Page 56 of Ruck Me

Chapter16

AOIFE

Eoin shook me awake.“Wake up baby. It’slate.”

I stretched my arms above my head. “What time isit?”

“After midnight.”

I let out a long groan. “But it’s so snuggly and warmhere.”

“You could always stay the night,” he said, dropping a kiss to my exposedneck.

“Yes, let’s do that,” I answered, rolling onto my side and burrowing down into the covers.

“Your ma’s not going to throw afit?”

“Colleen’s not the boss ofme.”

Eoin chuckled. “Have you told herthat?”

“Yes, many times.”

“And what’s she think ofthat?”

“Eh, you know Colleen,” I replied rolling onto my back with a chuckle of myown.

“Why do you and Declan call her Colleen?”

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see. “After my dad died, she got this notion that she’d be more desirable if men didn’t know she had grown kids. Some garbage she read about finding your inner goddess after fifty.”

With his finger tracing patterns on my arm, he asked, “Is it difficult?”

“Difficulthow?”

“Living with her and having to deal with all that crazy.”

I sighed. “I’m used to it. Besides, I’m hoping to move outsoon.”

Eoin rolled me to face him. “You didn’t say anything.”

“I didn’t exactly get a chance to,” I answered with a laugh. Dragging my finger down his sternum, I continued, “If you recall, I was in a goodmood.”

“I just thought you were happy to seeme.”

I laid a kiss on his exposed skin, and he shivered. “I’m always happy to see you. But yeah, I was excited to tell you I found a place to live. A girl in one of my classes is moving in with her man and her room’s open. I met the other girls today, and I can move in next weekend if I’dlike.”

“And you’re going to?” he asked, his voice rising with excitement. Eoin had been encouraging me to move out of Ballycurra foreons.

I nodded happily. “With the salary from my internship, I can afford my living expenses, and I’ve got the money from when my dad died that I can use toward myrent.”

“And she'll give it to you?” he asked, his voice turning skeptical. My mom’s control over my finances was a continued point of contention between us. He knew Declan gave her money to pay for my schooling but didn’t understand why it didn’t just come to me so I could manage it. Truthfully, I didn’t understand either, but I wasn’t about to rock theboat.

“I haven’t asked her, but technically she can’t keep it from me. It’s been mine since I turned18.”

“Wait, I’m confused. I distinctly recall a conversation where you were moaning about not having enough money to move out on your own, but not wanting to ask Declan for any either.”

I didn’t think either of us would ever forget that conversation—it was the one that’d set us on ourpath.

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