Chapter 4
Bonfire Whispers
Deja
A week later …
“Happy birthday, Deja,” two newcomers call out.
I smile and wave. I wasn’t expecting this party. Logan and Cole were called away last week after the game.
I had to take a rain check on the dinner Cole owes me. I was a little bummed, but I got over it. Then this morning, he called to tell me they were throwing me a bonfire party for my birthday.
I shouldn’t have been so disappointed in the first place about the dinner. Cole isn’t interested in me. It’s not like we were going to dinner alone.
Besides, Boyle has been pursuing me for the last five months. I’m still not sure about him. I used to have a crush on him, but that was before he dated Ríona Gallagher.
She’s a total bitch, and I do believe she only dated Boyle because I liked him. And I thought he liked me too, until they showed up at a party together. Knowing he kissed and probably shagged her fish-face arse is a total turnoff.
Everyone knows we can’t stand each other. It kind of felt like a slap in the face when they got together. However, I had been ready to give in and let him take me out about a week ago.
Now I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when he calls or asks me out. I keep telling myself it’s not because of Cole. To be honest, it has more to do with the possessiveness Boyle has displayed over the last week.
I haven’t agreed to be his girlfriend so it’s not appealing to me at all. Even tonight, something has been off with him. I’m friends with his best friend’s girlfriend, so he’s a part of my friend group.
Actually, Boyle and his cousin Jameson are friends of mine. Jameson has never been super outgoing, but Boyle is just the opposite. Boyle has been acting an arse tonight.
I’ve tried to avoid him, but he hasn’t gotten the hint. What’s even more frustrating is the fact that Cole and Logan’s old friends have joined the party, and Cole has been off with them most of the night.
“Who’s in charge of the music?” Boyle grumbles.
“It’s one of Deja’s mixtapes,” Kate replies.
“The ones she makes with the CDs yer brothers send ya?” Aisling says.
“Cole sends them for her. She just allows me to listen to them first,” Kate corrects her.
“Gah, I would chew off me left arm for him to send me anything. A worn T-shirt, his sweaty jocks, a bottle of his bathwater. Ugh, the brush he uses for all that thick hair,” Aisling drools.
“He’s all right. Don’t ya think yer going too far?” Boyle mutters.
I don’t miss the frown on Jameson’s face. To be honest, he’s been acting out of character lately. Something is going on between him and Boyle. I shrug it off and mind my business.
“Don’t be so jealous. The girl yer after isn’t even interested in him,” Croía says and rolls her eyes.
I bite my lip and look down at the beer bottle in my hand. I’ve had a few, but I’m not trying to get drunk and embarrass myself. Or better yet, blurt out to everyone that I am interested in Cole.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t seem to get him off my mind. I don’t want to be that silly best friend Kate has to ask to stay away from her brother. I also don’t want Cole to think I’m some sort of stook.
“Don’t ya have anything slower? Something us lads can get ye ladies to dance with us to?” Flynn asks.
I laugh and take the escape he’s offering. “Yeah, sure. I’ve got ya.”
I turn and head over to the stereo. I pull the CD I’m looking for and pop it in. A smile comes to my lips as people get up and begin to dance together.
I’m grateful when I see Boyle heading my way, but Clodagh Murray stops him to dance with her. I move over to the fire and stare into the flames as I try to sort out my feelings. Nothing can ever happen between me and Cole.
He lives in America, and I live here in Ireland. I’m going into the league to play softball. I probably won’t have time for guys at all. Cole, Boyle, it doesn’t matter; I won’t have time for either.
Suddenly, heat engulfs my back, and I’m locked in a one-arm headlock. If I didn’t smell his cologne through the alcohol, I would still know it’s Cole. I sigh and melt into him.
“Are ya having a good time?” he asks and kisses the top of my head.
“I guess so.”
“It took me five stores to find this album for ya,” he chuckles.
I tune into the music and listen to see which one he’s talking about. Sisqó’s “Addicted” is playing. Cole begins to sway and step from side to side as he keeps his hold on me.
I rock with him as my belly does a dance of its own. I can’t help basking in the feel of his huge bicep and forearm cradling my head.
“Thanks for all the CDs.”
“Anything for ya, DJ. Ya know I can’t call ya that if yer not my personal disc jockey.”
“Ya mean it doesn’t stand for Dirty Jaw anymore?” I tease.
He bursts into laughter. “I felt bad for weeks after that, ya know? The prank wasn’t meant for ya. Besides, I’ve always called ya DJ because of the music. Logan and Jamie started that Dirty Jaw shit.”
One summer when his cousins were here, they had all been playing pranks on each other. I got ahold of a dirt cupcake that wasn’t meant for me. I bit right into it before Cole could stop me.
Everyone had a good laugh at my expense. I was so mad. Kate helped me get them all back.
“That was one of the best summers ever,” I laugh.
“Not for me. The last time I was here was the best summer I’ve had here.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“There was this cute little fifteen-year-old. She saw me when no one else did. I was going through a ton of shit, and she gave me words I now live by.”
My heart begins to race along with my mind. He’s talking about me. Brothers call their little sisters cute all the time, right? No big deal.
“What could wee fifteen-year-old me have told a big nineteen-year-old lad like ya that would have stuck with ya?”
“Ya told me no matter what I decided, I needed to stick to my truth. Then ya told me to be who I wanted to be and give it my all,” he says right next to my ear.
“Aye, sage advice. Sounds like me,” I snicker.
“Ach, it was. Now it’s time for me to return the favor. None of those melters is worth yer time. Yer too pretty, too smart, too mine to give them the time of day. I’ll tell ya one of me secrets, DJ.
“I’m addicted to ya. Ya’ve always belonged to me,” he breathes.
I snap my head up to look at him. He looks me right in the eyes, then moves his gaze to my lips. He drops his arm from around my neck to wrap around my waist.
It would only take a breath to bring our lips together. He leans a bit closer and our noses touch. I start to freak out because he’s really going to kiss me.
“Cole,” Logan growls as he comes and grabs Cole by the arm, pulling him away from me.
I let the breath I’m holding swoosh from my lips. I don’t know whether to be frustrated or relieved that the kiss didn’t happen. I’m a little confused.
Cole
“Have you lost your mind?” Logan hisses.
“No, we were just talking.”
“With that bastard’s spies right in your face. Bro, Granda was right. I mean, I’ve always known. Fuck,” Logan growls and pushes a hand into the front of his hair.
“Known what?”
“You’re drunk, Cole. You should call it a night.”
“And leave her here with these eejits drooling over her?” I slur as I frown.
“That’s better than it getting back to him that you can’t stay away from her. You’ve been in love with Deja for years, Cole. You’re not fooling anyone but yourself.
“I know it, Granda knew it, Uncle Finlay knows it, and it looks like Oland knows it as well. We have our answers. Everything McTavish says is true.”
“They can’t take her from me. Oland is fucking with the right one. We should just leave now and take her and Kate with us.”
“And then what? You want her to end up like Nakim? That guilt is already eating you alive. Could you imagine if that were her?”
I stumble back a few steps. I would die before I allowed that. I would never forgive myself.
“This isn’t fair to her. This will take softball from her. She’ll have to walk onto a team in America.”
“And she will do fine. She’s more than good enough to earn a scholarship, but if she doesn’t, Uncle Finlay will pay for any college she wants to go to. She can still play.”
“Angus is willing to do this? He’s really going to move them to America?”
“The plan is already in motion. Cole, it’s going to be fine. She has a double target on her back because she’s Kate’s best friend. Allow us to do this the right way. We go home in the morning.”
I nod as tears burn the backs of my eyes. This feels wrong. I know something is going to go wrong.