“Jay.” Her lower lip wobbles as she throws herself at Jamie. He keeps her at arm’s length as we have a silent conversation with our eyes.
“You need to get dressed and leave, Aoife.” Jay’s icy tone matches mine. “I’ll call you a taxi.”
“No!” She flips her gaze on me. “I’m sorry, Dillon. It was a stupid thing to do. I swear it won’t happen again.”
“You touched me without my permission, Aoife,” I say through gritted teeth. “If any man did what you just did, they’d be arrested. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t call the cops?”
She dissolves into tears, wrapping her arms around herself, repeating “I’m sorry” over and over.
“Get her out of my fucking sight, Jay.”
After he gets rid of her, he returns to my room. “She was way out of line, Dil, and she knows it too.”
“I don’t want her around here anymore. If you still want to fuck her, go to her place, and do it there.”
He nods. “Fair enough.”
“You should cut her loose. She’s trouble.”
“I don’t see much of her anymore, and this is the first night she’s stayed over in weeks.”
“True, but she still hangs around us at gigs, and she’s only going to dig her claws into you more.”
“I’ll let her down gradually. If I go cold turkey, she’s liable to stir up all kinds of shit. Don’t worry about me. I know how to handle Aoife.”
I hope he’s right because I’ve had enough of her shit.
“What was that all about?” I ask Ro when he materializes beside Jay as we’re lining up to go onstage upstairs at Whelans. It’s Paddy’s Day, and the place is packed to the rafters, so it promises to be a good gig.
“As if you don’t know,” Ro snaps in a clipped tone.
Vivien had pulled him aside downstairs just before we left. I’d hoped it was to let Ro down gently. I’m relieved she’s set him straight, but I get no pleasure in seeing him upset. “I didn’t tell her to say anything to you if that’s what you’re implying,” I calmly reply.
The last thing we need is to be at odds right before we’re due to play our set. I’m already a little pissed after my run-in downstairs with Breda. Bitch isn’t listening, and I’m all out of patience. If there’d been time, I would have asked the bouncers to toss her out on her clingy arse. I plan to speak to the manager this week to get her barred. I’ve given her more than enough chances. Her harassment ends now.
“Well, the coast is all clear now, bro. I’ve been friendzoned.” Anger underscores Ro’s words. “You can go fuck her and toss her aside like you planned all along.”
I’m on him in a flash, shoving him up against the wall. “Watch your fucking mouth. Don’t speak about Vivien like that.”
“It’s the truth, and I wish I’d had the balls to tell it to her face, but she’ll learn her lesson the hard way.”
Jay’s sharp gaze bounces between us. He won’t intervene. Not unless there’s a need. This is between my brother and me. “Vivien is different.” I release him with a sigh. “It’s not going to be like that. I like her, and I want more than a quick fuck.”
“For how long, Dil?” He shoves my shoulder as he brushes past me. “Until you’ve fucked whatever you think you’re feeling out of your system I’m guessing.”
“Don’t do this, Ro,” Jay says. “I know you’re pissed, but don’t take it out on your brother just because they like one another. Neither of them did it on purpose to hurt you.”
“I don’t care. You’re the one making a big deal out of this, not me.” He eyeballs Jay for a sec before shrugging as he glances at me, visibly shaking his anger off. “She’s only a girl. Have at it, bro. Plenty more fish in the sea. Am I right?” He’s not convincing any of us, but I’ll roll with it if it keeps the peace. “I’ll have some pretty young thing under me in a few hours. I was never that interested in her anyway.”
It’s lies, and I want to call him out on his disrespect towards Vivien, but this isn’t the place. It’s in all our interests for me to just let it go, so I do.
“Family first, bro.” I lift my hand for a knuckle touch, relieved when he meets me halfway.
“Always.”
“We good?”
“Yeah, bro.”
