Page 122 of Vengeful Vows

“That young?”

“Everything feels so big when you’re young, you know?”

I nod, but I’m not altogether sure I know what he means. Seems like things have always been big for me, but my mother used to always say that I was a sensitive one.

I fly off the handle when I’m angry, drown in despair when I’m sad. Which is why being in love has been such a roller coaster for me.

“Everything feels big now.”

“You love her?” Cillian leans back in his seat, looking at me.

“Fuck. Yeah.” I chug down the rest of my glass of whiskey, and the world tilts on its axis.

Finally.

Maybe I’m on the verge of a blackout so I can forget this whole, awful day.

The next thing I know, I’m in a car on the way home, trying to look out of the window so I don’t throw up.

“You all right, boss?” somebody, maybe Sean, asks.

“Fine," I slur, but when I try to get out of the car, I nearly fall flat on my face.

Sean—it is Sean, I can tell even through my swimming vision—all but carries me into the house, making it as far as the couch before he drops me.

I bounce on the couch, and I’m out before my head even hits the cushion.

I wake up to someone standing over me, thrusting a glass of water into my hand.

When I look up, I realize that it’s Lara. She’s frowning down at me.

“I see you tied one on last night.”

“What’s it to you?” I mutter, sitting up and putting a hand to my aching head.

“Drink the water.” She pushes the glass of water into my hands, and I drain it.

It does help my head a little.

“What happened with you and Bree? She wouldn’t come out of the bedroom all day.”

“None of your business.”

Lara huffs out a breath, crossing her thin arms over her chest. “This family is my business, Declan, and Bree is a part of that.”

“Is she?” I stumble to my feet, walking into the bathroom, but Lara just follows me, and once I’m done, she’s leaning against the wall outside the bathroom.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“This marriage was forced on us. Forced on her.”

“Maybe, but things have changed since then.”

“No, they haven’t. She’s still a Murphy, and I’m still a Burke.”

“No.” Lara’s voice is raising. She’s clearly mad at me, but my head and my heart hurt too much to care. “She’s a Burke now. She chose to stay.”

I snort. “No, she didn’t.”

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