Page 48 of Ruck Me

Chapter14

EOIN

“Hey man, you got a minute?”I asked, sticking my head through Donal’s bedroom door. He’d left it open, but with him, you never knew what you’d find inside. Thankfully he was by himself, lounging on his bed and tossing a tennis ball into theair.

“I’ve got nothing but time,” he said, pushing off the bed and zipping up his fly. “You wanna go grab a pint or something?”

“Nah. Not tonight.”

“You’re no fun anymore.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, you, Tadhg, and Ferg. They’re in the kitchen.”

Donal studied me intently, his typically blithe expression turning stoic. “Is everything okay? You’re not in trouble, areyou?”

“No, nothing like that,” I answered, waving away his concern. “Just come downstairs.”

“I’ll be down in a sec. Let me go wash my hands,” Donal said, motioning his fist back and forth in front of hisdick.

I shook my head and left him to clean up. That was exactly why I’d been nervous going into his room in the first place. I hadn’t caught Donal jacking off this time, but chances were good that if he was in his room alone, he was doing something none of us wanted to see. Again. Because yeah, I’d already learned that lesson the hardway.

Taking the steps two at a time, I made my way into the kitchen. Popping my head in the fridge, I rummaged around for the last of the IPAs I’d bought at the weekend and came away with one for each ofus.

“What’s with the official house meeting?” Ferg asked, taking a pull from his can. “If this is about condoms clogging up the toilets again, that’s not me thistime.”

I shuddered because, again, that was a sight I had wanted to either. “No, you sickfuck.”

“You’re not moving out, are you?” Tadhg asked before shooting a dirty look at Ferg, and then to Donal, who’d just joined us. “Although come to think of it, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to get your own place with these two animals. You can afford it with your contract.”

The truth was, I could afford a place of my own, but with the money I was stashing away to pay my parents back, paired with how high rents were in Dublin, any place I found would be a shit hole. Donal and Ferg’s nasty ass habits aside, I actually liked living with the lads. I always had someone to play video games with, and I never had to cook for just myself. Not to mention that I couldn’t imagine how lonely it’d be living on my own. The only upside would be the privacy, which would be nice for when Aoife was over. But otherwise? No thanks.

“Yeah, I’m not moving out,” I answered, taking another swig of my beer. “I wanted to talk about why I haven’t been going out asmuch.”

“And why you haven’t been getting laid,” Donal added—unhelpfully.

“Yeah, what’s up with that? You’ve not been yourself for weeksnow.”

Tadhg smacked Ferg in the back of the head. “Quit interrupting and he mightsay.”

“Shit!” Ferg cried. “I was just asking a question.”

Before I knew it, Ferg had Tadhg in a headlock. I sat back and finished drinking my beer, waiting for them to either get bored or tire themselves out. After several minutes, Tadhg pushed Ferg away and they turned, ready to pay attention.

“You were saying?” Donal asked, hopping up on the counter as he shoved a carrot in his mouth.

“Right,” I said, throwing the empty beer in the garbage and rubbing my hands on my thighs. I told myself the moisture coating them was condensation from the bottle and not from nerves. I don’t get nervous, I reminded myself. “The reason I haven’t been going out with you guys and hooking up with randos is because I’m seeing someone.”

Donal’s head jerked back in surprise. “Youare?”

“Yeah,” I answered, my heartbeat kicking up. “You knowher.”

Tadhg and Donal exchanged a look of confusion and Ferg said, “But we haven’t seen you with anyone.”

“You have. Friday night, after the match. At Maloney’s.”

Donal’s eyebrows furrowed for a quick second but then his face went blank. “You’re fucking Aoife, aren’tyou?”

I hopped onto the counter opposite him. “Actually, I’mnot.”

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