Chapter 15
15
AGE 17
“ D illon O’Donoghue!” The pounding on the door is in sync with the pounding in my head as I slowly come to. I’ve a crick in my neck from falling asleep at an awkward angle, and it tastes like mothballs have taken up residence in my mouth.
“Open this door, dickhead, or I swear I’ll fucking tear it down,” the somewhat familiar female says.
Shoving the sleeping bag off my lap, I drag my hands through my messy hair as I stifle a yawn and head towards the door.
“Come out here and show yourself, you fucking coward!” the woman adds in a shrill tone.
I rub my sore head. I do not need whatever drama this is, but the bitch sounds unhinged and ignoring her doesn’t seem like a smart plan. “Keep your hair on,” I say as I unlock the door. “I’m—Simone?” My recollections have not done her justice. Simone Sullivan is a total knockout. Way sexier than her younger sister. “Hey, babe.” I waggle my brows and flash her a flirty smile. “If I’d known you were stopping by, I’d have cleaned up.” I open the door wide, smiling as I gesture for her to come in. “I don’t usually go back for seconds, but I’ll make an exception in your case.”
“Un-fucking-believable.” She glares at me like I’m the devil incarnate, and I frown before it registers in my hungover brain.
“Shit.”
“Yeah, shit.” Grabbing my wrinkled shirt, she yanks me outside. “How dare you treat my sister like that!” She shoves my chest, and steam is practically billowing from her ears. “Especially after I made sure you had a good time losing your virginity. You could at least have shown my sister the same respect instead of treating her like a whore and shoving her out the door the instant you’d come!”
“Hang on here a sec.” I massage my throbbing temples. “Are you saying Shelby was a virgin?”
“Of course, she was a virgin! You fucking wanker!” She pushes my chest again, and I stumble back a little.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Shane loitering in the near distance, no doubt listening to every word. I shake my head, sending him a warning glare to butt the fuck out. “I didn’t know. I asked her, and she lied.” Folding my arms across my chest, I drill her with a dark look. “I don’t know what your fucking problem is, but I suggest you take it up with your sister. I didn’t mislead her. I told her out straight what the story was. Not my issue if she’s got a problem with it now.”
“You’re such a prick,” she says as tears fill her eyes. “She’s liked you for years. Only God knows why.”
“Sounds like you’re in no position to throw shade. You knew that, and yet you let me bang your brains out. Sounds fucking hypocritical to me.”
“I didn’t know! If I’d known how she felt, I would never have fucked you that night. I shouldn’t have fucked you anyway, but you caught me at a vulnerable moment.”
“Rewrite history if you want, but I know what happened.”
“That doesn’t fucking matter!” she screams, pacing in front of me. “How could you hurt Shelby like this, Dillon? She has liked you for so long. She saved her virginity for you, and then you just cruelly took it without any regard for her feelings.”
“She liked it.” I really don’t know why this bitch is making a big deal out of nothing. “If she didn’t, she would’ve told me to stop, and she didn’t.”
“She didn’t even come! And you fucked her so hard she’s sore and in pain today.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t think you were like this. I have never regretted fucking anyone as much as I regret fucking you.”
Join The Regrets Club, sweetheart, along with everyone else I seem to have let down.
I shrug before shoving my hands in the pockets of my jeans. Don’t know why she bothered coming here to stir shit up. It’s not like I can turn back time and reinstate her sister’s hymen. “You done now? ’Cause I’ve got shit to do.”
“My god, you’re not even a tiny bit sorry, are you?”
“What the fuck have I got to be sorry for?” I yell, stalking forward and pushing my angry face all up in hers. “Shelby is the one who lied. I didn’t do anything wrong, so fuck off home and tear strips off her because I’m fucking done with this shitty conversation.”
“You’re a complete prick, Dillon O’Donoghue.” She stabs my chest with her finger. “You stay the hell away from my sister. Shelby’s a good girl, and she’s going places. She doesn’t need the likes of you bringing her down.”
“Your sister already spread her legs for me. I have no reason to go near her again.”
She lunges at me and manages to scrape her nails down my cheek and knee me in the balls before Shane hauls her off me.
“Fuckkkkk!” I hiss, gently cupping my junk and trying not to pass out from the pain.
“You need to leave, Simone,” my brother says, keeping his arm around her as he walks her to her car. “I’m really sorry about all this. Dillon’s going through some stuff right now, and he doesn’t mean it.”
“Yes, I do!” I shout, still hunched over and cursing the bitch every which way to Sunday. “Fuck off apologizing for me.”
My brother glares at me over his shoulder before helping Simone into her car. I straighten up and adjust myself behind my jeans. Fuck, that hurt. They have a hushed conversation for a few minutes while I stand there stewing. I’m tempted to throw rocks at her car as she drives off, but I manage to restrain myself. I don’t trust her not to come back and try to castrate me. Bitch has serious issues.
“What the actual fuck was that all about?” Shane shouts, putting his face all up in mine. “How could you do that to that poor girl?”
“Fuck off, Shane.” I push him away. “I didn’t do anything to that poor girl that she didn’t want. Everyone needs to get off my fucking case. You’re all acting like I fucking raped her!”
“Well, you said it.” Shane pins narrowed eyes on me.
“What’d you say?” My dark tone slithers in the gap between us, flexing with warning.
“You heard me.” The stubborn cut of his jaw confirms he won’t back down.
“It was consensual. You take that back, Shane.”
“You’ve been acting like the devil’s spawn for weeks. It’s only a matter of time before you do something that’ll land you in jail, and I’m done with the way you’re treating Ma and Da. This bullshit ends now, Dillon.”
“Fuck you.” I push my chest into his. “You take it back, Shane. You fucking take it back!” I jab my finger repeatedly in his chest.
“I’ll take it back when you apologize to everyone for acting like the antichrist.”
“You’re not my fucking father, and I don’t answer to you!”
“If you were my son, I’d have you tossed in a cell until you came to your senses. No O’Donoghue goes around treating girls like shit. That’s not who we are, but maybe the DNA flowing through your veins is proof you’re not really one of us. You can’t be if this is how you treat people.”
All semblance of humanity leaves me as his words strike deep and true. Letting out a giant roar, I ram my fist in his face. And then it’s on. We throw punches at one another, landing blows on each other’s faces and upper torsos. When he gets me in a headlock, I bite his hand and punch him in the nuts. As he’s hunched over, I slam my fist into his side, and he loses it, pushing me back before headbutting me. I stumble on my feet, almost tripping, but I recover fast. My vision is still blurry as we charge at one another, hitting, punching, and shouting, until we’re forcibly pulled apart.
“That’s enough,” Da says, restraining my arms behind my back. Ro is tugging Shane back. Blood leaks out of Shane’s swollen nose, and one eye is already closing as he hugs his side and glares at me. “What on earth is going on?” Da asks.
“He called me a rapist!” I snap, spitting blood on the ground. My lip stings, and my cheek is sore as well as my stomach. Shane managed to land a few savage punches to my gut, and I bet they’ll bruise.
“What? Why?” Da asks, looking between me and Shane with a puckered brow.
Shane quickly explains what happened while I quietly seethe. Now my entire family will know. Great, that’s just great.
“Dillon has a lot he needs to apologize for, but you were out of line, Shane,” Da says.
“Someone had to try to punch sense into him.” Shane shucks out of Ro’s embrace.
“You said that on purpose?” Ro arches a brow, and Shane’s head bobs.
“I don’t think you’re a rapist, Dil,” Shane says, slowly approaching. “I shouldn’t have said that, but if you don’t stop all this bullshit, that could become a reality. You’re so out of it most days I don’t know how you can even walk straight.”
“You’re an asshole,” I hiss at him as Da tightens his hold on my arms.
“So are you.”
“I know, and I don’t care.”
Sadness ghosts over Shane’s face. “I’m sorry for starting a fight, and I’m sorry for saying you weren’t an O’Donoghue.”
A muscle pops in my jaw as I stare at my brother. We’ve always had a tumultuous relationship, but the past few years, we have mostly gotten on. Shane calling me out on my shit is expected. The only surprise is he didn’t do it sooner.
“I didn’t mean that, Dillon. You’re one of us through and through. It’s why when you hurt we all hurt.” Ro nods in agreement as Shane continues. “When you do something wrong, we all accept that responsibility. You didn’t technically do wrong by Shelby Sullivan, but you didn’t treat her right either. That’s not you. I don’t give a flying fuck what you say, but that is not who my brother is. Wherever he’s gone, bring him the fuck back before it’s too late. If you won’t talk to us or your friends, go and talk to a professional, but this has got to stop, Dillon, before someone ends up really hurt.” His chest heaves, and his eyes radiate pain when he adds, “That someone could be you.”
He walks away with his arm around Ro’s shoulders, talking to him as they head towards the house. Da only releases me when they’ve gone inside. I move to walk into the outbuilding, but Da stops me with a hand on my chest. “Hold up there, young man. You’re weeks behind on your chores, and you’re working on the farm with me today. If you can’t vent your emotions through words, do it with your hands in a meaningful way.”