Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“You’re the only one who asks me shit like that.”
My hackles rise. “Yes, I know, I’m a nerd who cares about things like that, but—”
“That’s not what I meant. I like that you ask me, even though school is fucking dumb.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.”
“I’m just sayin’, you’re the only one who tries to keep me on track with that stuff. The guys do with other things, Cillian more than the rest, but it makes sense with them. It’s different with you.”
His words bounce around in my head as I try to piece together what he’s saying. “Because I’m with Cillian?”
He shrugs. “Partly, but also because there’s something special about you. Cil sees it, of course, but I do too, only not in the same way.”
My skin prickles with heat, but I try to tamp it down. “Whatever. I know I annoy you.”
“Yes.” He grins. “But only because you want me to make smart decisions, while the rest of them let me fuck off more often.”
We share a laugh.
“But it makes me feel…connected to you, and him…which I need.” My heart thuds against my chest, Rory’s words an echo inside me. “So thanks for that, being cool with it and all, and accepting Cillian unconditionally.”
I do accept Cillian, and strangely, I do understand their relationship, but there’s more to my actions than I think he sees. “I don’t just do it for him,” I admit. “The stuff with you. It’s not only because I’m in love with Cillian. It’s because you matter. I mean, you have been my babysitter more than once.”
He huffs out a laugh. “You suck at teaching chess.”
“You suck at playing chess.”
“That’s because my teacher was shit.” Rory nudges my arm with his. “Thanks, Bunny. I’m glad it’s you for him.”
“I’m glad it is too.” But also… “I’m glad it’s you for him as well…the way you two are.”
We sit there together, the noise from inside muffled through the walls. When the back door opens behind us, I feel a shift in the air and know it’s Cillian.
“Hey,” he says, coming over to sit beside me, pressing me between him and Rory.
“Hey.” I drop my head against Cillian’s shoulder, Rory’s leg pushed against mine.
“You didn’t kidnap him very far,” he tells Rory.
“He’s getting too good at fighting. I was afraid he’d kick my ass if I tried to take him away from you.”
I roll my eyes but appreciate the gesture. “Yeah, right.”
“Come on, Kitten, you’re badass.”
“You have to say that. You’re my boyfriend.”
“I’m not your boyfriend, though. You know it was me who taught your boyfriend to fight.” Rory raises a brow.
“What-the-fuck-ever,” Cillian counters.
“It’s true. We were like six and—”
“Six years old!” I interrupt Rory.
“Mob years are double, so that really made us twelve,” Cillian explains.
“That’s not much better.” I shouldn’t be surprised at anything they tell me anymore.
“Anyway,” Rory continues, “there was this guy who used to come around back then…what the fuck was his name?”
“Fucking Ernie,” Cillian replies, and they both laugh.
“He was an ugly motherfucker. Real asshole. My dad eventually killed him.”
I gulp, pretending I didn’t hear that as Rory continues.
“He had a kid who was the same—Ivan. He was ten, I think, and he used to always break our shit.”
“All of you?”
“No,” Cillian says. “Just mine and Ror’s. Everyone has always known not to fuck with T.”
“The little shit would always deny it, but he did it on purpose, did it because he wanted to be close to Tiernan. He’d try and get us in trouble too. I used to have these model planes. My mom would make them for me, and he broke one of them. Cil lost his shit and attacked him. Got his ass kicked. Unlike me, he’d never been in a fight before.”
“And you had? At six!” Jesus, these boys and their life.
“He’s always been our wild one,” Cillian says with a smile. “But in my defense, my mom was really protective and shit back then.”
“You don’t have to defend yourself for not having beat someone up in kindergarten, Cil.” I pat his knee. “Also, I love you for trying to fight someone four years older than you for your friend.” That really is Cillian, though—loyal to the core.
“I’m fucking sweet. I can’t help it.”
“Shh. Let me finish my story,” Rory complains. “So the next time, we went after him together. Our little asses jumped him and beat the shit out of him, but it was mostly me. I decided after that to teach him what the hell he was doing. You can talk now. I’m done.”
Yeah, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around two six-year-olds jumping someone else…and how that was actually their life. On the other hand, I’m oddly touched by the story—the two of them having each other’s back, even back then. “I’m not sure what to tell you other than that’s not the way it should have been for you or to say I respect you for being there for each other.”