Chapter Six
Rowan
Our set was some craic tonight. The crowd was lively and eager to have another pint or two while singing along to a surprising amount of songs.
Eamon ended the set by performing ‘Ringsend Rose’ for Norah.
The sap has been head over heels for her since the moment he met her, but now that they’re married?
He’s a lovesick fool. I gave him a fair amount of shite for it too, even though, if I’m being honest, I’m green with envy.
After that little interaction with Alicia, I’m feeling right sorry for myself.
She thinks the walls she’s built up around her are solid steel, but I’ve seen them up close and they’re bricks and mortar, just like the rest of us.
She thinks that I don’t notice the way her eyes track me when my head’s turned, or how the pupils of her gorgeous blue eyes dilate when we touch, but I see it all.
I know that night in Ireland meant just as much to her as it did to me.
I’ve given her plenty of space and time, but I’m done waiting. We will have it out—one way or another.
“How long are you in town for?” Teagan asks while we pack up our instruments.
Latching the case of my fiddle, I shrug. “Not sure yet. Tonight for certain, but it depends on how long Marcos wants to hang around. We don’t have training until Monday, so my weekend’s free.”
“Grand. You still leasing the flat here?” Teagan asks.
“Aye,” I confirm. “I knew I’d be back enough times that it just made sense to keep up with it.”
He begins talking, but I tune him out when I see Alicia looking down at her phone with a frustrated look on her face. Could be anything, but when she slams it down on the bar before pinching the bridge of her nose, I’m already moving.
“Ro!” Teagan barks, confused by my sudden departure.
Skirting the crowd, I slide up to the end of the bar and stand there, watching her for a moment. Her phone is back in her hand, fingers flying over the screen as she curses under her breath.
“Alright, darlin’?” I keep my voice low enough to not draw attention, but loud enough for her to hear over the ruckus.
Alicia tenses, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply through her pierced nose. “Fine, Gallagher.”
“Sure about that? You seem like you’re ready to rage.”
“I said I’m fine, Rowan,” she snarls, slamming the phone back on the bar top before grabbing a towel to wipe a perfectly clean and dry spot.
“I know what ya said, but what I’m seein’ is something completely different.” I normally let her have her moments, but if she won’t even have a civil conversation with me, I’m left with no choice but to pick a fight with her.
“Yeah. Well, it doesn’t concern you, so just leave it.” Alicia turns her back to me, yanking spotless bottles from the shelves to wipe them down.
“And I’m tellin’ you that I won’t leave it until ya talk to me. I can do this all night, love.” I shouldn’t say it, but I know it will be the spark to light the fire. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stayed up all night with ya.”
In a move quicker than I can track, she’s spun around. Her hand slaps over my mouth, her face close to mine.
“Would you shut the fuck up?” Her question is hissed between us.
Because I can’t help myself, and because it’s been too long since I’ve tasted any part of her, I flick my tongue against her palm just like I’d do if I had her spread wide before me.
This would earn me a cry of disgust from anyone else, but not Alicia.
Oh no, not my Galway girl. Her pupils dilate, and she gasps softly.
I love watching the blush stain her porcelain skin.
Taking advantage of her stunned state, I gently wrap my fingers around her hand, pulling it away from my mouth just enough to place a kiss to her inner wrist. It is a spot I learned is quite sensitive on her.
“Now,” I murmur, holding her gaze. “Will you please talk to me? I just want to help.”
Alicia takes a deep breath through her nose, and as she exhales, whiskey laced breath fans my face. She doesn’t normally drink on the job, so I’m more than a little surprised.
“It’s family stuff,” she mutters, looking down at her boots. “And it’s been a really long day.”
I’m still holding her wrist because I’m afraid she’ll bolt the moment I release her, but she’s not resisting.
“What happened?” I ask softly.
Her shoulders drop as she heaves a sigh. She sounds exhausted when she finally spills.
“Bridget got written up again so I told her she couldn’t go out tonight. She was just caught by our neighbor drinking with her piece of shit friends in the park by our apartment.”
Ah, that will do it. Bridget is Alicia’s fifteen year old little sister that is rarely spoken of, especially in a positive light.
From what I’ve gathered, she’s a troublemaker.
I don’t know their backstory, but I do know that Alicia has been the sole provider for the two of them for quite some time. It can’t be easy.
“Is the neighbor going to report her to the police?”
“Fuck, I hope not. That’s the last thing I need right now.” She moves her arm like she’s going to rub at her forehead only to realize that I still have a hold of her. The look she gives me would freeze a man’s bollocks, so I loosen my grip and give her an apologetic smile that she doesn’t return.
“How can I help?” I ask earnestly, eyes still locked on her face.
Now that I’m up close, I can see how tired she is. The dark circles under her eyes are still visible beneath her makeup.
She scoffs and looks away. “Unless you can become my clone, there’s nothing. I can’t afford to lose the hours, so she’ll just have to wait until I get off work. Who knows what kind of trouble she’ll get up to during that time though.”
This is the part where I want to offer her every red cent in my bank account if it will alleviate her from even one of her burdens, but she’s too proud to accept a handout. I wouldn’t disrespect her like that.
“Do you want me to go get her?”
Alicia raises a brow at me like I’ve gone absolutely mental. “Let’s play this out, shall we? A strange man my sister has never met approaches her and says, ‘Hey, your sister sent me. Get in my car.’ She may be a pain in the ass, but she knows better than to take rides from strangers.”
I purse my lips and nod. “Yep, right you are. That wouldn’t look a bit suspicious at all, yeah?”
A faint smile graces her face for just a second. “Look, Ro, I appreciate you wanting to help, but I’ve got this. I’ve made it this far in life without any help, and I’ll just keep on trucking. Don’t worry about me.”
“Li,” I start, but she sets her palm against my chest and looks at me fully, pleadingly.
“Please. Just let it go. This isn’t the first time Bridget has put me in this position, and it won’t be the last. Now, go back to the group and let me do my job.”
My jaw clenches, teeth grinding together to keep me from opening my mouth to make things worse. The frustrating part is that she doesn’t have to do any of this alone. Anyone of us would drop everything to help her. An idea starts to take form, so I nod once then walk away from the bar.