Chapter 5
five
JONATHAN
“What’s your fucking problem?” Daneil huffed next to Jonathan’s shoulder as they hoofed it back to their townhouse.
“What do you mean, what’s wrong? What the fuck was right about any of that?” Jonathan would have loved nothing more than to follow Mags and demand answers. Truthful answers.
“You didn’t intend for the idiot Jasmine to join us today, and you apologized. What’s the big deal? I can assure you, we’re all used to your poor taste by now, bro.”
“You have the same tastes, asshole. I’m not pissed about that. What the hell is going on with Mags? And don’t feed me a line that you didn’t notice.”
Daniel’s eyebrows winged high in surprise. “This,” he swept his hand up and down Jonathan’s body, “is about Mags?”
“Just answer my question. You noticed, right?” Jonathan was not making shit up.
“I mean,” Daniel hesitated, “I guess. Normally, she never misses a meal, but she did say she had a big breakfast.”
“And no rum and Coke?”
“I heard her tell Cormac that she had work to do.”
“She said a bunch of weird shit to her mom when Aileen called.”
“Christ, Jon. Did you listen to her private conversation?”
Jonathan felt his cheeks flush, but he refused to make excuses. “Yes. She was asking her mom about her treatments. I asked about that, but Mags said she’d had bronchitis, which I don’t believe. She told her mom she was starving and ordered two whole meals for herself. That’s fucking weird. Right?”
“I suppose that’s odd. Still, you couldn’t hear Aileen’s side of things. Why are you so bent out of shape?”
Jonathan ignored the last, still ticking off his points. “She was courteous to Jasmine even though she was purposely rude. Mags always lets my dates have it when they act badly. She just took it with a thank you and a smile.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re pissed because Mags didn’t tear into one of your dates? Do you realize how dumb that sounds?”
Admittedly, that did sound ridiculous once he’d voiced it out loud, but Mags had made it her life’s mission to screw up his dates, to stalk and make fun of the women. Basically, anything to piss him off.
Ever since he’d kissed Mags—no, he wouldn’t think of that night—she’d become disdainful and uncaring when it came to his choices, but still, her antics said otherwise. She hadn’t said a word against any of his choices in months. Hell, he’d barely seen her but a handful of times.
“Fine, but what about moving out of the townhouse without telling anyone? Even you can’t deny that that’s totally not like her.”
“She told Blair.”
“Well after the fact,” Jonathan growled. “Don’t you think it’s odd that she didn’t tell Bébhinn or Gray? Her best friends.”
“Have you considered that it’s nothing more than what she admitted? That she’s busy. You know how she gets when she’s focused on something.”
“Not so busy that she doesn’t have a boyfriend, apparently.” Jonathan was seething over the last. Had her new boyfriend been to her new flat? A flat Jonathan hadn’t even known about until thirty minutes ago.
Daniel stopped walking, forcing Jonathan to stop or leave him behind. “What the hell is really going on? Do you…do you like Mags, Jon? I mean as more than a friend.”
Jonathan felt his chest tighten. “What the hell? I care about Mags as much as I do all of our friends. I just don’t understand why no one else thinks she’s off.
” The truth was, even though they’d been antagonistic with one another, he and Mags were friends, but it seemed like they weren’t even that anymore, and it was freaking him out.
“Forget it, Dan. I’ll keep an eye on her when I can and see what’s what.” He started walking toward home once more.
The ache in his chest felt hollow. Margaret Morrow used to take up space whether she knew it or not.
He was an O’Faolain. He was successful, a good son, and a great friend.
He offered help and counsel, needing nothing in return.
Was he a bit of a playboy? Yes. Did he make his intentions clear to the women he dated? Again, yes.
There was only one person on this planet who could destroy him with a look. Three years ago, he’d made that person cry, and he’d never been the same.
That New Year’s had been the one moment where he’d intentionally set out to hurt another person, and it was because he’d been scared. Scared of what his feelings meant. How his feelings would change his life.
Margaret Colleen Morrow wasn’t a one-night anything. She was a man’s forever, and he’d made her cry because of it.
She never questioned his actions, not that night, and not since. He knew, though.
Mags was going through something and lying about it. If he did nothing else, he would discover what she was hiding.