LOVE || 4Clover Romance Book 2||

|4|

"Fine, but if I even see so much as a fingernail emerging in my direction, I won't be responsible for your death. Deal?"

He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his washout denim jeans, laughing off my teasing. "Deal."

***

Together, using our phones as torches, we trail through the grassy field between the O'Shea house and mine. Glancing down at Sean's—no longer—pristine white Nike's, I cringe internally at the sticky, wet, muddy grass stuck to the soles. I nervously look around at everything but his face. The quiet night air does nothing to fill the silence. "I'm sorry about your shoes."

"Eh, it's alright. They're old anyway."

I don't miss the twitch above his brow as he responds to my apology or the way his face scrunches after he steps into the puddle beneath his feet.

"Shit!"

Coming to an abrupt halt, I stop him in his tracks.

"Look, I really appreciate you wanting to walk me home, but it's just through that gap beside the oak tree." I point in that general direction, using my flashlight app to light the way. It's about 100 meters from where we are standing.

Sean looks between me and his Nike's. "Are you sure? I... I can walk you the whole way."

"I'm sure. It's not too far. I've been walking these fields since I was six years old. I'll be fine. Promise." 

"Okay, if you're sure. But, before you go... umm, I was sort of hoping you would have dinner with me sometime? I know, you have a thing for Cillian and I'm probably an idiot for even asking, but I like you, Rosie. I think you're smart, pretty, and we would have a lot of fun together. Who knows? Maybe it's me you're supposed to be with and not that clueless drunk. I'm sorry, no, you know what, I'm not. That's what he is, a clueless drunk idiot to not recognize what an amazing girl he has right in front of him." Taking my hand gently, he looks deep into my eyes, "But, I do Rosie. I recognize how amazing you are, and I would love to take you out. What do you say?"

I should be mad at him for speaking about Cillian that way. I should tell him to take a hike... but then I remember the girl all over Cillian and the hurt it caused me. Pulling a deep breath in through my nose, I blow it out and give in to his request. "How does next Saturday sound?"

"Really?"

I smile at his reaction. "Yes, really. Why not?"

"Oh, okay. Great. I'll pick you up at seven. Night, Rosie." He gives me one more shy smile before he turns and walks away.

"Night, Sean."

I head towards the tree lining both properties, but instead of walking past it, I head up the handmade wooden ladder and into the treehouse. I need to process all the events of this evening and this place is exactly where to do it. Once I climb inside, I pull out my old purple throw, a few pillows, my sketch pad, and pencils. I spend the next hour bleeding my thoughts onto paper, the pencil rushes across the page, line after line until finally, I look down at the drawing.

Cillian, always Cillian.

|Cillian|

The red glow coming from the small digital clock resting on my bedside locker illuminates my otherwise dark bedroom. It's nine forty-five and I've barely slept a wink. Rolling over onto my back, I release a frustrated groan. Between the alcohol and everything else that went down last night, my mind wouldn't shut off. I know I need to fix this, and not just with Rosie, but Lily too.

She shouldn't have to see me like that. Especially after everything that went down with Da over the years. I was so far out of line I couldn't even see the damn thing. I behaved like a total wanker, one that deserved every word she spat at me. I know my drinking habits bother her, and usually, I'm more conscious not to overdo it around her. Today's agenda: apologize for acting like a dickhead.