Orla
TENNIS BAD BOY TYLER REED STUMBLES OUT OF A&E WITH BLACK EYE AS RUMOURS SWIRL OF A POST TOUR DRUNKEN VEGAS WEDDING
Gwen:
I’m guessing you told Danny then?
Last night couldn’t have gone worse.
We’d finally told Danny about the wedding and now I had a brother who’d stormed off and gone radio silent, a husband with a black eye and glue holding his eyebrow together, and a whole family who were probably finding out I got married in Vegas from the bloody tabloids.
Not exactly the way I pictured breaking the news.
Neither of us slept last night. I could hear Tyler wincing every time he caught his wound on the pillow, an audible reminder of exactly what I’d dragged him into.
My mind was too alive to sleep. I kept picturing the look on Danny’s face, like I’d ripped something from under him, hidden a dark secret.
We were always scrapping with each other as kids, too close in age and temperament to ever let things lie but underneath it, we’d always been a team.
Always ready to take on anyone else who dared cross one of us.
But this…this was different. This felt like a line I couldn’t un-cross.
And now I had to tell Dad. Except the reality was, the tabloids had probably beaten me to it.
I could already picture him in Cork, the phone ringing off the hook, fielding calls from outraged aunties and neighbours who all read the weekend Daily Mail before breakfast.
Tyler stirred and cracked one eye open, wincing as the pain set in again. “I’ll get you some ibuprofen,” I said quickly, pulling back the covers from my legs.
He caught my wrist. “No need, it’s fine. Nothing that won’t wear off in a minute.”
He pulled me into his arms gently and kissed me, his hand cupping my jaw reassuring me that he was ok. “I love you, you know that?” he murmured, smiling.
“I love you, too.” And God, I did. Achingly so. Which made this whole thing ten times harder.
“Let me at least make you coffee,” I said, still laden with guilt.
He gave me a crooked smile. “That I could be persuaded by.”
I slipped out to the living area, flicked the machine on and set my phone down on the side table.
The hiss and grind of coffee filled the silence, the comforting scent of routine blooming through the room.
By the time I’d set two mugs down, he’d wandered out of the bedroom, glorious and shirtless, and bruised.
My eyes lingered on the rippling patterns of his biceps and I shook my head.
“I was going to bring it to you in bed.”
“Couldn’t stay still. Needed to get up,” he said, raking a hand through his hair.
That’s when my phone buzzed against the mahogany.
Dad.
My stomach bottomed out. My eyes shot to Tyler. “FaceTime. Dad.” The words scraped out of me in sheer panic. My chest was tight, breath shallow. Oh god.
“I’m right here, O. You need to answer him,” Tyler said firmly.
I swallowed hard, hand trembling as I swiped to accept.
The screen steadied, and there he was, Dad’s lined face, reading glasses perched low on the bridge of his nose and a frown carved deep enough to cut me in two.
My mouth went bone dry and I dropped into the armchair before my legs could give out.
Tyler moved quietly, perching on the coffee table in front of me. He lowered his eyes, loosened his shoulders to show he wasn’t intruding but close enough that I could feel his steady presence if I needed it.
“Well.” Dad adjusted his glasses on the other end of the call, voice gruff but calm. “There she is. My daughter, the newlywed. I suppose congratulations are in order…though, I’d have preferred to hear it from you myself, not the front page of the Irish Independent.”
My head dropped, a ragged breath escaping. “Dad…we planned to tell you before it got out. But Danny went off the rails last night and…”
“I know,” he cut in gently. “He called me.”
My stomach twisted. “So you already knew?”
“I did. Thankfully. Because if I’d woken up and seen those papers without warning, it might’ve put me back in hospital.” He gave a dry grin.
“Dad, for fuck’s sake, don’t say that.” I huffed.
“Orla, look.” His voice softened, but the weight of it still pressed on me. “You’re my only daughter. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. There’s nothing more I’d have wanted than to walk you down the aisle, especially knowing your mother wouldn’t be there to help you pick the dress.”
The words landed like a sledgehammer to my heart. Beside me, Tyler scrunched his eyes shut, as though he were taking the blow on my behalf.
“But,” Dad went on, his expression easing. “You’ve always done what you wanted, and I’ve never held you back. You’re not stupid, love, we all know that. So if this is how you wanted to do it, then so be it. I just wish you’d let us be part of it.”
My lip wobbled. “I know, Dad. I do feel guilty. Beyond guilty. But…” My eyes flicked to Tyler. “I love him more than anyone could ever imagine.”
Tyler’s smile widened, his eyes burning with something I’d never get over.
“He there with you?” Dad asked.
I looked at Tyler and he nodded, reaching his hand out to take the phone with steadiness. “Good morning, sir.”
Dad chuckled. “Jesus, Tyler lad, I can see my Danny did some of his finest work on you.”
Tyler huffed a laugh, rubbing the bruise under his eye.
“He certainly did, sir. I probably deserved it. But please, I want you to know, I realise Vegas was reckless. That’s on me.
But I’m so in love with your daughter, and I’d give her the world if I could.
” My heart was a big giant puddle on the floor. It was almost too much to hold in.
“That’s all I can ask for her then, lad,” Dad said softly. “In any case, you already know what the Sheehans will do if you hurt her.” He laughed, and Tyler did too.
Relief washed through me so hard my eyes stung. I slid closer to Tyler so I was in frame again.
“As for your brother…” Dad’s tone grew wry. “Leave Danny to me. He’ll come round. He’s hot-headed, like your uncle was. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you.”
I nodded quickly. “Thanks, Dad.”
“No problem, angel. Now, you two find time to get out here soon. We need to meet you properly, lad.”
Tyler smiled, boyish and earnest all at once. “I’ll look forward to it, sir.”
The call ended and we both collapsed into each other with relief. Tyler tipped my chin to meet his eyes. “I can see where you get your personality from, O. He’s a solid guy.”
I smiled. “He’s the best. I think he’s going to like you.”
He brought his mouth to mine, kissing me slowly and softly. “Come on, we’re taking the coffee back to bed and I’m not letting you out of it for a while.”