We couldn’t risk outing ourselves, so we both agreed we’d bide our time and wait for Declan to get distracted before attempting to start sneaking around, but the bastard was taking his sweet time. It had been four days, and I was missing Ronan like fucking crazy, horny as shit and in a bad mood.
“Why’d ya not just go down ta the wee pub an’ surprise her?” I asked, my tone rather more clipped and terser than I’d intended it.
“Like a wee feckin’ rom com? Nah,” Declan scoffed. He shifted his weight, the plastic covering the seating squeaking a little.
“Y’gotta do somethin’ ‘cause I don’t mind tellin’ ya y’doin’ me head in hangin’ ‘bout here, like,” I muttered. “Y’know she’s workin’, right? Just saunter on in like the big-headed prick y’are an’ order a drink.”
Declan scowled at me, but I could see the cogs whirring in his mind. When he dug his phone from his pocket to check the time, hope bloomed in my chest.
C’mon, y’feckin’ melter…
He sniffed, and feigning indifference, sat forward. “A wee drink doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Y’comin’?”
“So ya can ditch me as soon as y’see Tess’s wee smiley face f’havin’ ya back here? Nah, y’alright.” I shook my head with a grin. As Declan got up and made his way to the door, I called out. “Oh, an’ good luck, aye?”
Declan cast me a smirk. “Don’t need luck, fella. She’s crazy ‘bout me.”
The door slammed behind him, and I rolled my eyes. “Aye, wee bit o’ humility wouldn’t go amiss either, now,” I muttered under my breath.
As soon as I was sure Declan had taken my advice and wasn’t about to be returning, I texted Ronan. He was at the door ten minutes later.
“Howsagoin’?” I grinned at him, stepping aside to let him climb up into the caravan.
“All the better f’seein’ ya, like,” he replied, keeping his voice low until the door closed behind him.
“Ah, y’missed me, aye?” I teased, dragging him in close.
“Feck off,” he muttered with a smile before pulling me into a kiss.
We’d only been apart a few days, but it felt like it had been a lifetime. My body lit up, every fibre of my being alive just for having Ronan pressed against me. His hands found the hem of my t-shirt and wormed beneath it to stroke my skin. Oh, yeah – he’d missed me, and I knew I’d missed him just as much. When we finally parted, I smiled down at him, trying to pretend like having his hands on me wasn’t making my heart pound.
“‘Fore we get ta fuckin’, how d’ya feel ‘bout gettin’ somethin’ ta eat?” I asked, laughing when Ronan seemed to silently weigh up the pros and cons. “Ah, don’t trouble yourself over it – we can do both, like. I’d be sure ta be makin’ time ta eatandgive ya a goin’ over, no bother.”
Ronan smirked, pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. “A’right, but I’m holdin’ ya t’ that.
“Have I ever let ya down, like?” I teased. “I won’t be forgettin’, believe me. Would just rather build me strength up a bit before we get ta it, aye?”
“A’right, a’right,” Ronan laughed, attempting to squirm away from me. I let him ease away before I grabbed him roughly, wrapping my arms around his middle and turning him around until he had his back to me. I pinned him against one of the kitchen counters, pulse racing and pressed myself into him.
I brought my lips to his ear, murmuring softly. “I’d woken up every single feckin’ mornin’, hard as nails f’ya.” I pushed my groin firmly against his backside. “I won’t be forgettin’anytimesoon, I promise ya.”
When I ground myself against Ronan, he laughed breathlessly. “A’right, I believe ya, like.” He turned his head, looking back at me from the corner of his eye. “What ya fancyin’ ta eat?”
When I cast him a knowing expression, he laughed again, louder this time before shoving me off.
“Y’know what I mean, now. Get ya mind outta the gutter f’a wee minute.”
I smirked. “Just a Maccies, then?”
“Quality.”
About half an hour later, we’d made the short journey out of Appleby to the neighbouring town of Penrith. We were both sitting in the van, under the lone streetlight of the car park, shovelling fries and burgers into our mouths. It was comfortable, neither of us feeling the need to fill the silence with chatter. I rarely felt so at ease with anyone besides Declan. It was jarring, but in the best way.
My phone bleeped in my pocket, vibrating against my thigh, and with a mouth full of burger, I fished it out. Declan’s name was on the screen, and I opened the text message.
DECLAN: Remember the wee cunt of a barman in Tess’s pub? He just had the fucking nerve to call me a pikey to me face. Are ya free?
Clearly my surprise and outrage was written all over my face and I glanced up, noticing Ronan watching me.
