Page 118 of Since We're Here
Especially not Maddie.
I make eye contact with Oliver, and he makes a drinking motion. I head back to the table with the last two pints. As I settle into my seat, Oliver kicks off a story about a weekend when he and I came up to Dublin while he was in Ireland.
“We drank the whole of Temple Bar, I think, right, Patrick?” Oliver says.
I nod. “It was not pretty.”
“We stumbled back to our hotel room and passed out till noon the next day, then got back in the car to return to Dingle.”
“That was a fecking rough drive.”
“Aye.”
Ethan laughs and tells us about playing rugby outside of Dublin back when he was pro. Rugby’s big here, although Gaelic football—a mashup of rugby and soccer—is popular as well and mainly played in Ireland.
My mind wanders and I pull my mobile back out to text Cormac, who is covering the brewery with my dad and Saoirse on standby. There’s a speck of hope that Sean will come back. The old man stopped by O’Brien’s yesterday and casually asked how things were going at Slea Head. I answered, but he cut the conversation short. I fully intend to stop by his cottage once I’m back in Dingle.
My dad was right. It was best to be patient and wait for him to come to me.
The bar gets more crowded. Stella moves to chat close to Ethan, and Oliver drags me to the bar for shots while Reese and Maddie lean in to whisper and laugh together.
“To Winchester Football Club?” Oliver says.
“To Winchester.” I toss back the clear liquid and suppress a gag. “Feck, did you buy us vodka?”
Oliver laughs. “Aye. You looked like you were falling asleep, so I needed to wake you up.”
“It worked.” I cringe at the aftertaste. I push the empty shot glass toward the bartender.
“You alright? You seem lost in your head.”
“Nah, I’m fine,” I lie and shrug.
Reese saves me by yelling for her fiancé. I’m not sure I can take another person trying to convince me to talk to Maddie. I follow him back to the table, relieved to avoid the conversation with Oliver.
My best friend swoops down and plants his lips on Reese’s mouth, who immediately responds by reaching up and burying her hand in his thick blond curls.
“Aw, that’s disgustingly cute,” Maddie laughs, then looks up at me and stills, as if she’d forgotten I was here. There’s only one chair left at the table, and it’s next to Maddie.
I slowly lower myself into the seat as Oliver whispers something in Reese’s ear and she smiles.
Fine. I’ll talk to Maddie and get Oliver and Saoirse off my back.
“Hey,” I say to Maddie softly, turning my head to look her in the eyes. Maybe if I appear to smooth things over, Oliver will back off. Because that man could get the truth out of me. I’m surprised he hasn’t done so already.
“Hi.” She’s wearing a short dress, the black one she’d wear to work sometimes with a swooping neckline and no sleeves, showing off smooth shoulders. Her dark hair is curtained over her bare arms, and I have the almost irresistible urge to push it back.
Being this close to her is torture. My fingers ache to touch her.
“Since we’re here,” I start, unsure how to continue.
“Since we’re here...” A shadow of a smile crosses her face, and she drinks from her dark pint.
“I don’t want this to be awkward.” Feck, I sound like an arse. “This road trip. Or the wedding.”
“Me neither.”
I nod. “I thought we could be, I don’t know, friendly.”
