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“No.”

He looked up at me then. “It’s going to be okay, Shan.”

“Which part?” I whispered.

“The Kavanagh part,” he replied.

I exhaled a shaky breath and shook my head. “No, it won’t be.”

Resting his elbows on the table, Joey drummed his fingers together. “Aoife’s pissed with me.”

My head snapped up. “Since when?”

He stared hard at his hands. “Since I fucked everything up.”

My heart sank.

Damn you, Shane Holland…

“She loves you,” I offered, reaching for his hand. “She’ll forgive you, Joe, and you guys will sort it out.”

He shook his head. “Maybe I don’t want her to.”

I frowned. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m a fucking disaster, Shannon.” He pushed his hair back with both hands and exhaled brokenly. “And she deserves better.”

“Are you two broken up?”

He shook his head slowly. “No.”

“Then it’s okay,” I coaxed, desperate to comfort him. “Itwillbe okay.”

Joey shrugged. “I just… I don’t want her to watch me turn into hi—”

A loud sound floated through the air, startling both of us and causing Joey to close his mouth.

Frowning, I patted my leg that was vibrating for a moment before remembering.

His phone.

Shaking, I dragged the phone out of my pocket and stared at the screen. It was a text fromMa.

“Who owns that?” Joey asked, frowning.

“It’s Johnny’s,” I whispered, staring down at the expensive piece of equipment in my hands. “He gave it to me.” I looked at my brother. “It’s a message from his mother.”

“Read it.”

“What?” I gaped at him. “I can’t.”

Joey rolled his eyes. “It’s obviously him.”

“Really?”

Joey gave me a knowing look. “Read the fucking message, Shannon.”

Heart fluttering wildly, I clicked into the message.

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