“He has a low tolerance for people. He accepted Bronagh, Branna, Keela and even Alannah because my brothers and me love them, and luckily he grew to love them too. He is a funny and kind person... but he is fucked up, Aideen. I’m not going to sugar coat it—things won’t be easy with him. But just... just remember how difficult this is for him.”
I lifted my hands to my face and rubbed. “I need to know what made him the way he is. It’s not right that he blacks out when he fights—it’s dangerous as hell. He is like a machine.”
Nico was quiet for a few minutes until he said, “Ask him why. Just pick the right moment.”
Until we fully trusted one another to open up and really talk, I just wasn’t sure if the ‘right moment’ would ever happen. Kane had a lot of layers to him, I didn’t know if he would ever let me get to his centre.
“I can’t believe you paid people to move everythin’ into me new apartment for me. Me old apartment is empty, I just have me bed, a few clothes and that’s it.”
I was currently sat on my bed looking around my bare bedroom. I would be moving out of it for good tomorrow, and I wasn’t even sad about it. I was ready to be moving on to a new chapter in my life.
Keela snorted through the receiver of my phone. “It was all Alec’s idea, but yeah, I was totally on board with it because there was no way in hell we were havin’ a repeat of movin’ day. No, thank you.”
I shivered. “Amen, sister.”
Keela was a little quiet before she said, “Did you ring your landlord yet?”
I nodded my head even though she couldn’t see me. “Yeah, I rang him this mornin’. He knows I’m leavin’ here tomorrow. He was a little surprised I wouldn’t be renewin’ me lease, but he was fine with lettin’ me out of my current lease two months early if he could keep me deposit I paid him when I first moved in.”
“I’m glad that’s sorted for you. I’m even happier you’ll be livin’ in Upton. Two minutes away, too!”
I squealed in delight. “I know! I can’t believe me apartment. It’s stunnin’.”
“I can’t wait for a sleepover.”
I laughed, “Neither can Kane from the way he carries on.”
Keela murmured, “Nico told us what happened with him last night. Are you mad at him?”
Was I?
I exhaled. “Yes and no. I’m mad he hurt Skull—who I still have to call, by the way—and how he behaved, but I understand that he got the wrong end of the stick. He thought Skull kissed me.”
“Well, he does have a right to be angry if he thought it was a real kiss.”
“What?” I gasped. “You know we aren’t together.”
“Officially yes,” Keela replied. “But you have both been actin’ like a couple for weeks now—you just don’t kiss and have sex.”
“I don’t think-”
“I think just get with him already. You’re torturin’ the poor lad,” Keela griped as she cut me off.
“Keela!” I snapped. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I told you I’m on the side of love.”
I groaned, “What does that even mean?”
“It means,” she guffawed, “that you two clearly like each other but are either too stupid to realise it or too stubborn to admit it. It’s one or the other.”
I growled, “Are you callin’ me stupid?”
“Yes!” Keela cackled.
I seethed in silence until she stopped laughing at me.
“I’m sorry,” she said through her muffled laughter. “I just love that you’re in this position.”
“Why?” I asked, appalled.
“Because,” she sassed, “being with Kane is what you want deep down, and how he acts around you is forcin’ it out of you and you hate it. It’s interestin’ to watch it unfold.”
“You’re un-fuckin’-believable.”
“I know.”
I pressed my free hand to my face. “I’d smack you if I could.”
Keela snickered, “I don’t doubt it.”
I thought about what she said for a couple of seconds and frowned. “I’m not goin’ to lie, I do like him. I like him so much, but say we get together... what if we fuck things up? I can’t risk it with the baby comin’.”
“That’s a big ‘what if’, babe.”
“You’re not helpin’ me see sense here,” I whined.
“I am,” Keela countered, “you’re just tryin’ to convince yourself what I’m sayin’ is bullshit. You know it’s not. I wouldn’t suggest givin’ things a go with Kane if I didn’t think you’d both be great together.”
I knew what she was saying was true. Keela always had my back.
“I guess so.”
“Does that mean you’ll give you and Kane a chance?”
I thought hard about it.
I knew I liked Kane. He gave me butterflies by just looking at me, and he made me so happy. We still argued, but we were so close now that not being with him would eventually become a problem. My feelings for him were developing fast, and the longer I didn’t give into him, the harder I was making things for myself.
I grunted to Keela, “I suppose.”
“Good, because he left to go over to talk to you ten minutes ago.”
“You fuckin’ bitch!”
I heard Keela’s laughter just before she hung up.
Evil.
She was pure evil.
I shook my head and threw my phone onto my bed. I laid back and sighed as I looked up at the ceiling. I couldn’t get comfortable, the person who rang my doorbell made sure of that.