I looked at her, my eyes wide.
“You’ll regret it forever if you don’t. I know you will.”
I knew I would, too.
“I’ve always been so against the possibility, but hearin’ ’im say he is interested changes things.”
Bronagh nodded in agreement.
“Do you think he’d go slow?” I questioned. “With me ma bein’ sick, and me da bein’ a lyin’ bastard, I can’t take a full-on relationship right now. I’m not emotionally stable enough for that.”
“Babe, Damien will move at a snail’s pace if it means he has a chance with you.”
A ghost of a smile graced my lips.
“I’ll ... I’ll talk to ’im about it.”
Bronagh squealed and clapped her hands together merrily like a performing seal, and it made me laugh. Both of our gazes shot to the door when it suddenly opened and in walked Damien with a babbling Georgie in his arms. I sat up straight and quickly rubbed my cheeks to make sure there were no remaining tears.
“This little beauty just got home, and I think she is hungry.”
Bronagh got up and moved over to the fridge where she removed a tupperware box, then took off the lid and put it in the microwave.
“I blended this up for ’er this mornin’. Will you put ’er in ’er high chair?”
“You got it.”
Damien moved over towards the back door where Georgie’s high chair was located, and the longer I stared at him, fixing her into the chair and tightening the straps around her, the more nervous I became about speaking to him.
“Dame.”
He glanced at me, his grey eyes looking almost silver in the light. His black eye made my stomach tighten, and I didn't know why because it was only a bruise. There was something wrong with me for finding him ruggedly sexy because of it.
“Hmm?”
“Can we talk ... later?”
He stilled. “Talk?”
I nodded. “Later.”
He blinked a couple of times, then he slowly bobbed his head.
“Thanks,” I said, exhaling a breath.
Damien cleared his throat, then he turned to Bronagh, and for some reason, I knew whatever he was about to say was to take away the apprehension that had suddenly filled the room.
“Dominic said you were making pizza for dinner.”
Bronagh glanced at him as she removed Georgie’s dinner from the microwave and tasted it. “I am.”
He glanced around, before focusing back on her.
“I don’t smell anythin’.”
I snapped my attention to Bronagh’s, and I watched as her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
“I have to go to Dunnes and get the pizzas before I can cook them. It’s still early.”
“Ah,” he grunted. “So, there’ll be no food until later.”
“I’d watch meself, if I were you.”
Damien blinked at Bronagh. “What’d I do?”
“You’re gettin’ too big for your boots, askin’ caveman questions,” I answered on my friend’s behalf. “That’s what you’re doin’.”
Bronagh snapped her fingers when I finished speaking and said, “Exactly.”
“Caveman?” Damien grinned. “If I put my foot down, does that mean you’ll make me a sandwich?”
I rested my chin in my palms, watching the scene unfold before me with great amusement.
“One more word,” Bronagh warned Damien with a dangerous wag of her finger. “One more word, and I won’t hesitate to strangle you.”
“Strangle me?” He raised a brow. “Can you even reach my neck?”
“You’re a prime example!” Bronagh hissed, her hands flying to her hips.
“Of what?”
“Of a tall person bein’ a feckin’ arsehole!”
Damien laughed, I snorted, and Bronagh glared. I watched her go back to stirring Georgie’s food, and when she remained quiet for longer than ten seconds, I said, “I thought you were goin’ to strangle ’im if he said one more word? He said ten of them.”
“Jesus, Lana,” Damien scowled, but I knew it was playful. “Sign my death certificate, why don’t you.”
He fled the room the second Bronagh reached for a knife. She snorted as she blew on the pureed food, grabbing a spoon instead.
“Pussy.”
I laughed, then looked at Georgie who was watching her ma, smiling.
“I love ’er so much.”
Bronagh glanced at us and smiled. “Me too.”
“I still can’t believe you have a daughter, and now you’re goin’ to have another baby. When did we get so grown up?”
“Tell me about it.” Bronagh chuckled. “It feels like just yesterday we were eighteen and in school.”
Amen to that.
Bronagh moved over to Georgie and fed her before she threw a fit. We chatted some more about Morgan and the ideas he had for my business; we talked about Branna and wondered which day she’d have her and Ryder’s twins, and we spoke about my ma. Both of us made sure we didn’t bring my da into the conversation for obvious reasons. After Georgie was fed and wiped clean, Bronagh stood.
“I’m goin’ to get some bits for dinner.”
“I’ll come with you,” I said, making a move to stand.
“No,” Bronagh said firmly. “You stay ’ere; Damien will come in once you’re on your own. He might kiss you again.”
I scowled. “Bronagh.”
“You’re not comin’ with me.”
I folded my arms across my chest in annoyance, and it only caused my friend to grin. Knowing she won the argument, Bronagh unstrapped Georgie from her chair and lifted her daughter into her arms, giving her a snuggle.
“I won’t be long.” She winked.
I was left on my own then, and just as I was about to take a sip of my tea, I realised I was being watched. Through the glass sliding door, on the far side of the back garden, hunkered down with his belly on the ground, and his ears standing at attention was Tyson. He was deathly still, and unblinking as he stared at me.
“Stop it,” I called out to him. “Stop starin’ at me. I’m not doin’ anythin’ wrong.”
He didn’t move a muscle or look away from me, and I scowled at him because of it. That bloody dog held a grudge better than anyone I knew. I was notorious for not exactly watching where I walked when I was distracted, and maybe once or twice, or ten times, I stepped on Tyson during his lifetime, if that, but it was always an accident. I’d done it to Storm a few times over the years too, and he never held it against me.
Tyson clearly hadn’t forgiven me, though, or forgotten about what I had done either … he was always watching me, waiting … and it creeped me the hell out. I turned my attention from Tyson to the kitchen doorway when I heard a familiar voice bring a smile to my face.
“You better not have my cup, Ryan!”
Alec slid into the kitchen, his eyes instantly latching onto the cup in my hands. When he saw it wasn’t his prized Harry Potter cup, he relaxed.
“I thought you might be using it.”
“And risk your wrath? Never.”
His lips twitched. “How did your interview with that guy go?”
“Brilliantly,” I exclaimed. “He is goin’ to be a great addition, I know it.”
“Cool.” Alec smiled. “Glad to hear it.”
His eyes dropped to my body then, and I sucked in a breath.
“Alec!”
His eyes moved back to mine, and when he saw how wide they were, he laughed.
“You look hot, but I wasn’t checking you out. I promise.”
I scowled. “What were you doin’ then?”
“Looking for your sketchpad.”
“Me main pad is at home.”
He frowned. “Damn, I wanted to see the portrait of Keela that she said you drew.”
“Have you not seen it?”
“No ... come to think of it, you’re always sketching, but I never actually see what you’re drawing.”
“
Sure, you do,” I answered. “The majority of what I sketch goes up on me website after I’m done and I know you like lookin’ through me site.”
“Yeah,” Alec agreed, “but that’s after you scan it onto your computer and do all your graphic designer magical things to it. Half of the time, what you sketch doesn’t look hand-drawn after you get it the way a client wants.”
I grinned. “Because I’m good at me job.”
“You’re awesome at your job,” he corrected. “What I’m saying is, I want to see your work in person.”
I hesitated. “I’ll bring the pad that had the drawin’ of Keela with me tomorrow, and you can flick through it, okay?”
“Good. I look forward to it.”
I raised my brow when he just openly stared at me.
“What?”
“Will you come up to the bathroom with me?”
“What, why?”
“Dominic said there is something I have to see in the bathroom, and I’m not going up on my own in case whatever it is … is living.”
I got to my feet, laughing.
“C’mon, princess,” I said, leading him out of the room. “I’ll protect you.”
When we reached the bathroom on the first floor, we both pressed our ears against the door, and remained deathly silent. Neither of us heard movement, or a sound of any kind, so I reached for the door handle, and opened it.
Alec decided to become brave as he walked into the bathroom, but he sucked in a sharp breath a second later, and stumbled out of the room. I peeked into the bathroom and screamed when I saw the clown. Alec was already spirinting down the stairs, leaving me to fend for myself.
“You cowardly bastard!” I bellowed after him.
He didn’t stop running.
“I’m sorry,” he shouted as he exited the house. “Don’t judge me!”
I walked into the bathroom, and stared at the pretty terrifying cut out of Pennywise from Stephen King’s horror book, IT, that was chilling in the bathtub. I shook my head and placed my hands on my hips. I looked over my shoulder when side splitting laughter floated up the stairs. When Nico stumbled into the room, I shook my head, and chuckled.
“His soul is probably on its way to be with Jesus right now, I hope you realise that.”
Nico didn’t care, he shook with laughter.
“He told me I couldn’t scare him,” he tittered. “Proved that bitch wrong, didn’t I?”
I left the laughing hyena, and headed outside of the house to find Alec at the end of the garden.
“It’s only a cardboard cut out.”
“It’s evil, and I swear it blinked at me.” Alec clipped, placing his hands on his hips. “I’m gonna kill Dominic.”
I snorted, but looked down when my phone rang in my bag, so I quickly rooted for it. I clicked answer when I saw Gavin's Collins' face flash across the screen.
“I’m not talkin’ to you, Gavin Collins. Do you think I’ve forgotten that you just ignored me pleas to stop Damien and Dante from fightin’ at the garage yesterday?”
“I’m so sorry, but please, I need to talk to you, Alannah! Can I come by? I’m in deep shite.”
The urgency in his tone worried me.
“Are you okay?”
“No,” he answered. “I just found out somethin’ that is goin’ to make me brothers and sister kill me.”
I widened my eyes. “What’d you find out?”
“I’m goin’ to be a da.”
“I need you to explain this to me one more time, Gav.”
Gavin, who was lying face down on my settee, groaned. After he phoned me, I made an excuse to Alec that I had to go, then I all but ran to my car, shouting goodbye to everyone on my way. Alec knew I was on the phone to Gavin because he heard me say his name, and I could only pray that he hadn’t heard Gavin’s declaration because with his big mouth, it’d get back to Aideen before Gavin could tell her the news that she would be an auntie.
“I already told you everythin’ I know,” he said, his voice muffled as he spoke into the settee pillow. “Please, don’t make me tell you everythin’ again.”
“Who is she?”
“Who is who?”
I threw a pillow, smacking him in the back before it fell onto the floor, but he still didn’t move.
“Who is the woman you got pregnant?”
“Oh.” He grunted as he pushed up, then turned and sat on his behind, leaning his head back on the settee. “She’s just someone I was seein’. ’Er name is Kalin, you wouldn’t know ’er. She’s from Kildare.”
I frowned. “You never mentioned goin’ out with anyone.”
“We weren’t goin’ out; we were just—”
“Havin’ sex?”
“Yeah,” he replied, turning his head to look at me. “Kind of like what you and me big brother were doin’.”
I felt my cheeks burn, and Gavin snorted before he turned his head to look at me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I said, wringing my hands together. “I was goin’ to, but I hardly ever see you, and when I did, I’d chicken out … then you found out along with everyone else before I could figure out a way to form the words.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Gavin said. “You don’t need to check in with me when you fuck someone.”
I cringed. “Don’t say it like that.”
Gavin smiled. “Sorry, you don’t need to check in with me when you have sex with someone.”
“That’s better.”
He chuckled, then as if remembering why he was here, he groaned out loud. Again.
“How did this happen?”
I clasped my hands together. “Well, when a man and a woman like each other—”
“Shut up, smartarse.”
I giggled. “Sorry.”
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. My heart went out to him, so I got up and sat next to him, putting my arm around his waist and resting my head on his shoulder.
“We’ll figure this out,” I said, giving him a squeeze. “Have you talked to Kalin? Has she let ye’know anythin’ regardin’ the baby?”
“She’s keepin’ it, and she’s six weeks along. She’s also offered a paternity test to prove the baby is mine, just in case I have any doubts. That’s as much as I know.”
“D’ye?” I pressed. “Have any doubts?”
“At first, loads,” he admitted. “Then I couldn’t remember if I wore a condom or not. We mostly got together at parties, and when we drink at one of the boss’s parties, we drink good. I’ll take the test either way, but Kalin says she’s only ever had sex with me so she knows the baby is mine.”
The boss he referred to was Brandon Daley, Keela’s uncle. I didn’t know exactly what Brandon was involved in, but I knew it wasn’t legal. My friends never spoke about him around me, not even when I asked questions, so I figured they probably had no clue what he was truly into either. Gavin knew, though—not that he would tell me.
From what I personally knew of Mr Daley, I liked. He did a lot of business with the insurance company my da worked for, and he even bought a large canvas painting off me before. I had no idea who purchased the piece until I delivered it to his house. He was a perfect gentleman, and told me he would keep his eye on my website for other pieces that caught his eye.
“You’re an eejit,” I said to Gavin. “A massive one.”
“I know,” he said. “God, I’m so dead.”
“You’re twenty-four,” I reminded him. “I don’t think you can get a hidin’ for gettin’ a girl pregnant.”
Gavin scoffed a laugh. “You don’t know me brothers and sister as well as you think you do if that’s the case.”
“This is your responsibility, not theirs, and if they have somethin’ to say, listen and then tell them to feck off.”
“Can you be with me when I tell them?”
“Me? No. I’d probably die of fear on your behalf. Aideen scares the shite outta me when she’s mad.”
G
avin burst into laughter before he hooked his arm around my shoulder and leaned in, kissing my temple.
“We don’t hang out enough.”
“No,” I agreed when he leaned back against the cushion, pulling me with him. “We don’t, and whose fault is that?”
Gavin noted my tone and sighed. “Don’t start, bear. I’m not in the mood.”
Apart from my parents, Gavin was the only other person who called me bear.
“No, I will start,” I said, annoyed. “How did we go from seein’ each other every day to seein’ each other maybe once or twice a week, if even?”
“I’m busy,” Gavin answered. “Ye’know that.”
“No, I don’t know that ’cause whenever I ask what you’re doin’, you don’t answer me.”
“Ye’know I can’t talk about what I do when I’m with the lads,” Gavin said sternly. “I told you, don’t ask ’cause I’m not talkin’ about it.”
I shook my head. “I think you shouldn’t hang around with people and do God knows what if it’s takin’ you away from your family and friends.”
Gavin frowned at me. “I’m not bein’ takin’ away from you, bear.”
A lump formed in my throat. “What if you’re involved in somethin’ one day, like somethin’ you can’t talk about, and it does take you away?”
His frown deepened, and when he saw my eyes well with tears, his lips parted.
“Please, please, don’t cry.”
Too late.
“I worry about you,” I said, wiping my tears before they had a chance to splash onto my cheeks. “I know you don’t trust me enough to confide in me about things—”
“You’re the first person who popped into me head when Kalin told me she was pregnant.” Gavin cut me off. “Not Aideen, not me brothers, not Bronagh. You, Alannah.”
I snivelled. “I suppose.”
“We’ve been friends a long time, and we’ll always be friends,” Gavin assured me, tugging me closer to him. “Just because I can’t talk about work doesn’t mean I don’t trust you, okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“You’re me girl.” Gavin gave me a squeeze. “If I didn’t love you like a sister, I’d have tried me hand in bein’ your lad a long time ago.”
I shoved him jokingly while making a face of complete disgust.