Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rowan
Of fecking course it has.
It’s been pissing down for the last two days, with no end in sight.
And not just rain, but it’s fierce windy.
I’ve been gone all week, traveling from one side of the country to the other for away matches, and it’s putting me in a right foul mood.
Normally, I live for the thrill of traveling and seeing new places, but it’s all beginning to feel lackluster.
When I’m not on the pitch, my mind is swimming with thoughts of Alicia and counting down the hours until I get to see her again.
I should already have her nails in my back as I’m buried deep inside her.
I should be listening to her moan and pant as I bring her closer to the edge, our sweat-slick bodies moving in tandem.
But no, I’m stuck in fecking Salt Lake City, Utah while it pours fecking buckets, with no fecking clue when I’ll be home.
I’ve been sitting in these shite chairs for too long, my leg bouncing impatiently.
I know it’s not the fault of the flight attendants or any other person that works here, but my current state has me on the verge of eatin’ the head off of all of them.
Instead, I pull my phone out to call Alicia, but a text comes through from her at that same moment.
Alicia: What time will you be back?
I groan. Last time we talked, I told her I’d be in Wilmington before she got off work, but now it’s an hour to closing time at O’Nelly’s, and I’m no closer to boarding that fecking plane than I am to dancing a jig on the moon.
Rowan: I’m so sorry, love. It’s pissing rain and our flight was delayed. The whole airport is on standby.
Alicia: Ugh. Okay.
Rowan: Hen…
Alicia: Ro…
Rowan: I’m sorry. I’d already be with you if I could help it.
Alicia: I know.
That won’t do. Foregoing anymore texts, I call her—if for nothing else than to just hear her voice.
It rings three times before she picks up.
“Hey.” She sounds off somehow.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Bridget?” I demand, unease churning in my gut.
“Yeah, we’re fine.”
“Alicia,” I push. “Talk.”
There’s a long pause before, “It was just a really long day. And I miss you.”
Alicia being vulnerable is something I’m still getting used to. Standing from the chair, I stroll away from the boarding area toward a secluded alcove.
“I miss you, a chéadsearc. Now, tell me what’s going on. What made your day so long?”
Another pause. I want to shake the answer out of her, but that will only make her clam up, so I wait.
Finally, in a broken whisper, she says, “My father came into the pub tonight.”
Of all the things I was expecting her to say, this was not it.
“He what?” I choke out in disbelief. “I thought he was in prison?”
She sniffs and I know she’s crying. It kills me that I’m so far away from her.
“I thought so too, but he showed up and caused a scene. If not for Isaac, I’m not sure what would have happened.”
My eyes narrow. “Who’s Isaac?”
“Oh, sorry. I forgot you haven’t met Paddy’s lady friend, Sondra, and her grandson, Issac.”
“Hold on, it feels like I’ve started reading a book in the middle of a chapter,” I tell her. “Pat has a lady friend? When did you meet them? And how did this Isaac fella help?”
Alicia exhales deeply in frustration, making me realize my error.
“Sorry,” I apologize quickly. “Not important. Tell me more about what happened with your dad. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just a bit shaken.”
She goes on to tell me the whole situation.
The audacity of this dosser coming into her work and making demands of her has me raging.
For more than one reason, I wish I had been there tonight.
It shouldn’t bother me so much, but this Isaac has me feeling some kind of way, like he’s doing my job for me.
Alicia is mine to protect and comfort. Any other bloke that thinks he can step in can get fucked.
“I’m so sorry, love,” I murmur when she relays how her dad stormed out of O’Nelly’s. “When I get home, we’ll figure out what to do about it, yeah? Maybe I can have Eamon and Teag be there when I’m out of town.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard, Ro,” she snaps.
“Clearly you do, since Isaac was the one that made him leave. I’d rather have someone I know and trust watching out for you.”
A sardonic laugh sounds over the speaker. “I’m sorry, why does it have to be somebody that you know and trust? I’m capable of finding my own help—if I decide I need or want them. You don’t have a say in it.”
I can feel my blood starting to boil. She’s gearing up for a fight, and my first instinct is to bark back and stake my claim. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I close my eyes and take a deep breath before replying.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to undermine you, hen. I just want to help.”
There’s a lengthy pause before she responds. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Li, I’m always going to worry about you. And Bridget.” Shite, I didn’t even consider how the younger lass is doing. “How’d she take the news?”
Her voice is still stiff when she answers.“I haven’t told her. It’s not like she’ll remember him, and it will just hurt her in the long run.”
This doesn’t sit right with me, but I keep that to myself. “Aye, you know her best.”
We talk for a couple more minutes before Alicia remarks on how Pat is likely drowning at the bar and she needs to relieve him. I don’t want to end the call, especially since she’s still a bit cold toward me, but she needs to know that I’m not going anywhere.
“Aright, we’ll talk later. I—”.
Without any conscious effort from me, I start to tell her I love her, and barely manage to keep the words from slipping through.
“What?” She asks absently, like she wasn’t really paying attention.
“Nothin’, just that I miss you.”
After I end the call, I stay in the alcove, replaying our conversation and trying to imagine what she could possibly be feeling right now.
Had the roles been reversed and my ma showed up out of the blue, I have no idea how I would have handled it in public.
Later, I’d probably drink myself into a coma.
“Attention, ladies and gentlemen. Flight 1987 from Salt Lake City to Charlotte will be boarding in an hour and twenty minutes.”
Fucking finally.