Page 181 of Dirty Eoin

Jessie would have been one hundred miles an hour. As much as I love her, I’m in no fit state to handle her gregariousness right now.

I link my fingers with Eoin’s. It’s then I notice that he’s removed his wedding ring. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Disappointed, I guess. That he discarded it so quickly. But we’re no longer married, so why would he continue to wear it?

I glance down at my own hand, both of mine still firmly in place.

Two little bands signifying a promise of the vows I’d taken. I upheld them with Ace. With Eoin?

I let him down in every way because I didn’t even try.

CHAPTERFIFTY-SEVEN

DYLAN

New York Presbyterian Hospital

“How is he?”

Tim smiles warmly at me from behind his desk. He’s already been signed up as part of the Duster emergency medical team to work alongside Dr. Kelly in the future.

“He’ll be just fine. Jaine was with him when it happened. She had him here in record time.”

I frown. “What were he and Jaine doing together?”

Tim’s wearing a look I know well. It’s a sheepish one that says he’s riddled with guilt because he kept a secret that maybe he shouldn’t have. It’s difficult not to recognize it when you’ve been seeing it reflected in the mirror for years.

“Spill, Tim.”

* * *

I watchJaine as she comes back from the restroom. Eoin’s still out for the count having slept all night because of the anesthetic, while she’s not slept a wink.

She looks royally fucked.

I can’t help but smile at the sight of her in my wife’s clothes. Jessie is at least three inches taller than Jaine, and even though she’s slim, Jaine is borderline skinny.

I frown inwardly. Seeing her as often as I do, I’ve stopped looking so closely at her these days. She’s lost a lot of weight.

What she’s gone through in the past year would have destroyed most people, but here she is, still trucking on and putting others first as she’s always done, even to the detriment of her own health and well-being.

Who I now know to be my big brother’s very own Florence Nightingale then retakes her seat at his bed. A bedside that she didn’t let on to the rest of us that she spent five full nights at while he lay in a coma. A bedside she’s just added a sixth night to.

All so he was never alone.

“I’m sure Tim can find you somewhere to have a lie-down, Jaine,” I urge gently.

“I’m not leaving him.”

She sounds exhausted. I watch as she links her hand through his once more. I’ll bet as soon as he gives any indication that he’s waking up, she’ll remove it and leave. She’ll pretend that she’s never been here. That she didn’t care enough to even visit.

And he’ll be none the wiser, just like he wasn’t last time.

She loves him and he doesn’t even know. And she doesn’t know that I know.

When she figures it out, she’ll expect me to keep quiet like I’ve done with everything else.

I’ll bide my time, but I won’t. Not this time.

I’m partially to blame for this mess. In part because I encouraged Eoin to push the annulment through, but also because I knew the reason Jaine wouldn’t or couldn’t commit to him.

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