Secrets leaks

Chapter forty-six
Jayde
I stare eyes gone wide with surprise and everything at Declan. What the fuck is he doing here? And why was he so close to the manager's door?
I hope he wasn't eavesdropping? No, that can't be, right?
Declan continues to watch me, his expression seems to read shock. Fear gripped me as realization dawned on me.
Declan must have heard everything I told Ruth.
God! This is a disaster! What should I do?
Should I tell him the truth or lie about it? But if I lie, he wouldn't take it seeing he heard the whole conversation.
But I could lie about knowing him. I could say I'm Hattie and I've never seen him before.
What am I saying? Declan is popular and so is Hattie. How am I sure these two haven't me?
Gosh, my heart is breathing so loud that I'm scared he has seen through my lies. Just what should I do?
For some moments, he didn't talk. He kept staring at me and I wonder what is going through his mind.
Will he tell his friends about it? Will he inform Henry?
Gosh, that's going to cause a lot of problems. What will the Everetts do about it? Will I have to return the two million dollars? Gosh, I can't stop shivering with fear at the thought of it.
"Hey!" Declan says softly, jerking me out of my thoughts. I look up at him and blink once, "Come after me," he says and starts to walk away.
I'm unable to move, the fact is I'm still contemplating what to do. Should I follow him and explain the circumstances or should I stay back and I pretend I never knew him?
Declan stops a few feet away. He turns back and retraces his steps back to me. He sighs to my face, as if clearly frustrated. He holds my right hand and walks me out of the bar.
My heart made a sudden thud as we walk towards his car. I wonder what he's about to do.
He opens the car, "Get in," he instructs in a voice that left no room for more conversation.
I blink once and almost smile. He and Henry seem the same and they act the same. You can easily guess they are friends.
I enter the car and see him do the same. The moment I shut the door, Henry starts the ignition and drives out of the bar.
"Where are we going?" I decide to ask as he increases the speed of the car. I grip the seat belt for my life, "What the fuck are you doing!" I scream at him, fear etch my voice and my body is still shaking as the way he's driving the car.
I turn to look at him, "Stop the car now Declan! Stop it!"
He pulls over quickly and turns to look at me, "I have, so what's next?"
I blink again, unsure of what he wants me to say.
" Should I call the polices or what? Should I go to the magazine station? Should I do a live record? That the Jayde I have in front of me is the one acting Hattie Everett?"
My heartbeats increase immediately and I fight for it to reduce its complexity. Even my body shakes but I don't know if it's as a result of what we had gone through earlier or because I'm scared of what Declan might do.
"I don't know what you are talking about!" I say but the voice shakes, and I end up stammering. Seriously, I'm really scared.
"Of course," Declan smirked, "You do know what I'm talking about."
I spare him a glance before pulling at the knob to open the door. I discover to my dismay that the door is locked.
I turn to look at Declan, "What the fuck are you doing?"
"What does it seems to you," the smirk was gone from his face. His face now held a dark frown, "I'm trying to save everyone the stress."
"The stress of what? I don't even know what you are talking about," I try to defend myself.
" You don't?" He raise a brow and waited. When I didn't say anything, he starts the car again, "Maybe we can end this once and for all. Then we will tell each other the truth in heaven," he says and starts increasing the accelerator.
My heart jumps to my mouth as I watch him. Does he really mean that? Does he want to kill us?
I have to admit to whatever he wants.
"Hey! Stop the car!" I scream at him and he pulls to a stop immediately.
I try to relax, to stop my heavy breathing.
"So, perhaps you can start by telling me what I want to hear."
I turn to look at him again, " Why are you doing this?"
He blinks once, " Why are you, Hattie? And where is the real Hattie?"
"I don't know," I say angrily. I can feel him tense, his eyes watching me as if he can read through me, " All I know is that she's in the hospital and she's not waking up anytime soon."
His eyes thin and there seems to be a change in his mood, " she's in a coma? When has that been?"
I look away, " I can't really say."
" Wait," he touches my chin and forces me to look at him, " you attended the wedding, right? It was you and not Hattie?"
I nod briefly, " I only did what I was paid to do."
"How much were you paid?" He left me to go now.
I look away quickly, concealing my embarrassment, " One million dollars."
"Seriously? Who paid you to pretend to be Hattie on her wedding day? The Everetts are really something else."
I suck in a breath, " Beatrice and Mercy were the ones that know about it. Mr. Everett only found out some days back, the day I left."
" Oh," he incline his head and thought for a while, " That was why you were missing. I guess Hattie still hasn't woken up, right?"
I nod briefly.
Declan bangs at the car angrily, " If Hattie was sick, they should have let the whole world know about it. It's not something they should be hiding!"
I shift unconsciously beside him. I don't know what is going through his head but he looks so concerned.
"Jayde," he calls softly and I look up at him, "Quit this and go home."
I raise my brows at him as if I can't really interpret what he meant, "Are you saying I should stop being Hattie?"
He eyed me slowly, " That's what I meant."
I shake my head quickly, " No, I can't."
He brings out his phone and presses some buttons, "What's your account number?"
I stare, dumbfounded.
He looks up at me, " Call it."
I did and a message pop up on my phone. I check it and it's a credit alert.
" I just sent you two million dollars, quit this job."
"What?"
He gives me a skeptical look, " Not enough? I gave you times two of what you were offered."
" Why is this so special to you? You are not even close to Hattie or her family."
" But in close to Henry," he screams at once, startling me, " I don't like it when my friends are being deceived."
"I and Henry act like we are on a contractual marriage. And. It's going well. I think I will continue pretending until she wakes up."
" No! You will not!" He says strongly, her voice deeper and scary, "Have you and Henry not kissed?"
I look at him again, unable to say a word. Shock kept me speechless and senseless for a moment.
I've kissed Henry severally. I even instigated it. I mean is that bad?
"How can you kiss him?" He rebuked, "How can you let him kiss you when you are not even his wife! You are not Hattie!" He screams at me.
He's right. I'm not Hattie but sometimes I do forget that whenever I'm near him.
"Quit now before it's too late for you!" He looks at me much longer, " Do you have a way to get home?"
I didn't answer, my mind on everything except him. I try to remember how happy Beatrice, Mercy, and Everett were that day. How would they feel if I back out now?
What about Henry? He knows my house already, won't he come back?
The car starts again. I look up at Declan.
"I will drive you home," he says as he takes a U-turn back to where we were coming from.
Or should I just tell Henry everything? I mean he deserves to know. He deserves to know where his wife is.
God, how do I do this now? I'm so damn confused.
My phone rings suddenly, its noise startling me for a second. I glanced at the screen and it was henry.
Then, I remember I said I would message him but I forgot to.
I look up at Declan and catch him staring at the phone.