She was typing for a while, but nothing came through. The screen darkened before my phone flashed again.
Tierney: Thank you. And if I manage to catch you before you do me, I promise to make it painless, too.
I watched her last message, my throat catching. So it had come to that. One of us was finally going to kill the other.
Achilles: May the best person in.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Then
She’d become the belle of the ball seemingly overnight.
The most popular girl at her high school. Hottest cheerleader on the squad. Watching her from the shadows—something he did often once he realized their time together wasn’t nearly enough for him—made him both proud and feral with possessiveness.
Her accent was now so flawlessly American no one could ever guess she’d set foot outside this country before. She’d reached full bloom, and he could finally see who and what she was under the thorns that hid her.
Tierney Callaghan was witty, fashionable, and mysterious but also kindhearted.
He’d watched her stand up to bullies on behalf of the quiet kids, discreetly pay for other people’s lunches, and always speak her mind, even when her opinion differed from the mainstream.
Boys were enamored with her, begging her for a chance. She rejected all of them.
“I have a boyfriend,” she announced proudly each time some poor bastard mustered up the courage to approach her. “He lives in Long Island. You don’t wanna mess with him.”
Achilles knew he was the boyfriend, even though he was still too chickenshit to kiss her. They did everything else, though. He took her to the movies, snuck into her room every night, bought her flowers and gifts, and listened to her vent for hours. She did his homework for him. Stitched up his wounds and kissed them better. Never judged or berated him for what he did.
She was untouchable. Goddess tier. And under his protection.
One night, she was invited to a house party where she’d gotten drunk. It was the first time he saw her drinking alcohol. It was just two Solo cups, but it made his stomach churn with worry and protectiveness.
He watched from the window, behind manicured bushes, as she gobbled up the neon-red liquid, ready to pounce when needed. He wasn’t leaving anything to chance. He’d let her have her fun but keep her safe in the process.
Eventually, at eleven, the host announced she didn’t want to get in trouble and sent everyone home. Tierney staggered on her too-high heels out the pretty colonial house, zigzagging into the night in her apartment block’s direction.
He stayed four or five paces behind, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket, lowering his head to stay incognito.
They’d texted all night and she promised him Tiernan was going to pick her up, but of course, Tierney being Tierney, she didn’t want to bother her brother.
It was fine by him, though. He never trusted that fucker with her precious life the way he did himself.
They were almost at her building when she turned around sharply out of nowhere and tossed her arms in the air. “Why don’t you kiss me?”
It took him a moment to get his shit together and realize she knew he was following her. And that the part that bothered her wasn’t the fact that he did, but that he still hadn’t kissed her.
Tierney parked a hand on her waist. “Well?”
“I—I—uh.”Very eloquent, Achilles. Great fucking job. Please join the debate club, you verbal wizard, he thought.
“And don’t tell me it’s because you’re not attracted to me.” She stubbed her finger in his face, stepping closer. “Because I see the way your pants tent every time I touch you.” Pause. “Which is A LOT.” Another pause. “God, you’re really bad at social cues, huh?”
He wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. “H—how long have you known I’ve been following you?” he stammered.
“Since the first day I met you?” She stopped herself from snorting incredulously. Something about the warmth in his eyes completely dismantled the frustration she’d built over the months and years against him. “You’re not as discreet as you think, but don’t change the subject.”
He wouldn’t dream of it. He decided early on he’d give her the truth.
He respected and cherished her too much to ever lie to her.
