“It’s a peace offering.” She hops up on the counter beside where I lay my ingredients.
“I don’t want anything from you.” Not if it comes with conditions, which I suspect this does.
“See, that’s the problem.” She runs her bare foot up the side of my leg as I butter two slices of bread.
“Knock that shit off.” There was a time I enjoyed her touch. But not now.
“Please, Dil.” She slides off the counter, plastering her body to my side and pleading with her eyes. “Tell me what I can do to fix things.”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing and crowding me while I’m trying to make a fucking sandwich doesn’t help your case.”
“Babe, come here.” Jay saunters into the kitchen wearing tracksuit bottoms and nothing else. “Let Dillon be.” He whispers in her ear and swats her arse. Aoife turns to look at me before she disappears in the direction of the bedrooms.
“I’m getting a bit sick of her always being around,” I admit as I slice tomatoes.
“What’s up with that?” He leans against the counter and drills me with a look.
“I’m thinking she might have reached her best-before date.”
Jay chuckles. “Harsh, mate.”
I shrug. “She’s getting too clingy for my liking.”
“It’s only ’cause you’re not paying her any attention. Just bang her brains out, and she’ll ease off.”
“I have zero interest in fucking her.” I add cheese and ham to my sandwich and cut it in half.
“Seems like you have zero interest in fucking anyone these days. What’s the story?”
“Just haven’t been feeling it.” I fill the kettle with water to make tea.
“Does this have anything to do with the Yank?”
I swing my gaze to his as I switch the kettle on. “Why would you ask that?”
“I saw the way you were with her that night in Whelans. You couldn’t keep your eyes off her. Even when you had your tongue down Aoife’s throat, your eyes were following Grace.”
Wow, Jay is far more observant than I’ve ever given him credit for. “I’m wary of her and watching out for my sister.”
“If you say so.”
He tosses me a smirk as I snag a mug from the overhead press. Ignoring him, I add a tea bag to the mug and pour in boiling water.
“That was the last time you fucked anyone, right? Aoife said you couldn’t get it up that night. Then the next week, when we were doing her together, you walked off with a limp dick before we even got started. If you’ve got a thing for Grace, it’s cool, mate. No need to hide it.”
“The fuck?” I pin a savage glare on my best mate even though he’s not the one I’m angry at. “Aoife needs to learn there’s a time to open her mouth and a time to fucking shut it,” I snap.
“She shouldn’t have said anything, but she feels threatened by Grace.”
“She’s got to go,” I hiss, dunking my spoon in the mug. “Either claim her as yours or tell her to fuck off. Conor hasn’t screwed her in weeks, and I’m not fucking her again.”
“I’m still having fun with her, but if she bothers you that much, I’ll tell her to take a hike.”
“Just keep her out of my way, Jay,” I say, plating my sandwich. “Make sure she knows the score.”
20
AGE 20
