was a cage built by someone I loved. And now... look at this.”
“You broke the cage, Declan,” Tessa said quietly, looking out across the tranquil expanse of the lake. “Most people would have let the bitterness consume them. You chose to rebuild instead.”
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“I had help,” Declan said, turning to look at her. “You reminded me that human decency still exists in a world full of cynics.”
Tessa smiled, clinking her plastic cup gently against his. “We all need a little reminder sometimes.”
