Page 125 of The Secret We Keep
I nod and throw my mate a wink. “When she’s ready.”
Pops and Evie are settled in his armchair, both of them staring down at the screen of the device on her lap. I keep seeing him swipe at his eye every now and then.
Oh yeah, they’re watching Titanic alright.
“Have you heard from Jake?”
I shake my head. “No. But I was with Catherine today.”
His eyes widen. “What you doing seeing her?”
I shrug again, knowing that I owe him some sort of explanation for acting like a dick the last time we went drinking. “I spoke to her about the accident.” It’s not a total lie.
“That’s good, Pads. Pleased you finally talked to someone. I’ve been worried about you.”
I slap his leg with the back of my hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, mate.”
He gives me a stern nod. “And Morgan?”
I look at her through the hatch connecting the living room to the kitchen. “We’re friends,” I say, placating him.
Or so I thought.
“Yeah, and I’m the Patron Saint of Ireland.”
I glance at him, rolling my lips together. “Don’t let my mother hear you roasting her baby boy.”
He tuts, rolling his eyes. “Or what?”
I can’t contain my laugh. “She’ll string you out to dry, princess.”
He eyes me wearily. “Seriously, Pads. There’s no way anyone’s buying that you and Morgan arejust friends.” The bastard uses air quotes, unable to drop it.
“Leave it, Danny.”
“No, soppy bollocks.” He leans closer, placing his beer on the coffee table. “I know you’ve got it bad for her.”
“Shut up. We’re not nineteen anymore. It’s not that simple.”
“Well, you look like you did when you were nineteen and came home to find her at your place with Fi.”
My neck snaps to him.
He points between his eyes and mine with two fingers. “I see it. The same as I did back then.”
I glare at him. Motherfucker would have to go and rememberthatnight of all the nights we’ve spent shitfaced together. The night I came home wrecked and spewed my guts up in the bathroom. The only one who came to check on my misfortune was the girl with the curly fries. The girl who stayed with me to make sure I didn’t choke on my own vomit. I never mentioned remembering her doing that, but I’ve never forgotten it.
“Since when have you been so deep?”
Danny shrugs, laughing as he calls me out. “I always have been. You’ve just never taken the time to see it.”
“Bullshit,” I throw back at him.
“No, no, Paddy, I’m not dumb. Even though I know you and Jake see me as the failure of the trio, staying in Stoney Grange hasn’t been all that bad for me.”
“No?” I eye my mate with a serious look.
He flicks his gaze to the floor. “I have my own place, courtesy of my dead grandparents,” he crosses his head like he’s religious all of a sudden, “and I have a good job which earns me good money. But I’ve never had whatever it is that you two have going on between you.”
