Page 53 of The Past

Holding my breath, I crept toward the back entrance after leaning my bike against a tree.Paddy’s lay a few feet away, discarded carelessly on the ground.I winced when the door creaked as I opened it and gently toed off my shoes once inside.My heart hammered so hard, ye’d think I was riding steeplechase.It felt like it would burst out of my chest with every stair up.I paused every step, listening intently, and was rewarded with silence.The house was completely still.

At the top landing, I couldn’t stand the suspense of making my way to my room.I released a shaky breath and darted down the hall, slipping through my door and pressing it closed behind me.My chest rose and fell in rapid bursts, my hands trembling slightly from the rush of adrenaline.

“Where were ye?”

I nearly yelped but managed to muffle it with my hand over my mouth while pressing my other to my chest.“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Siobhan, ye scared the life out of me.”

My sister sat up in my bed and turned on the bedside light.She rubbed her eyes and then took me in.

I just stared back at her.

A knowing grin spread across her face.“Ye were with Tommy, weren’t ye?”

I bit my lip, my cheeks warming as I approached the bed.“I… yes.”

Siobhan let out an excited but muted squeal, launching forward and grabbing my hands.“Oh, tell me everything!Was it everything ye hoped?”

I giggled, dropping onto the bed beside her.“It was… perfect,” I admitted, my voice breathless with the weight of it.“I think… I think I’m in love with him.”

Siobhan’s eyes widened, her grip tightening.“Oh my God, Fiona, that’s so romantic.Yer in a fairy tale.”

I sighed dreamily, flopping onto my back.“I feel like I’m floating.”

Siobhan grinned but then sobered slightly.“Wait a minute… what happened to Brian?Didn’t ye go to the festival with him last night?”

I filled her in on the evening, eliciting more giggles when I told her how Tommy won the prize for me on the first try.But her expression turned serious again.“Da is going to be mad when he finds out.Are ye going to tell him?”

Reality crashed down, unwelcome.I exhaled heavily, rolling onto my side to face her.“I don’t know,” I admitted honestly.“I’m thinkin’ until Da brings it up, I shouldn’t say a word.”

“That won’t last forever.Ye know he’ll find out.”

I swallowed, my stomach twisting.“I know.”

She studied me for a long moment.“And what are ye going to do when he does?”

I hesitated, staring at the ceiling.“I don’t know,” I whispered.“But I’ll handle it when the time comes.”

Siobhan breathed out slowly and squeezed my hand.“Ye’re brave, Fi.”

I wasn’t sure about that.

But I knew when I went to sleep tonight, it would be filled with the memory of Tommy’s arms around me, his whispered promises, his lips on mine.I clung to the hope that somehow, I’d figure it out.

“Don’t make me go back to my room,” Siobhan said with a yawn, snuggling down under the blanket.

I should’ve kicked her out.When she was younger, she’d often sneak into my room when she had bad dreams, but she had a propensity to kick and steal the covers.

Instead, I quickly changed into a nightgown and crawled in beside her, because I loved her and it meant a lot that she was my champion on this new journey.I didn’t know what was coming, but I was afraid it could eventually cause a rift between us if I was forced to make hard choices between Tommy and my family.

I held on to her hand as we drifted off to sleep, cherishing the time we had together.

CHAPTER 18

Tommy

The sun hunghigh in the sky and I couldn’t stop looking upward at it.I’d gotten so used to the normality of gray skies that when the sun did break through at times, it was hypnotizing.

“It’s grand, isn’t it?”Fiona said as she adjusted the bridle on her mare.

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