“Fuck,” he growls.
He steps away to take the call, but not far enough. I hear his side of the conversation from the couch.
“I told you I wouldn’t be available... I don’t care how important it is...”
Pause.
“The Romano deal? ...Damn.”
Longer pause. My stomach drops.
“Did it fall through? Because I had plans... Personal plans.”
I hear the frustration in his voice.
“Have we lost the deal? ...The whole thing? ...How much are we talking?”
Silence.
“Fine. I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Ten o’clock.”
More silence as he listens.
“No, I understand. I’ll be there.”
He hangs up.
I sit very still on the couch, pretending to read. But the words swim on the page.
Did he sacrifice another deal for me? How many more before he resents me?
Cillian returns and runs a hand through his hair. “That was Declan. There’s a meeting tomorrow morning I haveto take.”
I keep my voice carefully neutral. “Okay.”
He sits beside me and pulls me close. “We still have tonight. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”
I nod against him. But the real world has intruded, and I can’t unhear what just happened.
While he showers, I sit on the deck and watch the sun set over the lake.
Another deal. Another hit to the family business. More sacrifice.
All because of me.
We make dinner together again. Both of us are trying to recapture the lightness from before. But there’s a shadow now.
I’m quieter. He notices.
“You okay?”
I shrug. “Sad the weekend is ending.” It’s not a lie, just not the whole truth.
In bed, he makes love to me with an intensity that feels almost desperate. Like he knows I’m slipping away.
I cling to him. Memorize every touch, every sensation.
“I love you,” he says against my throat.
