I’d lied and covered for her many times when we were teenagers and she wanted to sneak out and meet boys under her brothers’ noses. We could still be friends - and I hoped she wanted that - but from now on, she needed to respect my boundaries. And if that meant I said no to her stupid schemes, she either accepted it or jogged on.
Saoirse: Good. You deserve the best things in life, Ver. My brothers are dickheads, but if they make you happy, I won’t stand in your way.
I rolled my eyes. She still didn’t get it.
Me: We’re all adults. I’m not asking your permission. If we choose to be together, it’s our decision.
Saoirse: I know. And I love you, but seriously, Ronan is a manwhore of the worst kind. Please get tested for literally every fucking STI known to man.
Saoirse: He wasn’t fucking that influencer btw. I DMd her and asked for proof and the bitch blocked me. Lying ho only posted the photo for clout!!!
Of course she had. Girls knew how easy it was to claim they’d fucked Ronan and then brag about it online. Knowing what kind of man he was, very few people would call them out for it.
I tried not to let my jealousy get the better of me. That was all in his past, and besides, I hadn’t yet decided whether we had a future. Conal had done nothing wrong other than treat me like a bird with a broken wing, but I couldn’t let him in without accepting Ronan. They came as a joint package.
A very sexy package.
Saoirse: Can we talk? Like proper talk not message?
I thought about her request. The last time I’d tried to talk to her, she’d slammed a door in my face. Ugh. It was hard to say no to Saoirse. She had been my first proper friend, and despite our problems right now, I still loved her.
Me: OK.
Almost immediately, my phone vibrated with an incoming call.
“Hey ho bag.” The sound of music and laughter told me she wasn’t home. Since Ireland was five hours ahead, she was likely out in a bar or club.
“I’m sorry, Ver. I fucked up,” she slurred in a thick voice. “I miss you.”
“It’s late, Saoirse, I need to sleep.” Now I knew she’d been drinking her apologies didn’t seem quite so sincere. And because of the loud music, I could barely hear her.
“Please, let me talk. I have nobody to talk to about Cian!”
“Cian?” The name meant nothing to me.
“I love him, Ver, but Dec is gonna—” The line went dead. I waited for her to call back, but she didn’t. Knowing her, she’ddropped her phone down the toilet or something equally dumb. That was the kind of stupid shit Saoirse did when wasted.
If it had been anyone else, I’d have panicked, but it was late, and I didn’t have the energy to worry about her. She’d be with friends. They could take care of her. There wasn’t much I could do from the other side of the Atlantic. If this Cian was someone Declan didn’t approve of, well, that was between them. It wasn’t my place to get involved.
When I woke the following morning, nice and early thanks to my messed up circadian rhythms, a new message had appeared on the lock screen. This time, it was Ronan.
He’d been quiet since I left them at the airport. Not a peep. I guessed he’d run out of patience.
Ronan: I’ve bought a Kindle. What should I read?
I snorted as I snuggled down under the comforter. Ronan didn’t read for fun. He spent his spare time in pubs and clubs, drinking and fighting.
Me: Try a John Grisham novel.
Not my thing, but the crime angle might appeal to him.
Ronan: what are you reading?
Me: nothing you’d like.
I was currently half-way through a smutty monster erotic romance.
Conal: What’s the title?
