Page 61 of Ruck Me

Chapter18

AOIFE

Wrappingmy arms around Eoin's middle, I said, “I want you to go to the Fitzgerald Christmas Eve party with me tomorrow night.”

“I’m already going. My whole familyis.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want you to go with them. I want you to go withme.”

Instead of leaning back into my embrace, he pried my hands loose and stepped away. “You toldhim?”

“Kind of. I mean, yes. Idid.”

“What does thatmean?”

“It means he figured out we’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months already. He saw you getting in my car after the Liverpool match.”

“What did hesay?”

“He said I needed to stay away from you because you are a horny little fuck who’ll break my heart and I told him to mind his own damn business.”

“He saidwhat?”

“He also told me you need to stop acting like a little bitch—" I made air quotes with my fingers "—and show him some respect.” I laughed, the idea that Eoin would ever try to undermine Declan on the pitch or in the locker room too ridiculous to be taken seriously.

Unfortunately, Eoin wasn't laughing with me. Instead, he'd stormed up the stairs, mumbling something along the way about kicking my brother’sass.

Fuck.

Had I completely misjudged the situation? Had Declan told the truth about Eoin? Except that didn’t make any sense—atall.

“Eoin, wait!” I called, stopping to catch my breath on the landing, and then rushing into his room to find him throwing clothes in a duffel bag. “What are you doing?” I asked, my belly dropping to somewhere around my knees. I couldn’t say why, but watching him pack gave me the worst sense of foreboding.

“I’m packing mybag.”

“I can see that, butwhy?”

“Because I’m heading to Ballycurra in the morning.”

I looked at the clock on his nightstand. “It’s only half six. You have plenty of time still.”

He turned to me, an exasperated look on his face. “Unlike you, I don’t like to leave things until the last minute.”

I leaned against the door jamb. “Why do I get the feeling that wasn’t just about packing?”

“Take it however you want,” he mumbled, going back to rummaging through his drawers.

I took a step into his room, and then another until I reached his side. Laying a hand on his shoulders, I said, “Talk to me, please.”

Eoin let out a frustrated sigh and turned to me, his face a mask of detachment. “Do you ever wonder if this is harder than it needs to be? That dating someone shouldn’t be so fucking complicated?”

Oh shit, he’s going to break up with me. The second the thought crossed my mind, my eyes welled with tears.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

You will not cry, Aoife O’Shaughnessy, I scolded myself as I fought to keep my emotions in check. Sliding my hand from his shoulder, I took a few steps back until my legs hit the bed and I collapsed onto his mattress.

“I honestly don’t know,” I answered. “I’ve never dated anyone before, remember?”

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