“Whatever. Just get your head back in the game,” Kieran told him.
“So put your hands up and let’s do this,” Kane told him, prepped and ready to fight again.
“I’m serious, Kane. Listen, I love that girl of yours, and I think the two of you together is literally the best news I’ve heard, but—”
“Shut up, you don’t even know who I’m talking about,” Kane groaned.
“But”—Kieran ignored him and kept talking—“the championship is coming up fast. You need to tell her to press pause in this newfound romance until after the fight.”
“What?” Kane balked. “I’m not telling her that. Things are messy enough.”
Kieran shrugged. “She’ll understand. You can’t afford to be distracted right now, Kane. You just can’t.”
“Damn, you sound like Rory.” Kane narrowed his eyes, throwing down the comment he knew his twin would find insulting. They loved their older brother, but he was definitely a hard-ass.
Kieran put up his fists. “I’m going to beat the shit out of you for that. Again.”
Chapter 14
“Come in, come in!” Fiona said as she waved Nora into the apartment. “The other girls are already here.”
Nora hugged her best friend before heading toward the kitchen, where they usually gathered. Fiona’s apartment was huge and took up the entire two floors above Fiona’s Flowers, the shop her friend owned. Kieran had purchased and renovated the property for her and was going to move in with her when they got married. For now, he’d just wanted Fiona to have a place close to her store where she and Shea could live. Nora was really happy with this development because the flower shop was around the corner from her own apartment, and she could see Fiona even more now.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” Fiona asked as they entered the kitchen where Clare, Casey, and Kiera sat around the island, each with her own stemmed glass filled with deep red wine—except for Kiera, whose glass held a soda since she was still underage.
“Of course,” Nora replied, then hugged each of the women in turn. “Kiera, it’s so good to see you at a girls’ night!”
“I’m excited,” the young beauty said. “Fiona asked me to stick around after I put Shea to bed, so I did.”
“Well, we’re happy to have you,” Clare told her, squeezing her arm affectionately. “I could use all the help possible planning this wedding.”
“Is there an official date and venue and all that yet?” Nora asked.
Clare sighed and reached below the island, pulling a giant binder out of her tote and plopping it down on the counter. “Only kind of…there’s still so much to do!”
Nora reached over and lifted up the cover to the first page, exposing an overly detailed table of contents that made her smile. Clare was definitely organized and strict, but it was one of the things that made Nora like her. She was true to herself and her quirks, no matter what anyone said. She was also perfect for Rory in that sense. Nora had met the oldest Kavanagh brother many times, and he was as type A as they came.
“Holy crap, Nora! What happened to your hand?” Clare exclaimed.
Nora stopped turning the pages and looked down at her hand. It had been several weeks since she’d injured herself on Patrick’s face and she’d been keeping a low profile since she was busy with studying anyway, so her friends hadn’t seen her hand since the injury occurred. The swelling and throbbing were entirely gone, thanks to the anti-inflammatories the doctor had given her and the brace she’d worn for the first few days. A few thin, red scars remained on her knuckles, the only trace of what had happened. She was sure they would fade soon.
“Seriously, girl. What did you do?” Fiona echoed.
Casey leaned over and examined her hand as well. “That’s got bar fight written all over it.”
“It wasn’t a bar fight,” Nora scoffed, despite the fact that, in essence, it actually was. “I just tripped and fell. Scraped my hand on the sidewalk.”
“The back of your hand?” Fiona lifted an eyebrow as she handed her a glass of red wine.
Nora took the glass and quickly had a sip, which turned into a gulp. “That’s what I said.”
“Strange,” Clare mused, before turning back to the binder and segueing into wedding talk.
Nora tried to pay attention, but she wasn’t blind to the curious glances her best friend was casting her. Fiona knew her well enough to know something wasn’t right here, though Nora had never really lied to Fiona before. She wasn’t even sure why she’d lied now…she could have easily told them what happened, leaving out the parts about Kane. But she hadn’t.
She’d lied to her friends, and she didn’t even know why.
Nora’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she subtly pulled it out to read the text message as the other women continued to talk about wedding plans. Kane’s name popped up on the screen, and she smiled as she opened it. They hadn’t spoken since the incident with her mom. Their last morning together had been so tumultuous, and she felt a million conflicting emotions about everything that had happened and the angry words they’d exchanged. She’d texted him earlier, asking if she could come over tonight because she wanted another chance to apologize, to tell him she hadn’t meant to be so cruel. He really was wonderful to have offered to help her mother out with the money, and she’d taken out all her stress on him. Whatever was happening between them, she hoped she hadn’t ruined it.
Can’t hang out tonight. Need to train early in AM.
Nora frowned, typing back as flirty a reply as she could think of. I can help you get some exercise in tonight ;-)
The phone went silent for a minute, and Nora downed the rest of her wine. Her phone buzzed again.
Tempting, but I gotta focus. Rory’s busting my ass. Will probably be busy for a while.
Surprise darted through her, and she caught her breath. Of course, he had the championship. Obviously, she didn’t want to get in the way of that. But the few nights they’d already been together hadn’t affected that…or had they?
Suppressing a tremor, she typed a reply. If that’s what you need, I understand. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for how that last morning went—for everything. I miss you.
Staring at the screen, she didn’t even let herself blink as she waited for his response. She wanted him to change his mind, to ask her to come over right then. She wanted him to say that it was just temporary, and that he missed her, too. She wanted to know she meant something to the man who had wound his way into her life and made her heart beat at super speed in her chest. She wanted it not to be exactly what he’d already told her it would be between them…nothing.
Her iPhone suddenly marked the message as Read, with the time stamp next to it. This was it, he was reading her message. He would write back. He’d tell her he missed her, too. Nora licked her lips and waited, staring at the Read notice like it was going to jump out of the screen and attack her.
Finally, the telltale three dots popped up at the bottom of the screen, indicating that he was currently typing her a reply on his phone. Then it went away. Nothing.
The dots reappeared, pulsing longer this time, until…
Nothing. The dots were gone, but the Read notice stayed. He wasn’t going to reply. Nora stared at her phone longer, but the dots didn’t return.
“Can you do that day, Nora?”
Nora snapped back to attention and found all four women looking at her. “Sorry, what?”
“Are you free to come try on bridesmaid dresses the Saturday before the championships? They’ve got them ready for us, just need to do a fitting,” Clare explained, probably repeating herself.
“Yeah, I’m sure I can,” Nora agreed.
“What’s going on?” Fiona asked her. “You’re totally zoned out and staring at your phone.”
“Ooh, is it a boy?” Casey chimed in, grinning mischievously.
Nora blushed like mad and ducked her head. “It’s not a big deal.”
“It is a boy!” Casey exclaime
d. “Nora’s finally dating someone!”
“Wow, how do I not know about this?” Fiona asked, looking pleased and annoyed at the same time. “It’s been, like, years since you’ve even gone out with a guy.”
“Tell us everything,” Kiera added, her pale-blue eyes lit with eagerness. “I’m so jealous.”
“We’re n-not dating,” Nora stammered, trying to think of how to describe her relationship status and not divulge too much. “We’re just…having fun.”
Casey snorted. “That means they’re boning.”
“Why were you giving your phone the death stare, then?” Clare asked.
“I think he kinda dumped me,” Nora told them, checking her screen again in hopes that there’d be a missed message.
“Kinda?” Clare pried further.
“Well, we usually see each other almost every night, but he canceled.”
Fiona glanced at the clock. “It’s already nine o’clock at night. You were going to see him after this?”
“Also known as a booty call,” Casey informed them with a wink. “Don’t worry, Nora. Fiona’s the old lady of the group. She doesn’t remember what it’s like to be young and fun.”
Fiona ignored Casey’s comment and kept questioning her. “Well, what did he say when he canceled?”
“We didn’t have specific plans—I’d just been hoping,” Nora admitted.
Clare frowned. “Maybe he’s just busy tonight.”
“He specifically said he is going to be busy for ‘a while’…whatever that means.”
“What did you write back? Or did you not?” Clare asked, pouring another measure of wine into her empty glass.
“I wrote back that if that’s what he needs, I’m okay with it”—her cheeks heated, and she tried to slow her breathing—“but I’ll miss him.”
“You’ll miss him? Wow, so this is kind of serious for just having fun?” Fiona asked.
“It’s not serious. It’s just special. We have a connection, I think. We just feel really good together, you know? He’s kind and seems to really care about me. He’s also overly honest, calling me out on things I try to push away. Being around him makes me…” She pulled in a deep breath and finished in a rush. “It makes me a better person.”
“Whoa,” Fiona said, setting her wineglass down and staring hard at Nora. “That is definitely serious.”
“It’s not, I promise. Just casual, and friends who…”
“Benefit,” Casey filled in, chuckling. She raised her glass in a toast. “Get it, girl! How’s the sex?”
Nora grinned, because the sex was oh-so-grin-worthy, and also because Casey was asking how her cousin was in bed and didn’t even know it. “The sex is amazing. We have a chemistry that’s…mmm.” Nora couldn’t think of a single word that was comparable to how her body felt when Kane was exploring it, so she settled for a sound instead. A throaty laugh escaped, and her cheeks flamed hotter.
“Um, that sounds perfect! Lock that man down,” Clare declared, taking another sip of wine.
“I agree. I wish I could meet a man like that,” Casey said with a sigh.
Nora held in another laugh at Casey’s expense. “It’s not like that, guys.”
“Why not?” Fiona asked.
“He doesn’t want any commitments right now. He’s focusing on his career. And I am, too, you know? I’ve got school, and…studying. That’s really where my focus should be.” Nora knew she didn’t sound very confident, but she was feeling vulnerable.
Silence loomed as the women looked at one another.
“Did he say he’ll miss you, too?” Casey finally asked.
Nora shook her head slowly. “He hasn’t said anything. My cell said he read the text almost…” Nora glanced down at the device. “Seven minutes ago. Plus, the three dots popped up and then went away.”
Kiera did a sharp intake of breath as Casey groaned. Clare and Fiona were both frowning at her. They all knew what that meant, and it wasn’t good. Dating had gone digital, and the disappearing three dots were today’s Dear John letters.
“Damn, that’s cold,” Casey finally said.
“I’m sorry, Nora.” Clare came up and gave her a big hug, quickly followed by Casey, and then Kiera. Fiona just watched her, something indefinable on her face. Nora stood and went to refill her wine as the other women returned to their wedding talk.
Fiona followed her over, her voice lowered. “Nora, who is the guy? Why didn’t you tell me you were dating someone? Weren’t we just talking about dating recently?”
“I know, and we were. I just wasn’t ready to talk about it yet,” Nora said, topping up her glass.
“Not even with me?” Fiona looked hurt. “But we tell each other everything.”
“It’s not personal, Fi. I promise. You’ve just been really busy lately with Kieran and with the wedding plans. And I just have a lot on my plate, so dating isn’t my focus right now. He was fun while it lasted, and yeah, I thought it might go somewhere. But we told each other from day one that it was just sex, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when it turned out to be…” Nora sighed, trying to find the words.
“Just sex?” Fiona supplied.
“Exactly.”
Nora’s phone buzzed again, and she scooped it out of her pocket so fast she almost dropped it.
Meet me in front of the flower shop. Payment due.
She clenched her jaw and pushed the phone back in her pocket.
Fiona looked at her expectantly. “Was that him?”
“No, it was nobody. I think I left something in my car. I’ll be right back, okay?” Nora put her wineglass on the counter then grabbed her purse. “I’ll be right back, ladies.”
“Okay!” Clare called. “Hurry! We’re talking centerpieces!”
Nora assured her she would be quick, but, truthfully, she didn’t care one bit about centerpieces or wedding planning. She was a bridesmaid for Clare and Fiona’s maid of honor, but Fiona hadn’t even begun planning her wedding yet. She didn’t even seem interested in setting a date, which was odd, because she was already practically attached at the hip to Kieran.
Nora hurried out of the apartment and down the stairs that led out onto the sidewalk right next to the flower shop. As she expected, the moment Nora stepped out into the night, the dark silhouette of a man moved toward her.
“Naughty Nora,” he crooned, in a voice that made her skin shiver. “Looking fierce as always, baby.”
“Let’s just get this over with, Lachlan.”
“I’ve told you to call me Lock, baby doll.” He came into full view, his tall, lanky figure looming over her. He was striking, like a male model, but when he smiled, or frowned, or emoted at all…his face went from alluring to terrifying. There was something sinister in him, and it danced across his features like the shadows were at his command. “Got my money?”
“I have most of it.” Nora pulled a stack of tens and twenties out of her purse, a few dollars short of the required five hundred.
“Most isn’t what I asked for.” Lachlan grabbed the stack and shuffled through it, counting the bills. “You’re fifty short.”
“I know, and I’ll get it. I just need some time. I lost my job a few weeks ago because I hurt my hand.” She held up her hand, as if the proof of her story would get her out of this mess. “I need time to get another job.”
Lachlan shoved the money in his pocket and stepped toward her, dipping his head close to her face. “I heard someone saw your mama around town the other day. You wouldn’t know anything about that now, would you?”
Nora shook her head, the air freezing in her lungs. “I haven’t seen her in months.”
Another lie. They were getting easier now.
“Hmm…” Lachlan licked his lips. “I don’t do late payments, baby. For you—this one time—I’ll make an exception. Twenty-four hours, get me the rest of your debt, all of it, or you’re going to be working it off for me.”
“Working it off how?”
“Let’s just
say, you’ll really earn your nickname, Naughty Nora.”
As the meaning of his words settled over Nora, she heard a gasp come from behind her. She whirled around to see Fiona standing there, apparently having overheard what Lachlan had just said…and maybe more.
Lachlan didn’t seem worried at all. He smiled wider and winked at Fiona before returning his gaze to Nora. “Twenty-four hours, baby. See you soon.”
His shadow melted into the night, but Nora didn’t move. She just stared out at the street, trying to figure out how to explain to her best friend what she’d just heard.
“Nora, we need to talk,” Fiona finally said.
Nora walked back toward her, moving to the door like she was going to go inside, but Fiona stepped in front of her. “I’m serious, Nora. What the hell was that?”
“It’s nothing, Fi. I’m handling it. Why did you even come out here? I said I’d be right back.”
“You said you were getting something from your car, but you live around the block, Nora,” Fi snapped, her eyes narrowing. “And you always walk here.”
“Oh.” Rookie mistake. Lying really didn’t come naturally to her. “I’m sorry, Fi.”
“You’ve never lied to me before.” Her best friend sounded hurt, and her face was crestfallen. “Please, tell me what’s going on.”
Nora sighed, running her hand across her cheek. “He’s a bookie, and I was short on his weekly payment today. I was moonlighting at night as a waitress in a sleazy bikini bar to make extra money, but I lost my job when a customer got too handsy with me and I punched him in the face.”
She wiggled her fingers in the air, and Fiona glanced down at the scars on her hand. “Holy shit, Nora. I thought you weren’t allowed to work outside the youth center because of your scholarship?”
“I’m not, but I was anyway. And I might not be able to graduate because of it.”
Fiona’s eyes got even wider. “Because you’re gambling?”
“It’s not me.” Nora shook her head quickly. “It’s—”