Page 47 of Wild Irish

His muscles tense, blue eyes suddenly steely, but he doesn’t answer, and I see the answer in the hard lines around his mouth.

“You can’t run from your problems forever. Neither of us can.”

He grunts. “We’ve been doing a good job of it so far.”

I smile softly and touch his face. His scruff is thicker now, almost a full beard. “Whatever he did, you need to forgive him.”

He rolls over on his back with a frustrated sigh. “What he did was unforgivable.”

“He’s your brother–”

“He’s a lying, cheating bastard that couldn’t keep his cock in his pants.” Rolling off the bed, he grabs his clothes and starts to dress.

“Maybe there’s more to the story. Emer said–”

The look he pins me with stops me mid-sentence. “My brother fucked the woman I thought I was in love with. Hard to spin it any other way.”

The woman he was in love with.

I don’t know why his confession bothers me so much, but it does.

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” I sit up, grab the t-shirt and shorts Cillian bought for me at one of our stops, and put them on.

He drags his fingers through his hair and looks out the window.

I find my purse and put my sandals on. “I’ll go get us coffee.”

“No. I’ll go.” His voice is rough and he doesn’t look at me. He cuts me off at the door and slams it shut behind him.

I sit down heavily on the bed, a premonition tugging at the back of my mind.

I hate seeing him upset. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned his brother, but I feel like it’s something that’s holding him back. Like he’s using it as an excuse for not letting go, for not letting himself care about other people.

Or maybe I just want more than he can give. Which is completely selfish, because I’ll be gone soon. Maybe I just want to know that it won’t just be me that will be leaving with a broken heart.

Yeah, selfish.

If I care about him as much as I think I do, then I should be glad it won’t hurt him as much.

Chapter 20

Cillian

God, I’m a fucking idiot, and a goddamn liar. I don’t know why I said that about Molly. I never loved the woman. Hell, looking back, I’m not sure I even liked her. She was just one more person who betrayed me. Sure, it hurt, but not half as much as Owen’s betrayal.

But what hurt even more was seeing the wounded look in Delaney’s eyes just now.

I don’t know what the hell she expected from me, but I know it’s more than I can give. Yet, every day I’m with her I can feel a bit of my defenses being chipped away.

I’ve gotten too damn attached. Hell, last night when we were together, I almost asked her to stay.

It’s insane.

My entire life, I’ve steeled my emotions from people, knowing that, given the chance, everyone, especially the people closest to you, will leave, or worse, betray you. My brother’s actions didn’t convince me; they only confirmed what I already knew.

But now, I’m falling for a woman who lives on the other side of the ocean. Knowing full fucking well that she will leave.

I know I can’t ask her to stay unless I’m willing to give her everything. And I’m just not convinced I’m ready. Hell, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for the things Delaney wants, or for the things she deserves.

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