Chapter 2
2
SOPHIE
“ S ophie! Come sit here,” Felicity called out.
Sophie scanned the room before spotting Felicity in one corner, waving at her. The lunchroom wasn’t all that different than the one back home, with rows of picnic-style tables and the chatter of dozens of conversations going on at once. But it seemed to go quiet as Sophie took the empty spot next to Felicity. It felt like everyone was watching her, and she was desperate for some distraction to cast the attention off of her.
“All right, everyone,” Felicity said, standing, “since none of yous could mind your own bloody business, even if you actually tried, this is my new best mate, Sophie. She’s from the States.”
Sophie smiled, relaxing a bit now that Felicity had once again come to her aide. She was proving to be a friend already.
A few kids said hello and Sophie waved in return.
“So, how are you enjoying our sunshine and prosperity?” the boy next to her asked.
She glanced up at the skylights, taking in the ever-present gray clouds looming over them, and laughed. “It’s overwhelming.”
“My name’s Conor. Good to meet you,” he said. “Where is it you’re from in the States?”
“California,” Gavin interrupted from his position at the far end of the table.
“And how do you know that, Gav?” Conor asked.
“Just look at that golden tan—doesn’t that say it all?”
The crowd tittered and Sophie groaned inwardly at the derisive comment. He was obviously the boy they all looked to and now he was setting the tone for how she should be viewed. The hint of schoolyard meanness was déjà vu. But this time, she didn’t hesitate to fight back.
“Is that the best you can do?” she asked, and the group quieted. “I mean, you’re really going to pretend that I didn’t tell you I was from California? To get a laugh at my expense?”
“Well—” Gavin started.
“You smart-arse, Gav,” Conor said. “Don’t give the new kid hassle. You’ve probably frightened her to death of all Irishmen.”
Sophie’s chest rose and fell, her breath ragged as the adrenaline rush from having spoken up for herself once again started to fade.
“I don’t think she’s frightened at all,” Gavin said, locking eyes with her.
It had felt important to assert herself and she was glad that she had, but now that Gavin was looking at her with an open mixture of respect and desire, she felt her knees go weak. That same feeling of connection swept over her and she was drawn to him all over again, despite how they’d clashed.
But the moment was broken when a girl moved behind Gavin, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him on the cheek.
He looked up at her with a smile. She had a broad, freckled face, and her long, unruly brown hair worked as a shield when Gavin pulled her down to him for a kiss on the lips. The crowd of kids at the table howled.
Sophie blinked to try to clear the sting of jealousy she felt at Gavin so quickly giving his attention to another girl.
“You okay, Sophie?” Conor asked.
She turned to him, glad for the distraction. She noticed for the first time the striking way Conor’s blue eyes contrasted with his black hair and brows. His cheekbones were high and his jawline defined, but thick eyelashes and a quick smile softened those edges.
“Um, yeah. I think I’m still jet-lagged, though.”
“So, have you had a chance yet to see Dublin at all?” Conor asked.
“I did get a bit of the tourist’s view over the weekend.”
“Ah, let’s see, that would be Grafton Street, Trinity Library, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral?” he asked.
Even as she laughed in acknowledgment, she couldn’t keep from glancing at Gavin. He was watching them, his eyes bouncing back and forth between her and Conor.
“You’ll have to see the city with more of an insider’s feel. I could show you some unique spots.” His small smile was sexy, suggestive.
“Unique?”
“You know, places only locals know?—”
“Word to the wise, Sophie,” Gavin called out with a wicked grin, “Conor’s my best mate, but I’d be careful. He’s a heartbreaker!”
“Fuck off, Gav,” Conor returned with a laugh.
“Oh, yeah? Put ’em up, pretty boy,” Gavin said, getting up and rounding the table so he could assume a boxing stance.
Conor rose to join him and the two held up fists, but when they swiped at each other it was with an open hand, trying to land a slap rather than a punch.
“Boys and their macho nonsense, aye?” Felicity said with a nod to the two of them.
Sophie laughed before her gaze moved past the boys to the girl Gavin had kissed. She was watching Gavin intently, following his every move. “Is she Gavin’s girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend du jour, you could say. Her name’s Mary. Sort of a surprise that they’re a couple.”
“Why’s that?”
“To be honest, she’s not exactly at his level. Gavin, well, he could have his pick of ‘em, you know?”
“I bet,” Sophie said absently, her attention returning to Gavin. He moved fluidly, dodging Conor’s jabs.
“Don’t tell me you’re interested?” Felicity asked. “With the way he’s treated you today?”
“No, not at all.”
Felicity watched her for a moment before murmuring a skeptical “Uh huh.” It seemed her new friend could see right through her.
Sophie shrugged, silently admitting what she couldn’t really explain or justify: she was interested in Gavin. Even though he wasn’t available. Even though they’d shared nothing more than a few heated gazes and some oddly tense interactions. “Tell me about you.”
“Nice change of subject,” Felicity said with a laugh. “I’m not sure what to say except I’m jealous that you’ve moved yourself so far away from home. I’d love to do that. To be that bold. I mean, that actually is my plan, to go as far away as possible for university and a taste of freedom. I just have to really do it.”
“Freedom from what?”
Felicity sighed and looked down. “It’s just me and my ma and pretty much always has been. And she’s just … a lot, you know? She’s so needy. I sometimes feel like I’m the mother and she’s the child. I’m dying to live my life for me. So, I’m doing the best I can with school so I can move on. Until then, I spend my time with this lot.”
That Felicity shared something so personal touched Sophie. She thought about reciprocating by telling her the truth behind her so-called “bold” move to Ireland. But she wasn’t ready.
“Well, let me give you the lay of the land, so to speak. You already know Gavin and Conor. They’ve been best mates since God was a boy. They started a band together, too.”
“A band?”
Felicity grinned. “Sexy, yeah? Young rockers. Gavin’s the singer—got a nice voice. Conor plays guitar. And see that fella over there?” she asked, lifting her chin.
Sophie swung her gaze in the direction Felicity indicated and saw a lanky boy sitting by himself, wearing headphones, with his head bowed. His dirty blond hair fell over his eyes, but she recognized him from earlier.
“That’s Shay—the drummer. He’s so wrapped up in music that a lot of us suspect he doesn’t even know what a girl is,” Felicity said with a laugh.
“It can’t be that bad,” Sophie said.
“He’s hopeless. Just try talking to him—you’ll see. He won’t be able to string two words together. It’s a bit of a joke.”
“Aw, poor thing.”
“He takes it all in stride. Anyway, last, but not least … see that one there?” She pointed to a stocky boy with dark brown hair. “That’s Martin. He plays bass. He’s the sort who’s happy to do whatever he’s told. Now, you tell me all about you. Who are you staying with here? Family?”
Sophie smiled, relieved once more to have found someone she felt so at ease with.
“Well, um, no. I’m staying with these people who work for my parents.”
Felicity’s eyebrows shot up.
“I know, it sounds weird. But they’re really very nice. And they’re pretty hands off, which is a lot like how my parents are, actually.”
“Hands off?”
“I mean, if you think your mom is too needy? My parents are the opposite. They don’t need me. Like, at all. The business they started is their baby. I get it, it’s blown up to be this huge thing that I don’t think even they dreamed it’d become. But they’re just not very involved in my life, I guess you could say.”
Before Sophie could completely regret her honesty, Felicity leaned her shoulder into hers and said, “It could always be worse.”
Sophie met her eyes.
“We could be incapable of actual conversation and instead revert to trying to slap each other in the face like eejit boys.” She nodded toward Gavin and Conor who were still going at it and she and Sophie laughed.
They chatted nonstop after that and the lunch break went by fast. When the others started toward class, Sophie lingered behind, taking her time tossing out her uneaten lunch.
“Not hungry, then?”
Looking up, she saw Gavin standing a few feet away.
“No, not really,” she said as nonchalantly as she could, aware of both her heartbeat quickening and Felicity moving away, smirking at them.
“I … em,” he started, pushing his hand through his hair and looking away. “I’m sorry that I came at you like that earlier.”
His earlier swagger was gone, suggesting his apology was sincere. Still, if he was looking for her forgiveness, she wanted to be sure he understood how he’d made her feel.
“In class, you mean? When you tried to make it seem like I was looking down on you?”
“Eh, I?—”
“And just now, when you had everyone laughing at me over my tan?”
He watched her for a moment and she sensed he was trying to sort out how badly he’d screwed up. She kept his gaze and let the silence play out.
Finally, he bit his lip and then said, “I guess Felicity was right.”
She arched a brow. “Right about what?”
“I was being an arse. You didn’t deserve that. But, the thing is, you’ve had some kind of effect on me. Since I saw you in the hall. You’ve … captivated me,” he told her.
“Oh,” she whispered. She’d jokingly told Conor that being here was overwhelming but now she truly was overwhelmed. By this boy.
Moving closer to her, he said, “It’s just, well, you’re like some sort of exotic creature. Something rare and … beautiful.”
She took in a breath, then tried and failed to hold back a smile. If he was captivated by her, she was intoxicated by him. The heat of his singular attention was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.
His eyes fell to her hand where she was once more toying with her necklace. And then his gaze drifted further, taking in her smooth bare legs beneath her school uniform skirt. When he met her eyes again, she saw something there she could only describe as hunger. It made her swallow hard.
“So, about that offer of Conor’s to show you around?” He tipped his chin up and fixed her in that magnetic gaze of his once more. “Forget about him. If you’re after seeing some of Dublin, I’m your man.”
The flirt was clear. He wanted her to choose him over Conor.
But there was no choice. Gavin was the only one she wanted.
It was only remembering that he wasn’t free to speak to her like this that made her hesitate.
“I thought you were Mary’s man?” she said, finding that inner reserve once again. The last thing she wanted was to be the girl who broke up what seemed to be the most popular couple in the school.
His eyes widened and he shook his head, as if he just realized his predicament. Taking a few steps backward, he held up his hands.
“Who knows what the future holds, yeah?” he asked, tossing her a wink before turning away.
Despite herself, she smiled.