Chapter Fourteen
Rowan
My mind is still spinning over my encounter with Alicia at the fecking country club.
She never did tell me why she took a job there, but the clues all point to her struggling with money.
I figured that was the case after her fussin’ about not leaving O’Nelly’s to get her sister because of wages.
She’s the hardest worker I’ve ever met, and yet making ends meet is still a challenge.
It’s bollocks. I will find a way to help her, but I’ll have to be so careful in how I do so. She’ll not take charity.
I left the lunch with the team’s owner and immediately sought out Eamon and Teagan.
I miss them more than I’ll ever let on, so when I’m in town, I try to meet up with them at least once.
Today, we’re meeting at the school Eamon’s been teaching and coaching at.
Never thought he’d actually stop playing footy, but coaching seems to suit him.
By the time I arrive, Teagan is already there, observing the kids practicing on the pitch.
He steps in from time to time to work with their goalies because he’s good to his core.
Both of my mates are. I can’t say that I’ve ever had a strong desire to be around kids like they do.
I don’t hate kids by any means, I just spent all of my time since leaving Ireland focusing on my own pursuits.
Anything to separate me from the life I left behind.
“There he is!” Teagan calls when he sees me.
I’m walking the perimeter of the pitch, watching the players’ footwork and mentally noting small ways they could change it up to get the results they’re working toward. Nothing huge. Eamon’s doing grand with them.
“What’s the craic, boyos?” I greet them, clasping hands and giving quick hugs. “Ready for me to teach the young wans how to really play footy yet?”
I love giving people shite.
“Fuck off,” Eamon quips. “What, you think because you’re some big shot pro footballer you know a thing or two?”
“Aye, to be sure. I’m no rookie, Kennedy.”
“That St. Louis game was brutal,” Teagan interjects. “You and Willis played grand, but Marcos was way off. I’ve heard Layla yell at her brother before, but she never gets worked up when we watch him on the telly. How he didn’t hear her through the screen is beyond me.”
I huff a laugh thinking of Teag’s mot eatin’ the head off my teammate next time we’re all together. Can’t say he doesn’t deserve it.
“Yeah, not sure where his head was, but it definitely wasn’t on the pitch. Probably has to do with that lass of his he’s been grovelin’ after,” I offer, deciding to fuck with them a bit., “Seems like something you lads do when a wagon’s involved.”
“Oy!” They both answer in unison, turning to glare at me.
“Tell me I’m wrong. Go on. You both know you’d be crawlin’ on your bellies if Norah and Layla asked you to.”
My mates grumble their agreement, and I think I’ve won until Eamon opens his mouth. “Speaking of women we grovel for, what’s the status with Alicia?”
I’m inclined to tell him to feck off, but realize that I actually do want to get their take on the situation. Not here, though.
Keeping my eyes zoned in on the kids on the pitch, I let my mates in. “I, uh, I wouldn’t mind gettin’ your advice on that, actually. Can we meet up for a pint later?”
I feel the way their eyes land on me, the shock rolling off of them in waves. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been serious with them about, well, anything.
Teagan clears his throat. “Sure, yeah, we can do that. Meet at Paddy’s?”
Eamon and I both turn to look at him, and I snap. “Will we, yeah? Go to the pub where the lass in question works and discuss her? That’s bleedin’ brilliant, O’Brien.”
“Oh,” he says sheepishly as Eamon laughs loudly. “Right. Fair play to ya.”
Shaking my head, I clasp a hand on his shoulder and give him a friendly squeeze. “No worries, mate. We can meet at my place. I’ll grab the messages when I leave here.”
We chat a bit longer, discussing different plays for Eamon’s team when a commotion has all three of us whipping our heads around to the bleachers behind us.
A fight has broken out between a group of girls.
From the looks of it, there are three ganging up on the one in the middle—though, she’s giving it back just as hard as she’s getting it.
For half a heartbeat, the girl’s face comes into view.
Black as night hair, angular face with sharp cheekbones, but instead of the blue eyes I’m used to seeing in that face, hers are green.
I’m sprinting before I can fully comprehend what I’m doing, vaguely aware of Eamon and Teagan on my heels.
We reach the fight, my mates yelling and breaking up the outer circle as I immediately loop my arms around the waist of the girl with green eyes and hoist her out.
She’s spittin’ mad, limbs still swinging, cussing up a storm.
“Alright, lass, that’s enough,” I murmur against her hair.
“Put me down!” There’s venom in her voice as she pushes against me.
“I will, yeah? Once you calm down and I know you’re not going to tear their hair out.”
She fights a second longer before dropping her arms. A bob of her head lets me know she’s agreeable.
“Good lass.”
“Alright, you lot,” Eamon demands, hands planted on his hips as he stares the group down. “Who wants to tell me what’s going on here?”
Every single one of the girls looks down at their feet, not one of them caring to answer.
“Right.” He gives them all a hard look. “We’ll just head into the principal’s office and see if we can’t get this sorted.”
* * *
“Sorry you’re stuck here, mate.” Eamon keeps his voice low. “They need witness accounts.”
We’ve been sitting outside of the school office for the last half hour while the principal gets the story from everyone involved in the scuffle. All of the kids have been put in separate rooms in an attempt to keep them from collaborating.
“No worries,” I tell him honestly. “Hey, the one I pulled out. What’s her name?”
Eamon narrows his eyes as he thinks, then shrugs. “Honestly, I don’t know. She’s not in any of my classes. Why?”
“No reason. She just looks familiar is all.”
I feel a shift on my left, and Teagan leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “You know, now that you mention it? She does look a bit like—”
“Alicia?” Eamon says in surprise.
Teag and I both look at him only to find the woman in question hurrying down the hall, attention focused toward the desk. As soon as she sees us, she stops in her tracks, and there’s confusion written all over her face.
“What are you guys doing here?”
I rise to my feet, taking a few steps toward her until we’re close enough to speak quietly. “I came by to see Eamon, and a fight broke out between some lasses. We helped break it up and are here to give testimony.”
Alicia’s eyes close while she takes a deep breath. When she opens them again, she looks bone weary.
“One of them was Bridget,” she mumbles. “My sister. This is strike three.”
Angling my head, I dig deeper. “What do you mean?”
“I was here this morning meeting with the school counselor. They told me if Bridget stepped out of line one more time, she was going to be expelled.”
She drops her face into her hands and sniffles. On instinct, I wrap my arms around her, drawing her head to my chest. Her shoulders shake with silent tears, and it damn near breaks me.
“Shhh, Li. It’s alright. We’ll get this sorted, yeah?
Don’t worry, love.” I run my hand down her ponytail and place a kiss to the top of her head.
We stand there for who knows how long as she cries, and I try to shield her from the rest of the world.
Alicia is so strong. She never wants to show a single weakness, so I know that being vulnerable right now is eating her alive. I don’t know how to fix this though.
“Ms. Petersen?” The secretary steps into the hallway, eyeing us suspiciously.
Alicia pulls away quickly, wiping beneath her eyes with her fingers. Squaring her shoulders, she faces the woman. “Hi, Mrs. Stanley.”
“Ms. Bowland will see you now. Bridget is already in there.” She purses her lips, shaking her head slightly in disappointment.
I’m about to make a scene when Alicia shocks the shite out of me by reaching behind her to grab my hand. “Can my…Rowan be in there too?”
Stepping to her side, I intertwine our fingers and try to appear like this is completely normal.
Mrs. Stanley’s eyes dart between us, then down to our hands. “I suppose so. Go on in.”
Alicia lets out a breath before leading us back to the principal’s office.
When we enter, Bridget is sitting in a chair to our left.
She doesn’t look up, but there’s already a bruise forming on her delicate cheek bone and her lip is split.
I feel Alicia tense, rage simmering along her skin.
I give her hand a gentle squeeze to remind her she’s not alone.
“Ms. Petersen.” A tall, elegant Black woman sitting behind the desk rises and extends a hand toward Alicia. She has to release my hand to return the greeting, so I rest it at the small of her back. The movement doesn’t go unnoticed. “And Mr….?”
“Gallagher,” I answer, offering my hand. “Rowan Gallagher.”
Bridget’s head finally whips toward us.
“Ah.” She gives me a small smile, then motions for us to take the seats on our right. “Mr. Kennedy tells me you helped put an end to the altercation. I wasn’t aware that you knew Bridget.”
I let out an awkward chuckle as we sit. “Actually, we’ve never met. I’m acquainted with her sister, though.” I look over to Alicia, but her eyes are glued to Bridget.
Ms. Bowland raises an eyebrow at us. Acquaintance isn’t the right word, but for this situation, that’s all I’m giving her.
“Right,” she says, “Well, Ms. Petersen, this is an unfortunate situation. As you know, Bridget was caught fighting with some other students this afternoon out by the soccer fields. According to the other students, Bridget instigated.”