Paige's POV
"I'm not going."
It's still in the house.
The chain is off. His shoe is already on our wood. One more step and he's inside the home I just told him isn't his.
I look at the boy. Not at Callum.
This is the part where a mother puts a hand on a shoulder and the week starts. I took the chain down. I said Friday. I said yes. All I have to do is send Declan out.
I don't.
I'm not surprised. Declan has always had a mind of his own. What I feel is the tightness I get around Callum. It sat in my chest the whole time we were making that deal. I didn't ask them first. I usually do.
Behind me, the table is still set. Two small plates. Dad's mug. Butter. Jam. Hot bread. Eggs and bacon coming down the hall. On the peg, the school shirt I read an hour ago. Declan. Then a snort, right i
