Chapter 28 It’s from America
It's from America
Paddy
“Here he is.” I hold my hand out for my mate to take.
“Don’t be a sap. I’ve been busy.” Jake takes my hand, giving it a firm shake before he sits at the table.
“Yeah, too fucking busy to come see the Gladiator’s semi-final match,” Danny gripes.
I raise my brows in Jake’s direction jokingly. Although to Danny, it isn’t a joke.
Jake shrugs off his jacket. “I had work. It’s been hectic, that’s all.”
I pass him the beer I bought him.
“Thanks.” He takes a large sip.
“How did your night end?” I ask looking at Danny, cocking a smile his way. “I didn’t hear from you after.”
He takes a sip of his pint. “It went as you expected.”
“As I expected?” I question with a snort. “So she saw the size of your knob and ran?”
Danny deadpans, making Jake laugh. “No, fucker. She and I had a great night.”
“You slept with someone?” Jake asks him, sounding surprised.
Danny nods. “Morgan’s friend, Sarah. She was…” His voice trails off in a daydream-like way before he adds, “She was fucking incredible.”
Jake and I stare at Danny in silence.
“Hang on, did you catch feelings for this girl?” I ask him seriously, looking at Jake in disbelief.
“I think I did, lad.” He taps his chest. “It hurts in here.”
“Jesus,” Jake says shaking his head. “I missed a lot.”
Caught with my mouth open, I quickly close it. “Does she feel the same way?”
Danny looks at me like I’ve got a screw loose. “Like I’m supposed to know.”
“What happened?” Jake wonders for the both of us before sipping his pint again.
Danny sighs, and it’s the first time I’ve seen him this serious. “I think I fell in love.”
Jake snorts into his pint.
Danny stands, but I grab his arm before he can have a tantrum. “Sit down. He’s only messing. We can see how this girl might be different.”
Waiting for Jake to clear the froth off his top lip, Danny then slowly sits back down. “I’m not telling you two shit.”
“Thank fuck,” Jake laughs again.
I frown slightly before looking at Danny. Yeah, it’s funny that the player of the group went and caught feelings for a girl he doesn’t know. She seems a little out of his league, but I’m not about to bust his balls over it.
“How did you leave things with her?” I dare to ask, in a hope that our mate knows we give a shit about him.
He takes a breath before he says, “She said she’d call.”
I have to swallow the urge to laugh in his face.
“Oh boy,” Jake says, smiling into his pint.
“Alright,” Danny says dropping his head. “It’s pathetic, I know.”
I let a silent laugh escape me. “Don’t be hard on yourself, mate.” I give Danny a friendly slap on the back. “She might call.”
“She won’t,” Jake mutters, and Danny’s head jerks up.
“Do you think she will?” Ignoring Jake, his eyes burn into mine.
Looking between my two mates, I honestly don’t know what to say. “Uh, yeah. She might.” Geez, are we really having this conversation over a pint in our local?
Danny holds my gaze. “You sure?”
I sigh, rubbing a hand against my forehead. “Mate, I don’t know,” I laugh. “But it’s clear you want her to.”
Jake leans forward, my wingman coming into action. He and I both know Danny has never been in this situation. And while Jake is married and I have Morgan, Danny’s never had anybody stay longer than one night.
“Try not to obsess over her, alright?”
Danny stares at Jake. “That’s easy for you to say.” He points between the two of us. “You have a wife, and you have the girl next door pining over you.”
My stomach knots. “It’s not like that.”
He tuts. “It is. You just refuse to take it any further with her.”
My teeth grind.
“Why don’t you grab another round, Danny?” Jake interjects.
Danny downs the rest of his pint. “Yeah,” he agrees. “Same again?”
We both nod, but I don’t look up.
Once Danny’s heading to the bar, I sense Jake about to say something. We trained together. I know when he’s about to go into work mode. “I don’t need you to say anything.”
He sighs. “I was just going to say, I spoke to Catherine.”
I look up. “What did she tell you?” Because to say anything would be breaching patient confidentiality.
“She didn’t tell me anything, but I’m happy for you.”
I gaze at him hard. “Meaning?”
He sits straight in his chair, crossing his arms. “Meaning, I’m glad you finally spoke to someone. Even if it wasn’t me or Danny, I’m glad she could help.”
I blink, taking a sip of my pint. “Tom called.”
“Oh yeah?”
I run a hand through my hair. “I can go back to work when I’m ready.”
Taking a few seconds before he replies, Jake’s lips purse. “And does Morgan have anything to do with you not going back right away?”
Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on the table and link my fingers together. “It’s complicated.”
He doesn’t move. “Want to talk about it?”
I shake my head, pressing my thumbs into my eye sockets. Then I peer up at him. “I think I’m done with the city. My place is here.”
“And Morgan?”
My chin rests on my hands. “She needs me here.”
He mirrors the way I’m sitting. “Is she okay?”
“No, mate. She’s not.”
“I’m sorry,” he offers, face turning down. “What are you going to do?”
I stare past him. “Pray she gets better.”
His face drops so fast. “Better?” He checks my expression, and an ominous silence descends before Jake speaks again. “Jesus, Paddy. And if she doesn’t? Have you thought about what happens then?”
Every single day.
“I wish I could tell her what’s going on.” I look at him, seeing him frown.
“What do you mean?” He watches me. Reads me. Fuck, I wish I could explain this. “She doesn’t know?” His voice raises at the end in understanding.
“No. It’s complicated. I need to get the timing right.”
“Screw the timing.”
“No,” I cut him off, eyes locked on his, holding his gaze. “She’s doing so well. I can’t ruin it all because of my need to have some sort of a life with her.”
Finishing his pint, Jake scratches the side of his face. “I don’t know what’s going on, but the longer you leave it, the worse it could be for her.”
I know what he’s saying is true. Every part of me knows what he’s saying is right. “Shit.”
Danny lands three pints on the table, startling me.
I gaze at Jake, wanting him to tell me exactly what to do. Lord knows I need some fucking help. Because the deeper things get between Morgan and I, the harder it’s going to be. The more it’s going to hurt.
“Get these in ya’ boys,” Danny declares, handing out the beers.
“Thanks,” Jake says, side-eyeing me before he asks, “So tell me about the game.”
It’s half an hour later by the time Danny finishes explaining the entire match, and all the different positions he and Sarah got in to after it. Honestly, listening to him only made me think of Morgan and how much of a turn on it was seeing her undress in my old room yesterday.
I don’t know if anything will go further in the near future, but imagining what it will be like to actually go further with her, makes a shiver run down my spine.
She was so perfect.
Her perfect body.
That underwear.
Her confidence.
“I need to go.” I grab my jacket and stand, feeling blood rush to places I don’t want my two mates seeing.
“So soon?” Danny asks, looking a little red in the cheeks from the beers.
“Yeah. I need to check in with the old man before I go check Morgan. She was pretty hammered last night.”
Danny grins. “So was Sarah.”
“And on that note, I better get back too. Cat and I have a weekend off together.” Jake pushes out his chair as he stands.
“I recommend getting hammered.” Danny blasts Jake a finger gun.
He and I exchange a confused look, both choosing to ignore Danny.
“Was good seeing you,” I tell Jake, holding out my hand.
He takes it but drags me into a hug.
“Now who’s being the sap?” I mutter.
Straightening, he looks at me. “Talk to her. Then once that’s done, it’d be good to have you back on duty.”
I nod my appreciation, giving him my best smile. I wasn’t lying when I told Morgan I was ready to get back to work. I’m not denying it won’t be easy, but my job is my life. I miss it.
“Alright, same time next weekend, lads?” Jake asks.
“Yep.” I give him a nod.
“You’ll be drinking with champions.” Danny downs his pint and stands.
“Christ, is the final next weekend?”
Danny threads his arms into his sleeves. “Yeah, lad. Don’t you be missing it. I let you off once. There’ll be no second chances.”
Jake laughs slipping his hands into his pockets. “Is that right?”
I do up my jacket. “Better check my calendar. I might be busy.”
Danny’s eyes land heavy on me as we exit the pub. “Are you serious?”
“No.” I exhale letting the door close behind me. “I wouldn’t let you down.” I give him a pat on the back.
“Thank the fucking Lord. You had me shitting bricks for a second there.”
I shake my head at his poor use of a metaphor. “Chat soon.”
“Bye, boys.” Danny takes the first lane next to the pub while Jake heads to his car.
I wave him off, then begin the half an hour walk back to my parents’ place.
It’s only as I’m through the front door do I recognise the pink wellies neatly placed on the doormat.
Morgan.
“Hello?”
“In here, love,” Mum calls from the kitchen.
My feet move quickly through the hall to where everyone’s sitting around the table. “What’s up?”
Fi starts laughing at me. “Not your flies.”
I look down, falling for her antics, but clip her head with the palm of my hand as I walk past.
“Wanker,” she throws at me.
“Fiona, please.” Mum shakes her head.
I’m mature enough not to say anything back, but that doesn’t stop me from smirking at her as I make it to the girl sitting at the head of the table.
“Hey.”
“Hi.” Morgan smiles widely.
I feel like I missed something here, given how everyone’s smiling at us. It’s like the first week I was back and they wanted us both to talk.
“You okay?” I ask Morgan.
Morgan nods, taking my hand in hers. “I need to talk to you.” Dragging me through the kitchen, she swings open the door to the living room. “Here.” She quickly passes me a letter.
I look down not recognising the handwriting on the front. “What is it?”