I glare at my buddy. “You’re happy to push her out after all her support?”
“Of course not.” Jay glares back at me. “I want Ash involved. We all do, but she’d be the first one to agree we need to find an experienced manager to help us navigate any opportunities that might come our way now. She can still be involved in some capacity and in time take on more of an active management role.”
“This is a moot point, and I’m done discussing it without Ash.” I snap my guitar case closed and sling it over my shoulder.
“Fine. Let’s talk to her after our set.” Ro folds his arms and levels me with a challenging stare.
He’s like a dog with a bone since I got the text this morning from a scout for a major US label. The guy asked me to send him the EP and any other demo tapes we have, which I’ve already done. Nothing may come of it, and if something does come of it, I fully trust my sister to negotiate on our behalf. So what if she doesn’t have any record management experience? Aisling O’Donoghue is a rottweiler, and she won’t let anyone pull the wool over our eyes. But it’s not just up to me. We’re not a dictatorship, and it’s looking like I’m in the minority. “Okay.” I jerk my head in acknowledgment. “Let’s go. We don’t want to be late.”
“Where’s Vivien?” I ask as my gaze roams the packed pub looking for Ash’s new best friend.
“She’s not here.”
My scowl is instant along with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “How come?”
“She’s a bit depressed since Audrey left. She said she wasn’t in the mood to come out, and I didn’t push it.” Ash is momentarily jostled to the side by a rowdy group entering the bar. “Hey, watch it, dickheads!” she shouts after them.
Subtly, I slip my foot out, catching the last prick in the leg, smirking when he stumbles forwards, taking a few of his mates down to the floor with him. Fuckers. Ignoring the dicks, I peer deep into my sister’s eyes. “Is she still pissed over whathappened on Paddy’s Day?” Viv filled Ash in before I got the chance to tell her.
“She hasn’t said anything since, but I know she’s worried about being a target for the groupies.”
“I would never let anyone hurt her.”
“I know that, but words aren’t going to prove it to her.” Sympathy splays across her face as she runs her fingers through her short hair. “Viv has dealt with a lot, and it’s only natural she’s cautious.”
“It’s understandable, but I just want a chance to prove it’d be different with me.”
“You really like her, huh?” Ash can’t contain the massive grin spreading across her mouth.
“We’ve got a connection, and I want to see where it goes.”
“Oh my god.” Ash’s eyes light up, and she jumps up and down on the spot, clapping her hands and squealing. “Imagine you get married! She’ll be my sister for real!”
“Steady on, Ash. I haven’t even asked her out yet.”
She grips my arm, beaming up at me. “But you’re going to, right?”
“She’d have to show up for me to ask.”
“I’ll get her here next week. Promise.”
“Don’t get your hopes up, Ash. I like her, but I’m still not relationship material, and marriage and kids are not on the cards for me.” I have considered how Ash will react to everything, and this right here is what I’m afraid of. Ash is already daydreaming about me and Viv together forever, and it only adds to my guilt.
Just not enough to stop my revenge plans.
She’ll get over it in time, and she’ll forgive me. My sister always does.
Ditching my friends after our set—much to their protests—I take the van and head back to our apartment. The idea came to me while I was onstage, and I’m not second-guessing myself. Ciarán said to be myself, and this feels like the right thing, so I’m doing it. Making a pit stop at the local Spar, I grab some Cadbury’s chocolate and a box of Lyon’s teabags for Viv. Briefly, I consider buying her flowers, but it might be overkill, and I don’t want her to feel pressured. I just want to do something that will hopefully make her feel better.
At home, I wash her shirt from the other night and read her article in the Trinity student newspaper as her top dries in the dryer. Vivien is a good writer, and her piece about being an American student in Ireland is eloquent and professional while being personable too.
There’s no denying she’s got a big set of lady balls. It can’t have been easy uprooting her whole life to come here, especially when the person she has grown up with betrayed her so publicly. Her heartbreak has been obvious to see. It only makes me hate my twin even more. How could he have a girl as special as Vivien and throw it all away for someone like Saffron Roberts? Vivien is levels above that man-stealing ho.
Saffron reminds me of Kelly. Last I heard, Cillian is back in Kilcoole with his slut of a wife and their little daughter. He’s studying business at UCD and working nights and weekends for an insurance company doing online customer service. Apparently, they were living in a rented apartment in Stillorgan, but he’s moved back home so they can save for a house. Kelly is working one of the tills in Tesco Greystones, and Mrs. Doyle minds their kid when both parents are working. Doesn’t soundlike a lot of fun to me, but Cill got what he deserves. Thankfully, Ash is fully over him now, and anytime she sees either of them around the town, she holds her head up high and ignores them.
I get up early on Saturday morning and deliver my package to Ciara, the manager on duty, in Viv and Ash’s apartment building. She promises to take it straight up to Vivien. I had considered hand-delivering it, but I didn’t want to make it awkward.
I’m walking back to our place when my phone pings with a text from her.
