Chapter Seven
John-Francis
Ronan and I were up with the sun, managing to get a second wee fuck in before he had to slip away back to his gaff.
I had no words for how thrilled I was that he’d been pleased with my suggestion that we kept on seeing one another, both staying in Appleby.
I’d been nervous as all hell to take that jump, opening myself up in a way I never had done before, and yet I trusted Ronan.
It was fucking strange how quickly we’d latched on to one another and whilst I wasn’t about to be pushing for commitment any time soon, I hoped he was as into this as he seemed to be.
Time would tell, and now we had a wee bit more of it to explore this relationship properly.
I was still lounging around in my bed when a harsh rap of knuckles came at the door. I heaved myself up and shuffled to answer it. Declan – looking like shite, miserable and covered in hickeys.
“Ah, Declan. Howsagoing?” I said with a grin, knowing my being chipper would get under my mate’s skin.
“Took y’time gettin’ t’ the bleedin’ door, now,” he grumbled, pushing past me. “I’m fuckin’ soakin’.”
The heavy rain from the night before had eased off, replaced by fine drizzle. The fair would be a washout today, but I couldn’t bring myself to be too unhappy about that. Not sure my body could take another day of sunburn and too much to drink.
“Feckin’ hell, ya a cheery one this mornin’, eh?” I muttered. “Face like a smacked arse.”
“I’m comin’ down, get off me back,” Declan snapped, throwing himself down onto my plastic covered sofa.
Who was he kidding? This was more than just coming down.
I’d seen Declan on E before and last night had been in a completely different league.
He’d been all over Tess like a rash, gazing at her like a fucking wee melter, like she was the only thing in the universe worth looking at.
Declan had it fucking bad and I wasn’t about to let up on teasing him about it just yet.
“Aye, nothin’ t’ do with seein’ y’wee side piece off, now?” I replied and when Declan cast me a venomous look, I held up my palms with a chuckle. “Forget I said anythin’, aye?”
“When y’done bein’ a feckin’ smart arse, y’wanna decide where we’re movin’ on to?” Declan sighed, crossing my arms over my chest and slumping back.
My brows jumped up. Declan was still planning to leave Appleby, and more importantly Tess, behind? I hadn’t expected that. My thoughts turned to Ronan and the promises I’d made him. What if Declan wasn’t as up for hanging about as I’d assumed? A knot formed in my stomach.
“What y’chattin’? We’re leavin’?”
Declan frowned. “Aye, why wouldn’t we now?”
I had to play this cool. I didn’t want to give away that I might have ulterior motives for staying behind.
“I dunno. I thought y’might be keen to hang about now y’gettin’ the ride in wi’ y’girl.”
“Y’alright, are ya?” he snapped. “When have y’ever seen me hangin’ around f’me hole?”
“A’right, don’t ate me head off, now,” I muttered with a scowl. “Ya right, ya’ve never hung about f’ya hole, but y’want me t’ be honest wi’ y’now?”
Declan shrugged, waving me on in a sarcastic manner that made me want to punch him. He’d always be my mate, but sometimes I really couldn’t stick his attitude when he was feeling vulnerable or emotional. There were worse fucking things, and he needed a reality check.
“I’ve also never seen ya so fixated on a girl neither.”
“Feck off!” Declan said with a bitter laugh.
I’d had enough of this. My happiness was riding on this decision.
I hadn’t expected quite this level of pushback from Declan and my palms grew sweaty.
I wanted to stay in Appleby with Ronan. Was I going to break away from my mate, the fella who’d had my back all these years to be able to? I didn’t know.
“Fine, be a stubborn arsehole, now. See if I care, like,” I replied angrily, pinning Declan with a glare. “But don’t be actin’ a cunt ‘cause y’pinin’.”
Seemingly Declan had no argument for that, and he just scowled at me, dropping his head back against the sofa in a sulk.
I did my best to busy myself around the caravan, keen to keep my hands busy.
I felt nervous, panicky even. I needed Declan on board with this plan.
How would I ever explain wanting to stay behind otherwise?
I had no good reason to, but he did. I watched him silently stewing and when he caught my eye, his scowl returned.
“What’re y’lookin’ at?”
“There’s plenty o’ work about town,” I said, praying I wasn’t coming across too keen. “An’ I gotta admit hitching up where there’s leccy an’ water is quality, aye.”
C’mon Dec…
For the first time since he’d arrived, I saw his expression relax a fraction.
“An’ if they don’t have the room f’us?” he countered. “Y’can’t just rock up here an’ get a plot now. I know folk squash in f’the fair like, but f’keeps is different.”
“Aye, but we can ask, now?”
I was on pins, pulse thrumming in my neck. I was barely breathing as I awaited my mate’s answer.
Declan sighed heavily, heaving himself to his feet. “Fine. Ask ‘bout it. I’m gonna go sleep off this feckin’ hangover.”
I barely resisted sagging with relief and I nodded.
“Aye, quality idea, fella. Y’doin’ me feckin’ head in. Go get y’head outta y’hole.”
Declan flipped me the finger, yanking the door open and hopping down onto the grass outside.
It swung closed behind him with a loud bang and I leant my shoulder into the wall of the caravan with a sigh.
Fuck, that had been tense, but it looked like Declan had finally begun to see sense.
Whilst my wanting to stay in Appleby was mostly for selfish reasons, it was true enough to say I was curious how Declan’s relationship with Tess was going to progress.
I’d meant what I said – I’d seen Declan with lots of girls, but I’d never seen him like this over one, and a buffer no less.
A grin worked its way onto my face, and I grabbed my phone, tapping out a quick text to Ronan.
JOHN-FRANCIS: Looks like Declan is on board with the plan to stay.
I waited as Ronan came online and I watched him typing a reply with my heart in my mouth.
RONAN: Fuck. Not getting rid of you just yet then!
I laughed and ran a hand through my hair.
I should have expected that response. We constantly gave each other shit and it occurred to me that my relationship with Declan was much the same…
minus the mind-blowing sex. That was a dangerously exciting mix, and I already couldn’t wait to get to exploring it further.
The beginning of our plans to stay in Appleby didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped. Whilst I’d easily managed to find us some work – convincing an old fella in the town that his trees needed felling – my mate was driving me crazy.
Declan was all up in his feelings about Tess, though he’d never have admitted it. He spent days moping about the camp whilst he decided his best course of action – which left Ronan and I decidedly devoid of an entirely different kind of action.
We couldn’t risk outing ourselves, so we both agreed we’d bide our time and wait for Declan to get distracted before attempting to start sneaking around, but the bastard was taking his sweet time. It had been four days, and I was missing Ronan like fucking crazy, horny as shit and in a bad mood.
“Why’d ya not just go down ta the wee pub an’ surprise her?” I asked, my tone rather more clipped and terser than I’d intended it.
“Like a wee feckin’ rom com? Nah,” Declan scoffed. He shifted his weight, the plastic covering the seating squeaking a little.
“Y’gotta do somethin’ ‘cause I don’t mind tellin’ ya y’doin’ me head in hangin’ ‘bout here, like,” I muttered. “Y’know she’s workin’, right? Just saunter on in like the big-headed prick y’are an’ order a drink.”
Declan scowled at me, but I could see the cogs whirring in his mind. When he dug his phone from his pocket to check the time, hope bloomed in my chest.
C’mon, y’feckin’ melter…
He sniffed, and feigning indifference, sat forward. “A wee drink doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Y’comin’?”
“So ya can ditch me as soon as y’see Tess’s wee smiley face f’havin’ ya back here? Nah, y’alright.” I shook my head with a grin. As Declan got up and made his way to the door, I called out. “Oh, an’ good luck, aye?”
Declan cast me a smirk. “Don’t need luck, fella. She’s crazy ‘bout me.”
The door slammed behind him, and I rolled my eyes. “Aye, wee bit o’ humility wouldn’t go amiss either, now,” I muttered under my breath.
As soon as I was sure Declan had taken my advice and wasn’t about to be returning, I texted Ronan. He was at the door ten minutes later.
“Howsagoin’?” I grinned at him, stepping aside to let him climb up into the caravan.
“All the better f’seein’ ya, like,” he replied, keeping his voice low until the door closed behind him.
“Ah, y’missed me, aye?” I teased, dragging him in close.
“Feck off,” he muttered with a smile before pulling me into a kiss.
We’d only been apart a few days, but it felt like it had been a lifetime.
My body lit up, every fibre of my being alive just for having Ronan pressed against me.
His hands found the hem of my t-shirt and wormed beneath it to stroke my skin.
Oh, yeah – he’d missed me, and I knew I’d missed him just as much.
When we finally parted, I smiled down at him, trying to pretend like having his hands on me wasn’t making my heart pound.
“‘Fore we get ta fuckin’, how d’ya feel ‘bout gettin’ somethin’ ta eat?” I asked, laughing when Ronan seemed to silently weigh up the pros and cons. “Ah, don’t trouble yourself over it – we can do both, like. I’d be sure ta be makin’ time ta eat and give ya a goin’ over, no bother.”
Ronan smirked, pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. “A’right, but I’m holdin’ ya t’ that.
“Have I ever let ya down, like?” I teased. “I won’t be forgettin’, believe me. Would just rather build me strength up a bit before we get ta it, aye?”