“We’ve spoken. Polite, friendly. Nothing more. But it’s there. Still bubblin’ under the surface. I think he feels it too, but he’s keeping a lid on it.”
Avonna bites her lip. “I don’t want to stand in your way either, Linus. This is supposed to be about all of us.”
“You’re not, baby,” I assure. “I wanted to give you the space to know him on your own. If this has a chance in hell in workin’, it has to be three people who want each other completely. Not two pullin’ one in.”
“I want him too.” She rests her cheek against mine. “It’s more than attraction.”
“Oh, I’m aware. I hear it in the songs the two of you are writin’.” I stroke her hair. “Hear it in the way your voices blend. The way he listens to you. It’s not casual.”
I thread my fingers with hers. “I’ve been thinkin’ about something else. Quite a bit, actually.”
Avonna waits. Doesn’t force the issue. She knows me well enough to let the words come when they’re ready.
“This solo thing…” I glance at her. “You’re brilliant. Everyone sees it. You’re gaining more and more traction all the time.”
A small smile tugs at her lips, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“You don’t love being alone up there,” I add carefully. “You never have.”
She exhales with relief. “I’m grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me.”
“I know, baby. You’re humble. You’d rather disappear into the music, not shoulder the performance too.”
She nods, almost imperceptibly.
“My manager brain hasn’t shut off since Belfast,” I admit. “Watchin’ you listen to Fireball. You see things others miss. My God, you understood Liam’s lyrics after one chorus. Understood the fracture underneath and how he holds it back.”
Her brow furrows. She’s listening closely now.
“I heard Koko is leaving.”
Avonna’s expression softens. “Yes. At the end of these shows. He’s spinning, trying to act like he isn’t.”
“I see it. He doesn’t know where to go next. They’ve clawed their way back and now they’re standin’ on the edge of something bigger. They need someone who understands the ins and outs. Who can translate Liam and Padraig without breakin’ what makes them matter.”
Her eyes meet mine. Searching.
“I think you could be their singer,” I finally tell her my idea. “The missin’piece.”
She draws in a breath. Not surprised. More like she’s been waiting to hear it.
“I didn’t want to put it in your head before. This whole thing between us and him is delicate.” I pause, give her space. “If anything’s going to happen with the band, the truth needs to come out. About us. Our marriage. What we want with him. We can’t offer him somethin’ we haven’t defined ourselves.”
Avonna squeezes my hand. “Look, it’s crossed my mind too. There’s a lot of variables. They’re based in the US. We live in Ireland. Padraig. I mean, if the three of us are able to work out a relationship, wouldn’t it be weird? I guess what I’m saying is, this is delicate. I don’t want to force anything.”
“God, I love you for being so sensitive.” I swallow. “The foundation has to be strong enough to hold all of us.”
“When I’m with you, I feel rooted. Known. Loved. When I’m with him—” her voice catches “—I feel sparked. He’s waking up something inside me.”
I don’t flinch. I don’t pull back. I feel the same way about him, too.
Liam has always been a current running beneath my skin. Even when he disappeared and I tried to convince myself I was over him. All this time with Avonna, who fills my cup to overflowing. He’s still here in the spaces between.
“I want this to work so badly,” I admit. “The three of us. Wakin’ up together. Creatin’ a life together. Fuckin’ each other. Comin’ home to each other.”
“We’ve got forty-eight hours before we fly home.” She pulls my shirt up and over my head.
I know what she’s asking.
