“Don’t think of it as home,” Ethan whispered, still with his eyes closed.
“Just because I married you doesn’t mean I’m just going to throw—”
“A home is where you’re always welcome. It’s where you don’t have to whisper to yourself ‘welcome home’ because you’re worried no one else will. It’s where you come back and they throw the block party for you, not invite you to one already happening,” he said, surgically cutting out what was left of my heart.
“Thanks,” I muttered, slowly driving down the lane toward the house.
Sitting up, he checked the watch on his wrist. “Don’t thank me until I make you feel at home here.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant and he didn’t bother explaining. Once I parked, his eyes were cold again.
“We won’t be staying long. No matter what, don’t show fear. They aren’t going to do anything tonight,” he said to me, opening the door, and I followed him out. He didn’t take my hand this time, but stood close, walking a pace in front of me, past the iron fence, toward the back of the doors.
“Oh, my bad,” some guy stated, knocking into Ethan’s shoulder, his beer spilling a bit on his jacket.
Ethan glanced down at it and then at him. His friends were all rushing to get inside. He looked no older than twenty-two. Maybe.
“You’re good,” he said, though it was of no use.
The guy was gone, wandering inside. People passed us, no one really recognizing either of us.
“Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da.” Elroy stood on the table, already drunk, his brown hair in a faded in buzz cut, singing with four other men around him. His father’s dog tags hung off his neck as always.
I scanned the yard, looking for them…Pierce and Rory. I was sure they’d be here. Rory would come if only to tell me to get over it and show off how happy she was in my face.
“Ethan!” Elroy yelled, putting his hand over his eyes to see better. “Ethan Callahan, that you? Well, lookie here, everyone, we got a Callahan on the block!”
He jumped off the table and it became so silent even I didn’t believe it. Everyone’s eyes were on us, leaning over tables and each other just to see better. Elroy came over to us first, stopping only a few feet from Ethan and bowing. “Your royal assness, welcome to our humble abode.”
People snickered.
Someone even yelled, “Kiss the ring!”
While another yelled, “Say hello to my little friend.”
Which only made people laugh now. However, Ethan ignored them, all of them, including Elroy, walking around him toward the cooler. He took one of the beers, popped it open, and handed it to me before taking a second one. He drank it in one go and threw it to the side, letting it shatter on the ground before taking another and sitting at the same picnic table Elroy had just danced on.
“You grew up here. Tell me the beer gets better after the second one,” Ethan spoke but only to me.
“It’s actually around the third,” I said, taking a sip and then bunching my face. “Correction. If you’re used to it, after the second one it’s gold, but take a break for seven years and it tastes like rat piss.” I cringed, staring at the bottle.
“When I was eight,” he said and went on pretending as if everyone wasn’t looking, “my father took me to this pub in Ireland. When he went to the back to…get work done, I sat at the bar and mixed some Guinness and Irish coffee and moonshine together.”
“You didn’t.” I wanted to puke.
He nodded, taking a drink. “Tasted exactly like this. I was drunk off my ass.”
“You drank all of it?”
“I had to. My father told me I couldn’t bitch out. Next time I’d be careful playing Mr. Scientist.”
“ARE YOU FUCKIN’ DONE?” Elroy hollered at us, and we both looked at him.
Ethan glanced around and then back at him. “Are you talking to me?”
“You know I am—”
“Why?” he cut him off, which would only piss off Elroy more. “As far as I know, I’m just a guest. I didn’t realize I needed to make a speech or somethin’.”
Elroy stepped into his face and again Ethan didn’t move, just drank. “You think you can come into my neighborhood—”
“Your neighborhood?” A very familiar voice came to the right of us. Shifting, I saw him. Cillian with his brown-red hair shaved at the sides and thick beard. He came out of the house holding a rack of steaks in both hands. Behind, Pierce Donoghue, my ex-fiancé, was carrying the ice on his shoulders. Once Cillian gave the steaks over to the man at the bar, he grabbed a towel, wiping his hands as he came over to us. “Little brother, you seem to forget the neighborhood belongs to everyone. It’s our neighborhood right, Ivy?”
“Ivy?” Elroy frowned, looking me up and down. “I don’t believe it. Who would have known there was such a pretty face under that dog hair?”
“Elroy, how about you let Shay know her daughter is back,” Cillian told him, and Elroy looked between him and Ethan, shaking with rage. Apparently he wasn’t only spoken down to because of his height.
“I thought you said your mother died?” Ethan asked me casually as Elroy walked away.
I nodded, moving to sit next to him. “I have no idea who they’re talking about.”
“Hmmm.” He glanced back at him. “Fgory, you hear her? She doesn’t know who you’re talking about.”
Elroy threw the beer on the ground, ready to jump. Cillian pushed him back. “Go cool off!”
“You just gonna let him disrespect me like that in our house—”
“Sorry.” Ethan kept pushing his buttons. “Was that not your name?”
“Cool off.” Cillian sneered at him again.
He ripped his arm away from him, turning back and marching toward the fences, kicking them as he went. I noticed a few others following after him. I was sure Ethan noticed too.
“Cillian Finnegan.” Cillian outstretched his hand. “Seeing as how introductions are needed.”
Ethan glanced at his hand then back at him, the bottle hovering over his lips. “Ethan Callahan,” he said and drank afterward, not shaking his hand. He nodded at me when he was done. “My wife, Ivy Callahan.”
“You don’t need to introduce her. Ivy’s family.” Shay walked out of the house, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, her square face and micro-thin brows even more pronounced. Rory came out dressed in short shorts, a plaid shirt around her waist, and a sweater tank. She hugged Pierce first, her brown eyes on me.
“I thought you said you had no more family?” Ethan asked again.
“I thought I answered this question.”
“Right.” He nodded to himself then looked at her. “She doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”
I snickered at that.
“Ivy, I know you’re upset,” Rory said in this weird, childlike voice. “About Pierce and I really loving each other—”
“I’ll honestly pay you to stop talking like that.” I cringed then looked at Pierce. “Are you really into that kind of voice shit? Dodged a bullet with that one.” I lifted the beer and tapped it over his.