Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
I grinned into the darkness.
We were there because something terrible had happened to Cian’s family. Something terrible was still happening to Cian’s family…but there were still moments of good. Like everyone showing up to the hospital to stand vigil, even though Aoife was back in the ICU with Richie. Pulling out a pack of cards to pass the time and keep everyone awake. My uncle standing watch outside Cian’s childhood home so he could get some rest.
I lay there and listened to Cian’s heartbeat.
Something big was happening. I could feel it. Cian didn’t want me to know—none of the men wanted the women to know—but there was a feeling in the air when shit was about to hit the fan. Sharp looks when they thought we weren’t paying attention. Conversations that cut off the moment we got close. Hypervigilance that was impossible to miss.
It was like they thought we were either naïve or completely clueless.
I ran my thumb over the soft skin at the inside of Cian’s bicep as my expression fell.
In the dark, I finally let the tears come.
It had taken everything in me not to react when I’d seen Aisling’s face. It was a mottled mess of bruises and swelling, the split on her lip red and angry. Someone had done that to her, and I had zero doubt that there were far more telling bruises on the rest of her body. She’d moved like an old woman as Ashley led her from the room, like every movement she made was agonizing.
I’d almost lost it for a moment. It had been the anger and humiliation in her eyes that stopped me. She didn’t want my pity. She didn’t even want my empathy. She wanted me to be as angry as she was. After that, it hadn’t been hard to lock down my expression. I was angry. So angry that my hands had shook with it.
I hoped Cian had killed whoever had done that to her. I also accepted the fact that I’d probably never know if he had.
The front door opened, and my uncle poked his head inside. “He sleepin’?”
“Yeah, he’s out,” I called back softly.
“Good. I’ll be right out here the rest of the night.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll catch some sleep in the mornin’,” Uncle Will said with a grin. “Maybe Molly will tuck me in.”
“Gross.” I blew a raspberry at him. “Go back outside.”
Uncle Will laughed as he quietly shut the door again.
I lay there for a long time in the quiet. It seemed crazy that me and Cian hadn’t even been speaking when he left town. How completely ridiculous I’d been. What did it matter if Cian and I had a romantic relationship or not? I mean, of course, I would’ve preferred sex with him. I wasn’t dead. But if all I had was this? Being his best friend? Taking care of him when I could? Being there for him when shit got hard? Sleeping next to him once in a while? I’d take that. It wasn’t less, it was just different than what I’d hoped.
I loved him and I didn’t want to be without him. I’d just have to change my expectations.
At some point I drifted off to sleep, because when I opened my eyes again, sunlight was drifting through the window and a tiny nose was just a couple of inches from mine. Dark brown eyes with long lashes blinked at me.
“Uncle’s got a girl sleepin’ on the couch!” Sean yelled in my face.
Cian jerked in surprise. “Christ, Seanie,” he grumbled, catching Sean as he nearly topped off the couch. “Not so loud, bud.”
“You sleepin’?” Sean asked, leaning close to Cian’s face. “You breath stinky.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Cian muttered under his breath.
I snickered, pressing my face against Cian’s side.
“How the hell did you end up down there?” Cian asked, tipping his head down to look at me.
“No idea, but I hope you’re wearing deodorant,” I joked, wiggling my head back and forth. Somehow I was wedged into his armpit.
He leaned down and sniffed. “Think you’re good,” he said roughly. “All I can smell is your shampoo.”
“Thank God.”
He dropped his arm down until it covered half of my face.
“Hey,” I complained.
Without warning, Cian shot up, twisting as he went so that his feet landed by the side of the couch.
“Oof,” I grunted, my entire body jolting on the cushions.
“Your uncle still outside?”
“He said he was staying until you woke up,” I called as Cian rose and stomped toward the front door.
“Why the hell did you let me sleep so long?” Cian asked, throwing open the front door.
“Good morning to you, too.”
That wasn’t Uncle Will. At some point, my dad must’ve taken his place.
“Hi, Dad,” I called out, waving my arm in the air.
“Mornin’, Princess,” he called back.
“This isn’t the fucking Waltons,” Aisling bitched as she came down the stairs.