Page 49 of Thanks for Coming Along

"I don’t mind," Ronan said with a grin. "You’re amazing with them. It’s obvious how much you care."

He’d been struck by her sincerity. The way her eyes lit up while they talked to her, the soft smile on her face as she listened to their stories—it was clear how much she genuinely cared.

"Welcome to Thursday night karaoke folks!" a voice announced over a microphone. "The queue is open!" Ronan glanced toward the karaoke setup, spotting an older guy in a flashy, bedazzled shirt holding a microphone. A small crowd had gathered around him, eagerly sorting out their slots. Someone had already launched into a heartfelt—but slightly off-key—rendition of "Don’t Stop Believin’." By the time the chorus hit, the whole bar was shouting along, their voices practically shaking the walls.

"Looks like karaoke night at Whiskey Dick’s is no joke!" Ronan said with a laugh, watching the crowd’s enthusiasm.

Eden turned to him, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "I dare you to go up there, Murphy," she taunted, a beer in her hand as she arched an eyebrow challengingly. Ronan took a deep swig of his beer in reply.What's the worst thing that could happen, Ro?Sadie's voice rang in his head.

"That'll be a cold day in hell," Ronan said faintly with a wry smile. "I'm gonna hit the bathroom," Ronan said as he headed towards the back of the bar.

32

Eden

While a deeply intoxicated man finished his loose interpretation of "A Thousand Miles," Eden applied a coat of lip gloss and checked her text messages. Ingrid had texted asking about the details of her road trip with Ronan, asking if Eden had "rode" Ronan on the road trip. Her best friend had such a way with words. Beck and Sloane had also texted her, asking if she had any updates on the new songs.

She ignored all of her text messages and went to her Instagram. She quickly looked through the pictures Ronan had taken earlier. She wanted to post the photo of Ronan and her but figured that would cause an uproar. Instead, she selected one of the candid photos of her in front of Ronan's motorcycle with a glowing smile and posted it on her Instagram. That was the undeniable effect Ronan had on her. Whenever he was near, it was as if a light shone within her, casting aside any shadows of doubt or worry. She felt illuminated from the inside out.

Usually, she'd run her social media posts through her social media manager, but she decided the picture was innocent enough.

What wasn’t so innocent was the way her whole body seemed to light up whenever she looked at Ronan. It wasn’t just attraction—it was a deep, insistent pull that grew stronger every second they spent together. She wanted to reach out, trace the lines of his face, and feel the warmth of his lips against hers. It wasn’t just a crush; it was a full-blown ache, an unshakable craving that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside her.

Her heart practically shouted for more, greedy and unrelenting. And then there was the way he made her feel—so safe, so completely seen and valued. A wave of warmth swept through her chest, and without even thinking about it, she rubbed the spot over her heart, savoring that feeling.

These feelings were unfamiliar, and they scared her. She’d never felt this way before. Part of her wanted to put up a wall, to protect herself from the risk of getting hurt again. Liam had left her burned, and no matter how much time passed, the scars of that relationship still lingered. But deep down, she knew Ronan was different. He wasn’t like Liam. Ronan was the kind of person you meet once in a lifetime—genuine, thoughtful, and caring to his core.

As much as she tried to keep her guard up, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this time, it was okay to let her heart open up again. But just as quickly as the thought surfaced, she pushed it away. Too much, too fast. She wasn’t ready to go there yet.

Still, her mind kept wandering back to their conversation at the diner, when Ronan had opened up about the accident. The memory of his words, raw and vulnerable, tugged at her chest, replacing the warmth she’d felt with a dull ache. It was like her heart was physically reacting to his pain, trying to carry a piece of the weight for him. She couldn’t fully grasp the depth of what he’d been through, but just thinking about it sent a chill down her spine. It reminded her how strong he had to be to survive it all.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the opening notes of "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band started playing. Shelovedthis song—it always brought her back to summers in Montauk with Ingrid’s family. She and Ingrid would lie on the beach, and Ingrid’s dad, Charles, would play his go-to classic rock playlist. Music had always been a way for Eden to connect with Charles, and he’d introduced her to so many great songs over the years.

Charles' love for classic rock had rubbed off on her, and he had become like a surrogate father to Eden, filling a role her own father had never quite managed. Her dad had always been distant, unpredictable. One wrong word from her, and he'd turn on her with criticism or put her down. But Charles? He was steady. He’d been there for her during her teenage years when her own father had fallen short. Eden always preferred it that way.

A smooth voice sang out the opening lyrics, and a group of people cheered. The voice sounded oddly familiar. Eden's head snapped at the stage, and she saw Ronan on the stage. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Was she hallucinating? She quickly felt her forehead. Maybe she was having a fever dream.

His voice was smooth like butter; she felt like she was melting, goosebumps raised on her arms. Ronan engaged the crowd of patrons by walking across the makeshift stage, which looked like some planks of wood nailed together haphazardly. He pointed to someone cheering him on in the crowd of people.

He grabbed the mic off the stand and started making his way into the audience, stopping in front of a group of rowdy elderly ladies and winking at the group, earning some cheers from the gray-haired ladies. One shouted, "Thank god I just updated my will. I might just drop dead," while she fanned herself with a bar napkin. Eden related ridiculously hard to that lady. She felt like her heart was bursting out of her chest, verging on cardiac arrest.

Ronan had never looked so confident. He was performing without a care in the world. A stark comparison to the man she had met a few weeks ago. He had always had a quiet confidence about him, but this was a blatant display of self-assuredness that was, well,hot.

By the chorus, he had made his way over to Eden. Dropping down in front of her on his haunches, he locked eyes with her. Ronan hit the higher notes effortlessly, his voice smooth and powerful, adding the "ohs" with grace. His gaze was intense and focused as if he was singing just for her.

Eden’s heart skipped a beat as she felt his fingers slowly trail up her outer thigh. The touch sent a shiver through her, awakening every nerve ending with his brazen touch. His fingers slowly traced the hem of her dress from the top of her thigh, down the side, and to the back of her leg. Goosebumps erupted along the trail, and her breath caught in anticipation. His palm glided behind the back of her thighs.

In a swift motion, he scooped one arm beneath the back of her skirt, cradling her with an unexpected lift. The crowd cheered, and she laughed as she wrapped her arm around his neck. He held the mic at her side, and together, they danced through the guitar solo, her smile wide and his laughter filling the air.

"I thought you said hell would freeze over before you would sing karaoke?" She yelled over the background track, laughing loudly.

"You made me like this. You created a monster!" He replied, grinning widely. His eyes danced with happiness, his broad smile contagious. His dimples popped out behind his stubble.

Ronan started singing the verse, "You're the cutest thing that I ever did see." Ronan sang while looking into her eyes, "I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree." He sang while shaking her slightly. She threw her head back and laughed. People were catcalling all over the bar, whooping and laughing at the display. Eden joined the chorus along with the rest of the bar. Ronan placed Eden back in her chair and casually walked back to the stage. As the song ended, Ronan bowed among thunderous applause and whistles.

33

Ronan

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