Page 66 of The Past

I reached across the table, placing my hand over his.“Then tell me.”

His fingers curled around mine, holding tight like he was gathering courage from my touch.He exhaled, then looked up at me, those deep blue eyes filled with something serious.

“I want to talk about our future.”

My heart stuttered.

I’d been so caught up in surviving each day since my father had thrown me out that I hadn’t let myself think too far ahead.But Tommy… he’d clearly been thinking about it.

Immediately my thoughts went to a dark place, my fragile psyche not willing to believe he might be talking about a future with me in it.I was so unsure about what to trust because when yer own parents turned their backs on ye, ye realized that trust was very fragile.I was a mess and so much trouble, and Tommy probably couldn’t wait to get back home and away from—

“Are you all right?”Tommy asked, his forehead creased with worry as he studied me.

My facial expression must have been telling him quite the story, so I forced a small smile.“Yer future.Yes, ye have to go back to Kentucky soon.”

His grip on my hand tightened.“I want you to come with me.”

I blinked, sure I’d misheard him.My head swam and I gripped the edge of my chair.“What?”

Tommy exhaled, shifting in his seat like he wasn’t sure how to say what he needed to.“I want you to come back with me.To Kentucky.”

I gave him a small, startled laugh.“Tommy… I can’t just—”

“Fi, listen to me,” he interrupted, his voice rough with urgency.“I don’t want to leave you here.I don’t want to go back to Kentucky without you.”

My mind spun, struggling to catch up.“But… I can’t just leave.It’s not that simple.”

His hands moved, gripping mine fully, thumbs brushing over my knuckles as he leaned forward.“I know.And I know I’m not sayin’ this the right way, but…” He inhaled deeply.“I love you.”

And that was the moment my entire existence upended.When I knew things would never be the same for me.The world seemed to stop and my heart filled with so much joy, I felt the tears forming.Everything around me—the chatter, the clinking glasses, the warmth of the fire—faded into nothing.

He loved me.

My lips parted, but no words came.

Tommy swallowed, his voice steady but thick with emotion.“And I think you love me too.”

I did.

God help me, I did.

My chest ached with the weight of it, with the sheer force of how true it was, but my tongue was so thick in my mouth I couldn’t get the words out.

But before I could respond, he kept going.“I love you, Fiona.And I want to marry you.”

I gasped in utter shock at this new revelation.“Tommy.”

“I know it’s fast,” he said quickly, reading my face.“I know.But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”Words flew out of his mouth.“We’re young.So what?Will my feelings change a year from now?Five?Ten?Forty?No.”His blue eyes burned into mine.“Let’s do this, Fi.Let’s get married.”

I couldn’t breathe.

This was insane.Reckless.

And yet, my heart was soaring, because I wanted it.I wanted him.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to be reasonable, because this was not a simple matter of just running off to the church.

I exhaled shakily, forcing myself to think past the emotions clawing at my chest.“Tommy… it’s not that easy.Ye have to be twenty-one to get married in Ireland without permission.I’d need both my parents to agree, and ye know that’ll never happen.”

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