Resent, Reject, Regret by Aqua Summers

Chapter 526 Did You Smoke?

Deirdre was all smiles and joy, her tone playful and adorable. But Declan sniped a concerned glance at Kyran and saw an icy visage shadowed by guilt. His eyes were so hollow and devoid of light they could have belonged to a corpse.

“Let me do the honors, Miss McKinnon. Kyran’s a little tired from the drive.”

She stopped, stunned for a moment, and smiled. “Well, I won’t say no to that. Thanks!”

Declan rolled up his sleeves. “Pleasure’s all mine. Working in the kitchen could probably help me sober up.”

He stepped into the kitchen and began looking. He found it easily enough, but as he passed it to Deirdre, she thanked him and asked, “Did you really drink?”

He paused. His smile became a little mechanical. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t smell like you had booze. You smell like cigarettes.”

relief. “No, I drank. The smell probably left on the journey, and then I smoked a cigarette

get the necessity of social events with customers and clients, but I sure hope you’d drink and

Honestly? I don’t even like those

had small talks like that while they worked in the kitchen. Declan helped Deirdre lay it

There was no answer.

the living room and found no sign of him. “The man told me he didn’t have enough rest yesterday, so I

the stairs and said. “Let him rest. We can always reheat dinner later. We’re not in the middle of the summer, so I

two of them had dinner together. It seemed ennui spurred Declan into a conversation machine because he and Deirdre had

quite manage to settle back in Eastgene when it happened, right? Sorry. You had to rush all the way back here because

don’t want to stay in that dump, and you gave me the perfect excuse to hightail out of there. But well… Now is not the time to talk

upon himself. Deirdre got up the stairs, ready to take a break when

to answer the door. As soon as it opened, a smoke wave crashed onto Deirdre’s face, causing her to stiffen.

a little,”

not ‘a little‘. That much Deirdre could tell. The stench was so thick it came not from him but

asked,