Page 126 of One Night Only
A server approaches the table, takes one look at our faces and wisely spins away.
“She’s not a part of his life anymore. She wasn’t a part of his life when I met you. It’s not as big a deal as it sounds,” he adds, ignoring Annie’s outraged expression.
“Not abig—”
“What happened?” I interrupt.
“It really isn’t my place,” he begins, but Annie gives him such a glare that he shuts up, accepting his fate. “I don’t know everything.”
“You know more than either of us,” she says sharply.
“Please, Paul,” I add and whatever he sees on my face tears down the last of his resolve.
“You’ve got to understand, they were together for years. Since they were fourteen. What do you call that over here? High school sweethearts? It was just one of those things. For most of my life, I never saw one without the other. Then after college, Fiona got an offer to study in Chicago.”
Chicago.
I take a sip of sparkling water, the bubbles burning my tongue.
“It was a big move. Both of them were worried about it but it’s not like she could turn down an opportunity like that. Declan wouldn’t let her. They decided to marry before she went. Looking back, you think, yeah, maybe they could have just gotten engaged, but they were pretty serious about it. So, they got married and a few months later she left. The plan was for Declan to join her as soon as he could.”
“And then?” Annie asks, still staring daggers at him.
“I don’t know. There was no big moment. She didn’t know anyone over here and found the work tough. Declan hated himself because he couldn’t afford to go out to her. They were both miserable. They used to fight on the phone all the time.” Paul frowns as he remembers. “They never fought before then. Not even over stupid stuff. He couldn’t stand it.”
I feel bizarrely like laughing at this. Declan and I can’t seem to go five minutes without snapping at each other.
“From what I know, Fiona eventually got into the swing of things. She made friends. She did well. By the time Declan came over to see her she was moving on in the world and he couldn’t keep up. A few months later she met someone else. It didn’t last long but it was enough to make her realize she didn’t want to stay married to Dec. She confessed to him and asked for a divorce. Declan didn’t want one. I think he even refused it.”
“Because he still loves her,” I say, my voice flat.
Paul sighs, helpless. “I don’t know. I never know what’s going on in his mind. But it was years ago. They broke up. He was devastated. But he picked himself up. He got over it. By all accounts, he’s moved on.”
I stay silent, fiddling with the cutlery. I mean, obviously I’m glad the woman wasn’t hit by a car or murdered by a serial killer but this…this still sucks. “Stab me in the heart, kick me when I’m down” sucks.
“Are you okay?” Annie asks.
“No,” I say, blowing out a breath. “But it’s good to know the truth.”
“Tell me about it,” she mutters, throwing Paul a dark look. He is suddenly very interested in the menu. “Any more secrets you want to share?”
He smiles nervously at her.
“I suppose he’ll be mad you told me,” I say.
“If I had to choose between Declan or Annie to be mad at me, I’ll choose my brother any day of the week.”
“Too late,” Annie says. “We need another minute,” she says as the server tries again. “A long one.”
“Please give him a chance to explain himself,” Paul says, his voice gentle. “It was a hard part of his life. He doesn’t talk about it even with me. Much less with strangers.”
Strangers? I slept with the man twice and was fully planning on doing it a third time. And now I don’t even think I want an explanation. I don’t think I’ll like the answer.
“Will we get some appetizers?” he continues hopefully.
Neither of us look at him.
“Ah here,” he says. “Can we take a step back and remember I’m not the one we’re mad at?”
