Page 61 of Wild Irish

It’s a world that’s far different from mine, or the one I spent a month with him in. I don’t belong here. I can’t just be another screaming fan to him. And that’s all I am. I’d be a fool to believe otherwise.

“Come on,” Kiersten takes my hand and starts to drag me through the crowd towards the front of the stage.

“Kiersten,” I yell over the noise, but she either doesn’t hear me, or chooses to ignore me. I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.

When she flashes her pass at the security guard, and he nods her through, I stop.

I can’t do this.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, and I see the hint of annoyance in her eyes.

“Why don’t you go–” The air in my chest leaves me in a solid whoosh, like someone hit me in the stomach with a baseball bat – because I see him.

Cillian.

A door opens about ten feet from us. It’s only open for a split second before it shuts again, but I see enough to know that I never should have come, because there’s no mistaking it was him with the blonde attached to him like a second skin.

My stomach rolls.

“Delaney,” Kiersten crosses her arms and glares at me. “Come on.”

I can’t stop staring at the door, but it doesn’t open again. And I’m not sure I want it to. “I…I’m not feeling well.”

She frowns. “You’re not going to leave me here alone, are you?”

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, trying to hold back the tears that sting my eyes. I turn and hurry towards the nearest doors, gasping in a breath when I’m finally alone.

Stupid tears. I swipe them away with the back of my hand before letting out a frustrated scream.

“Ye all right?”

I startle at the sound of the man’s voice.

Glancing up at the familiar blue eyes, I laugh at how cruel fate can be. If my humiliation wasn’t complete, I had to be caught crying in front of Cillian’s brother.

“It’s you.” Tossing his cigarette on the ground, he moves towards me. “Cillian’s girl.”

Cillian’s girl? Is he serious?

I snort back a laugh and shake my head.

“Does my brother know ye’re here?” He moves out of the shadows towards me.

“No. But, I don’t think he’d care. He seemed a little preoccupied when I saw him.”

Owen frowns. “I don’t know what ye saw, but he’ll be wanting to see ye.”

“I doubt that.” Had I really expected him to not be with anyone? To be pining away for me, like I’d been doing for him?

I realize now that a part of me hoped for it.

“I’m not even sure why he sent me the passes,” I mutter, more to myself.

Owen coughs, and when I glance over at him, he winces. “Actually, that was me.”

“You?”

“I know the two of ye didn’t leave things on good terms. And I know my brother’s too damn stubborn to make a move himself. So…”

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