Page 42 of Accidental Irish Daddy

This was just fucking. That’s all. The culmination of pent-up sexual tension between us.

I get up and out of bed and walk to the adjoining bathroom to relieve myself.

In my solitude, I start to feel the heavy weight of what I’ve done. This shouldn’t have happened. No matter how attracted I am to him…I shouldn’t have let myself go like this.

What was I thinking?

I flush, wash my hands, and regard myself in the mirror. Mussed red hair and smeared makeup. The bruises on my face and body from Liam’s attack are mostly gone now. Just yellowish hints at my past trauma.

I need to go back to how things were. Maybe I should consider moving out, even. I don’t know.

I walk back into the bedroom, and he’s awake, sitting on the edge of the bed with the blanket covering him.

“We should probably talk about what just happened.”

I stiffen, then walk over to where my dress is on the floor. “Let’s not.” I start putting it back on. “I’d much rather prefer to pretend nothing happened.”

He doesn’t say anything at first.

He sighs and speaks in a matter-of-fact tone, “I suppose you’re right. This is…well, it’s inappropriate, at least. We should still talk about your second place of employment.”

I look over at him and he’s looking at me now with something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. There’s no anger in his eyes as he looks at me.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I say to him. “I have to earn money for my sister—”

“Five years,” he says and that silences me. “You asked how long I’ve been sober. It’s been five years. When I was drinking and doing drugs, one of the primary places I enjoyed partaking in that behavior was in gentlemen’s clubs. Just being there tonight brought up terrible memories for me.”

I don’t know what to say to this, so I say nothing.

He goes on.

“I’m not trying to control your life, Aisling. But you have to understand that the world that you go to every night…I can’t abide it. I can’t be around it in any way or any sense. As long as you work there, you cannot work for me. That’s the bottom line.”

I don’t know what to say to that or how to respond. Nursing is what I’ve been trying to get to this entire time and working for Mr. Duncan and his mother has been a dream. I don’t want to lose this job because I have to make more money…

“That’s an impossible choice you’re asking me to make,” I say to him. “I love working for you and I love this job…but Bridget…if I don’t dance, I won’t have enough money to care for her or to get a place of my own. I can’t give it up.”

He takes that in for a second. Then he shakes his head. “You’re right. This is an impossible choice. But you’ve got to make it.”

This isn’t fair. He’s asking me to choose between my career and my sister and that’s just not something I’m willing to do. I’ve never been willing to do it. I turn to answer him when his phone buzzes from somewhere under the pile of clothes. He gets up and walks over to his pants on the floor, retrieving his phone.

“Hello?” He pauses, listening to the caller. Suddenly, the calm and serene look on his face changes. “Whoa, slow down. What happened?”

I’m on alert now. All I can think about is Bridget…and Liam.

Oh, no. What if he’s found out where we are?

“Okay, okay. You did the right thing. We’ll meet you at the hospital.”

He stands up and starts putting his clothes on. “What’s going on?”

“It’s my ma,” he says, “Martha found her passed out on the floor. When she tried to help her up, she started coughing up blood—” He stops talking, his voice cracking. His hands areshaking, and he can’t seem to get his shirt buttoned. I step in and help him, buttoning his shirt for him.

“Breathe,” I say to him. “Just take a deep breath with me, all right.” I breathe in and he follows suit.

He closes his eyes for a moment, then says, “Martha alerted my security company. She knows that we work faster than 911 in our area. They’ll be there in a few minutes, so we’ll need to head to the hospital as soon as we can.”

I nod. “Okay. I’ll drive.”

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