And If You Ask Me, I Will Stay.

Chapter Seven.

"Let's go on a road trip."

I opened my eyes and sat up some to look at him. "What?" I whispered, my brows pulling together.

Declan sat up as well. "Let's go on a road trip," He repeated. "Just you and me for a few days."

I frowned, even though it was too dark for him to see it.

He must have sensed my hesitation, because he said, "Come on. Think about it; just you and me, no one else. We won't have to worry about anything but just having fun--just being with each other."

My eyes fell to the child that was sound asleep between us. "What about September? We can't just leave her here."

Now it was his turn to hesitate. Since his left hand held mine, he used his right hand to caress September's dark hair. I waited while he thought, watching his hand move back and forth.

"We'll only be gone for a few days," He finally said. "Three at the most. I'm sure December and Nicole wouldn't mind watching her while we're gone."

I bit my lower lip. The idea was terribly tempting. September wasn't the only thing that held me back, though.

"What about Delilah?"

A soft sigh left Declan's lips. I could see the outline of his shoulders rise and fall as he shrugged. "Don't worry about her. Just worry about us."

I chewed on the inside of my lower lip. As badly as I wanted to say yes, I wasn't too sure if I should. Then again, it could be a good chance for us to build a decent, amicable relationship--if not for anyone's sake but September's. I myself was tired of always walking on egg shells around one another.

"Alright," I finally relented. "Let's go on a road trip."

I didn't need any light to see the smile that crossed his face. Declan reached out with his right hand and gently cupped my face and pulled me forward to give me a gentle kiss.

My heart jumped in reaction; I smiled against his lips before he pulled away.

"Get some sleep," He murmured as we laid back down, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "We've got a long day ahead of us."

[---]

The rest of the morning was sufficiently chaotic.

I packed my clothes before we left the bedroom. That way, I would be ready to go after we explained to everyone what we were doing. Just as we'd expected, December and Nicole were certainly surprised with our impromptu plans, but they didn't have an issue with it.

September and Emma, however, were a whole other story.

Declan had insisted on us taking his car, so Nicole had dropped him off at his place on her way to work. So while he was getting what he needed, I was left to deal with the girls.

So far, that wasn't going too well.

I moved about the kitchen to fix breakfast for my daughter and goddaughter, stifling a sigh.

"Why can't I come?" September wailed.

Emma understood the situation a little better, probably because she was older, but that didn't mean she was any happier with her godparents being gone for a while. I grabbed two plates laden with pancakes and placed them on the table. September watched me with a pout, her arms stubbornly crossed.

I released the sigh I'd bitten back earlier and knelt down in front of her.

"I told you, sweetheart," I said patiently, placing a hand on her knee, "Mommy and Daddy just need a few days to themselves."