Page 123 of Not Another Yesterday
“Yeah, because I got so wasted I passed out on a park bench. Some homeless dude woke me at five-thirty, said I was in his favorite spot. So I walked back to Murphy’s, got in my car, and drove home.”
“You passed out on a bench?” Miranda asks, incredulous.
“Yeah.” Ronan shrugs. “Not my proudest moment. But I was trashed,” he says, then turns to me. “Baby, seeing you at Murphy’s that night… fuck, it hurt like a bitch. And then Shane said you and Vada were meeting up with those guys. I just wanted to numb myself.”
I think of what Miranda told me, how Ronan used to sedate himself with meaningless sex when he was hurting.
“Did I think about hooking up with those two chicks? Yeah,” Ronan says, voice low, eyes locked on mine. “But I stood in front of their building with a bottle of Jack in my hand, and all I could think about was you. So I kept walking. Walked until I couldn’t anymore. Sat on a bench. Passed out. Honestly? It’s kind of a miracle I’m alive.”
“Must’ve been a less sleazy part of town,” Shane mutters.
“The universe was looking out for me,” Ronan says. “But no, I didn’t sleep with them.”
“Jesus, you had a shot at a threesome anddidn’ttake it?” Steve asks, eyebrows raised.
“Nope,” Ronan says, flashing my favorite half-smile.
“That’s love right there,” Steve says with a nod.
“Ugh, finally!” Shane groans with the arrival of a loaded plate in front of him. Dinner is served, the kind of hearty, comforting meal that hits the spot after a long day. Once everyone’s plates are cleared, Frank and Penny cut the cake to cheers and laughter, then share their first dance as husband and wife under the soft glow of string lights before the floor opens up to everyone else.
“Which one of my boys is going to willingly embarrass themselves to dance with me?” Saoirse’s voice interrupts the chatter around our table.
Ronan’s hand slides around my waist. “Not me. I’m taken,” he says with a chuckle.
“So am I,” Steve says grumpily, folding his arms in front of his chest.
“Psh, so you’ve been saying, but you have yet to provide evidence to substantiate your claim,” Shane says dryly.
“Ember does sound suspiciously like a made-up name,” Ronan says with a nod.
Steve’s mouth opens, then shuts again. Abruptly, he stands from his chair. “I’ll dance with you, Morai.”
“That’s what I thought,” Ronan mutters with a sly smirk. Steve flips him off while the rest of us laugh.
“Oh, you know what I was thinking? You all should go for a nice trail ride tomorrow,” Saoirse says with a decisive nod before she turns her gaze to me. “You’ve ridden before, right?”
Ronan doesn’t miss a single beat. “Oh, she’s ridden before,” he says, an unmistakable smirk on his face.
“Rony, pretty sure your grandma was talking about horses,” Miranda says nonchalantly.
Saoirse’s gasp is drowned out by the sputtering and snorting laughs from Shane, Tori, and Steve. I just sit there and wait for the skin to melt off my face.
“You two,” Saoirse scolds, her gaze moving between Ronan and Miranda with a huff. “Unbelievable.”
“Sorry, Morai, but you set yourself up for that one,” he laughs. He turns to me, only to brush his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “I’ve always loved how easily your face gives you away.”
Saoirse exhales deeply, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Can’t stay upset with him for long,” she says to me, then hooks her arm under Steve’s, ready to take the dance floor. But not before turning back to us. “Take Cat for a ride, Ronan!”
“Will do,” Ronan says to her with another chuckle.
“Ahorsebackride.” Saoirse shakes her head. “Honestly, Ronan.”
As Saoirse and Steve head for the dance floor, the rest of us linger at the table, the air still filled with laughter. Eventually Shane and Ronan ask Tori and me to dance.
I spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in Ronan’s arms, swaying under the barn’s twinkling lights, and for a moment, everything feels soft and golden—like the universe reallyislooking out for us.
Saturday, May 13th
