Page 31 of Ronan
She flips him off before she grabs her purse. “Oh, I’m not going home. I’m gonna go hang out with my friends, and maybe I’ll just fuck them all while I’m there. Even the girls!” Her middle finger comes up again, then disappears as she slams the door behind her.
“Fuck!” he bellows, pacing back and forth like he’s trying to fight the urge to chase after her. “What the fuck was that?”
“She didn’t mean it,” Atley whispers to me. “Tell him she didn’t mean it.”
“Are you saying she didn’t fuck him?” I ask, turning to see her and the panic in her eyes.
“Oh, she meant that. But she also meant that it didn’t mean anything to her and she’s not interested in him. The part she didn’t mean was about fucking all of them... even the girls. She loves you, Orion.”
“Pfft, love? Does any of this look like love? It’s not supposed to look like this.” He gestures to himself and the door. “It’s supposed to look like that.”
He points at her hiding behind me and me protectively in front of her, and I completely freeze.
Atley moves her hand to the back of my arm and peeks around further, stepping nextto me. “I’m sorry, Orion. You’re right. You deserve better.”
Yet she sounds almost devastated, and I can’t for the life of me think of why. They were toxic as hell, and now they can move on and find someone that actually makes them happy.
“I don’t know what I deserve, but I know there’s a woman out there that’s made for what I need. There has to be, because Emma’s not it. You women say you want a man that’s obsessed with you, and then shame the fuck out of us when we match that energy. Why?”
I open my mouth to try and defend her simply because I don’t like his tone, but the nosey part of me wants to hear how she answers it. So I wait.
She sighs, looking between us both. “It has to be right. Yes, we want someone to be obsessed with us. Everyone does. Someone having that much devotion for you, that much passion... why wouldn’t you want it? But we have to be obsessed too. If I ever figure out who Nightbreed is, he’s probably going to have to file a restraining order against me to keep me away. Emma... isn’t obsessed with you. She’s obsessed withherself, and she’s obsessed with attention. She always has been.”
Nodding, his fists clench at his sides as he lets her words sink in. “Guess that saying goes both ways, huh? If she wanted to, she would.” His gaze flicks between us. “And Nightbreed is a lucky dude if he has that level of devotion from you already. Hope he doesn’t fuck it up.”
He must be, because she’s been here flirting with me all night while claiming to be obsessed with him. What the hell am I supposed to do about that?
“Well, I’m not very hopeful,” she says firmly. “I don’t think he’ll ever trust me enough to tell me who he really is.”
“His loss then.” He meets my gaze for a split second before moving on. “I don’t know. Maybe dating just isn’t for me. I’ve been wanting to go work at St. Andrew’s anyway.”
Well, if he has any shot at finding a woman who can handle him, she’ll be there.
“You should,” Atley agrees. “Have some fun, and who knows. You might meet someone who gives you everything you’ve always wanted.”
“Maybe. Nights ruined and I didn’t even get a buzz. Are you staying the night here with Ronan?”
Good question, bro.
Her cheeks flush a little more. “I... should go home. I don’t want to intrude.”
You’d never intrude on me, but I need you to go home, baby sister. I won’t survive not taking you tonight.
“I think I’m going to go to bed,” I force out, hating the way her face falls.
“I can take her,” Orion offers, and I immediately shake my head to say I’ll do it — she just beats me to a response.
“Thank you. It was rude of her to leave without me.”
“It was. I can take you home, Atley,” I offer, but Orion shakes his head and nods toward the door. “I’m going that way anyway, there’s a dorm party I want to go to. You go to bed, old man.”
I’m going to stab him.
On second thought, it’ll stop me from having to double back to get my gear. Maybe he’s doing me a favor.
Atley sets her empty glass down and then rocks up on her toes to kiss the edge of my jaw. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”
Fuck. Stay. Stay for me.
