Page 47 of Ruck Me

Words I needed to hear from her own lips, not second-hand from her friend.

“Alright,” I answered with a decisive nod at Tanya. “Do you know Aoife’s schedule the next few days? I don’t want to do this over the phone.”

* * *

I scannedthe throng of students exiting the building, most of them dressed in identical puffy black coats. When I’d almost given up spotting her, Aoife’s pink hair drew my eye like a beacon to a sailor lost at sea. Pushing off the wall, I forced my way through the river of students streaming toward Trinity’s gates until I blocked herpath.

With her eyes trained on the cobbles at her feet, Aoife plowed into me. “Excuse me,” she muttered without lookingup.

“Aoife.”

At the sound of her name, she quit moving and her shoulders lifted on a deep inhale. As she exhaled, she raised weary eyes to mine. “What are you doinghere?”

It hurt to see Aoife drained of her bubbly personality, to know that I was partially responsible for the dull, flat look on her face. I hoped by the end of our conversation some of her sparkle would return. I needed the old Aoife back, the one whose crazy antics had been making me laugh since before I could remember.

I reached out, my hand hovering near hers. “Can I?” I asked, gently raising it for inspection. I traced my finger over the bandage that crisscrossed her palm. “How bad isit?”

“I’ll be fine,” she answered, tugging her hand away and shoving it into her pocket.

“Did you go to the doctor?”

“It’s fine,” she answered, her jaw lifting in determination. “Why are you hereEoin?”

“I want to talk toyou.”

“I don’t think there’s anything left to say,” she said, giving me her profile.

I took a step closer, close enough that I could feel her body heat radiating toward me, even as the frigid December air swirled around us. “Come on baby. Please talk tome.”

“Don’t call me baby,” she answered with an anguished whisper as she fought to control the tremble of her bottomlip.

“Yeah, that’s not happening.” I wrapped my arms around my girl and pulled her close. “You’re mine, Fi. No matter what, you’ll always be my girl.” Aoife squirmed, trying to break free of my embrace. “Just let me hold you for a fucking second.” When her hands shoved against my chest, I gripped her tighter. “Please, Aoife. I needyou.”

All at once she quit fighting, her body going slack. And then I felt it a few quick seconds later: her chest shuddering against my center as her entire shook on asob.

Several people brushed past without sparing us a second glance, while others turned to do a double-take, casting me a withering glare.

“Come on,” I said, scanning the courtyard over her head, “let’s get you out ofhere.”

She nodded, and I pulled her to my side as I guided us toward my car. After buckling her into the passenger seat, I raced around the front and slid into my own. With a backward glance to make sure I wasn’t going to run anyone over, I executed a three-point turn and droveaway.

“Where are we going?”

Glancing her direction, my mouth formed a grim line. “I don’t actually know. I hadn’t planned this far. We can’t go to my place though. Fergus is there.”

“No, that’sfine.”

I reached across the center console and grasped Aoife’s good hand in mine. “They don’t have to know if you don’t want them to. I just want to be with you Fi. The rest we can figure out as itgoes.”

With my eyes half trained on the road, but my focus entirely on her, I waited for her answer.

“No, let’s go to your place. I don’t want to hide anymore. I’m 21 years old. I shouldn’t be skulking around trying to keep my family from knowing who my boyfriend is.” I squeezed her hand as her words squeezed my heart. “I’m not ashamed of you—of us. I just want you to knowthat.”

I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed her open palm. “We’ll figure itout.”

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