Page 65 of Wild Irish

The two of them exchange a look, one that I can’t quite read. But I see theOh shit!in both of their expressions.

“Go,” Emer says to Aiden.

Aiden gives a small nod, then disappears out the door.

“Are ye okay?” She takes my hand and pulls me to the far side of the room.

“Yeah. I just need to leave. I came here with a friend.” I nod at Kiersten, who’s now got her tongue halfway down Shane’s ear. I wince. “But I think she’s going to want to stay.”

Emer takes my hand and gives me a small smile. “Aiden will talk to Cillian. It’ll be fine.”

I shrug, knowing she’s wrong, then give her a forced smile of my own, “Owen told me your news. Congratulations.”

Her face brightens and her hands go to her still flat stomach. “It’s crazy. I don’t know if I should be excited or terrified, or both. We weren’t trying. It just kind of happened. But I think it’s good.”

I squeeze her hands. “I’m really happy for you.”

“Thank ye.” She hugs me again, and this time I hold her a little tighter, because I know this is probably the last time I’ll see her.

“Ye won’t stay?” she asks when I start to pull away.

I shake my head, not trusting my voice when the emotions I’ve been trying to contain bubble up.

She nods in understanding. “I’ll let yer friend know ye needed to leave.”

“Thanks.” I don’t wait for her reply. I turn and bolt out of the room, and down the hall towards the nearest exit. I don’t stop, or look back, I just keep running.

Chapter 30

Cillian

“There ye are.” Aiden storms towards me. The set of his jaw tells me he’s pissed.

If it’s a fight he’s looking for, he’s not going to get it. Not from me. Not tonight. There’s no fight left in me. All I feel is empty. I just want to get the hell out of here, go back to the hotel and drink myself into a dreamless oblivion.

“Ye’re dead set on breaking that girl’s heart,” Aiden growls out. “Aren’t ye?”

“I don’t need ye to lecture me.” I rough my fingers through my hair, and shove past him.

“Someone needs to get through that thick skull of yers. She’s the best thing that ever happened to ye. I saw ye when ye were with her. For once in yer miserable life, ye were happy.”

I turn on him, and yell, “Ye think I don’t fucking know that?”

His face goes sober, eyes full of pity. When he speaks again, his voice is calm. “Then go get her.”

“It’s not that simple.” I lean against the wall and bury my face in my hands. “I fucked up.”

“Yeah, ye did. So go fix it.”

“She won’t forgive me. Not this time.”

“Ye haven’t even given her a chance.” He moves beside me, leaning against the wall. “Do ye know how many times I’ve had to go after Emer? How many times I messed up. The woman is too damn good for me, but I fought for her like my life depended on it. Because I learned a long time ago that it does.”

“What ye have with Emer is easy–”

“Easy?” He laughs. “Have ye met the woman? She’s stubborn and demanding, and insanely jealous. And if ye ever tell her I said that I’ll have to kill ye. But I’ll fight for her every day of my life, because no matter how much she pisses me off sometimes, I know my life is better with her in it.”

“When did ye become a fucking philosophist?”

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