When we pulled up to Maeve’s house, the gate was closed. Ronan pressed the call button hesitantly, but there was no answer. I jumped out of the passenger side and ran around the car, then started pressing the call button repeatedly, like my life depended on it.
Finally, an annoyed voice came through the speaker.
“Callum, you’re not permitted on the premises.”
Joe. One of Cormac’s most trusted employees. I sighed with relief. I could get him to open it.
“Joe, come on, man, it’s urgent. Open up.”
Silence.
I started pushing the call button again as fast as I could, but there was only silence on the other end.
“Fuck!” I yelled, snatching my cell phone from my back pocket and dialing Orin’s number.
“Orin, I’m outside. Let me through the gate, now,” I demanded.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, man,” Orin said, concern in his voice. I heard a door click on the other end of the line, followed by a knock on another door. Then, I heard Maeve’s voice, angry and sharp, cut through the silence. A door slammed again in the background, then Orin’s voice followed. “Be ready, man. She’s breathing fire right now.”
I hung up the phone and heard the gate click open. I ran through toward the front door, nausea and exhaustion fading with the surge of adrenaline.
Maeve swung the front door open and stormed out of it with fury in her eyes. I skidded to a stop and tried to grab her hand, but she stepped back, out of my reach. The rejection sent pain and panic through my chest, and I tried to stay composed.
“Are you out of your fucking mind, Callum?” Maeve yelled at me, and I flinched. She’d never spoken to me like that. “You can’t be here. GOHOME.” Her breathing was ragged, and her face was contorted into a scowl, a mixture of rage and devastation.
“Maeve, listen to me, it’s not—”
“NO!” she yelled, cutting me off. ”I don’t want to hear it. You aren’t supposed to be here,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Joe, who had emerged from somewhere inside the house, a look of wary concern on his face.
She turned back to me. “I don’t want to see you again, Callum. GO!” Each word was like a nail in a coffin, and I was being buried alive.
“Please, Maeve,” I begged, lowering my voice before I said, “Meet me at our spot at nine tonight, okay?”
She didn’t say anything at first, but I saw the confirmation I needed when her eyes finally softened.
“I’ll see you tonight and explain everything, okay?” I said, pleading. “I love you.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and I walked backward to the gate. I made eye contact with Joe as I retreated. The look of concern he’d worn had faded into a dead gaze. It was unnerving. I’d never felt like an enemy amongst these people until that very moment. Shit, I have really fucked up.
I held his gaze until I walked through the gate and jumped into the waiting car. Ronan hadn’t moved from the driver's seat. His expression was tight, and he was looking at me expectantly. I slammed the car door shut, running my fingers through my hair and gripping it until I could feel the sting.
“Take me home,” I demanded. He just stared at me, and I snapped. “Ronan, take me the fuck home now!”
To his credit, Ronan didn’t flinch at my outburst. He silently pulled away from the Collins’ estate and drove the few blocks back home. His driving seemed more erratic on the ride back. I’d clearly pissed him off. He hardly waited for me to close the car door before the tires were screeching and he was off again.
I hauled arse up to my room and scrubbed my skin until I couldn’t feel the ghost of Nessa’s hands on me. I couldn’t remember any of it, but my body seemed to remember. After Ronan told me what happened in the car, the reality of it began to sink in. I used an entire bottle of body wash, and somehow, my loofah was still intact by the time I finished using it.
I got dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. I still had a few hours until I was supposed to meet her, and I was filled with nervous energy. I walked over to my study and looked through the window, trying to catch a glance of her. My heart started thudding furiously. She was sitting on the roof, nestled in the crevice beside her bedroom window, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her cheeks were red from more than the cold. She’d been crying, and I couldn’t comfort her. All of my instincts were pushing me to run to her. But I knew I couldn’t. I had to wait until tonight. So I just stood there, staring at her. After a while, she retreated inside, and I set off for the lake. I didn’t take anyone else with me. It just needed to be us.
I waited for hours.
She never showed.
I sent countless texts and letters.
She never responded.
Chapter 8
