Page 78 of Mob Saint

“Tay my hen?—”

I laugh. She tries, and I know it’s an honest effort.

“Tay-may-hun-to-ah-fahsu.” Tá mé chun tú a phósadh.

“Tay-may-hune-to-aw-fatoo.”

I don’t want to laugh at her because I don’t want to insult her. But it’s adorable. She’s concentrating so hard.

“Close.”

“I hope—Am I going to practice that?” She stumbles over her words at first, but she grows more confident.

“Tá.” I give her a peck. “Yes.”

We sit in silence before she curls against me, and I hold her tighter. What more is there to say? I’m not proposing yet, and certainly not in the back of a town car. We haven’t even said we love each other. I don’t know if she does. She says she sees herself as my wife and us having children. But can she love me? Will she let herself love me? Maybe a deep affection. Can I live with that? I might have to. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I can. If ever there were a reason to pump the brakes, that would be it.

We’ll leave the topic alone for a while. I think we’ve said everything we should and all we want to at this point.

I hold my girlfriend while I close my eyes. I know she isn’t asleep, but we enjoy the silence. At least for a few minutes, then my phone vibrates in my back pocket.

“Hold on, cailín.” I shift and pull it out. Fortunately, it’s in the pocket that’s on the opposite side from where she’s looking. I can read the text without her seeing the screen.

Cormac

You on your way back yet?

Me

Yeah we left about twenty mins ago

Cormac

How long do you think it’ll take you?

Me

1.5 hrs maybe two what’s up?

Cormac

Kutsenkos called the cops on Mitchell for scalping tickets for the concert last night we just got his call he’s still in lock up

Me

You need me to go down there?

Cormac

Yeah

Me

I need to take Tiera home. I want guys outside her place. Things didn’t go well.

Cormac

How not well?

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