Page 175 of Dirty Eoin

She’s already confirmed on numerous occasions that she can’t give me her all. Our trying again would simply delay the inevitable.

“And did Paddy give his blessing?” Not that it makes any difference.

“Yes. He did,” Ma replies.

CHAPTERFIFTY-SIX

JAINE

The O’Connell Home, Darling, New York

Time ticks.Time tocks.

Things stay the same. Things change.

From one day to the next, people come, people go.

You never know which thing. You never know which person.

Nothing surprises me anymore. Nothing prepares me either. So, I’ve learned to welcome each new sunrise and appreciate each new day for what it is.

It’s been two weeks since I hand-delivered Eoin a copy of the Decree Absolute. His message was received very loud and clear having been stuck in some sort of telephonic abyss which no doubt resolved itself as soon as he switched on his phone. I’m guessing he discussed the situation with Dylan beforehand. That the verbal ear-bashing I received from his younger sibling in advance was the tag-team back-up that Eoin asked him to perform to let me know that he wanted to move on with his life once and for all.

And so, I let him.

He and Ava haven’t gone official yet, but rumor has it that it’s only a matter of time as they’ve been seen together in all of the usual hot spots our kind frequent, no doubt in advance of any formal announcement being made by both families. I’m also aware that Ava’s introduced him to Leo as someone who may transpire to be more than just a casual business acquaintance.

I know because Leo told me.

Once he was aware that Eoin may have other intentions about his baby sister, he immediately did his digging. He’s now fully aware that he and I share a past, and also that we share a son.

He doesn’t know that Finian is Irish’s boy.

But someone does as that’s still believed to be the reason he was targeted and why my kids and I are still having to reside in the safe space below the O’Connell residence.

Now that I’m no longer married and wearing the Duster brand like some sort of invisible protective shield, it’s my guessing I’ll be expected to stay put for the foreseeable future. At least until the faceless faction becomes known and we figure out who’s been gunning for my eldest.

Hopefully, they’re one in the same.

I can live with this situation. Then again, I have no choice. I have to do everything in my power to protect Fin and JJ.

I refuse to marry Aidan as a Plan B. Not that there’s anything wrong with him, it’s just that I’m not going to be railroaded into marrying anyone else again. From here on in I’ll just be plain Jaine Jones.

Eoin and I are still on speaking terms. We even text on occasion like we did before, but it’s not the same. It never will be. There’s been way too much water under the bridge because I’ve seen both sides of him.

Ditto. Aside from my secret, that is.

We must remain civil as we’re family whether we like it or not. There isn’t anything that’s going to change that.

Did he receive the message I sent from my burner?

Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. I’ll never know because I’ll never ask him.

Maybe one day he’ll see it. If he doesn’t, then that’s God’s will. I truly believe that things happen for a reason. So, I’ve decided to adopt Ace’s way of living. You’ve just got to go with the flow and be grateful that you get to wake up to enjoy just one more sunrise.

Do I still love Eoin? Of course I do. You can’t switch feelings like that off once they’re on. I still love Ace. I still love Irish. Forever. For always.

I let them get on with their lives without me in it. Ace from when I was eighteen to twenty-eight. Irish for almost three years now. The same applies to Eoin.

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