“You can hit me later. Just relax now and let me hold you until you get seen by the doctor.”
After I spoke, I nuzzled my face to hers and kissed her cheek a few times. I was so sorry she had gotten hurt because of my temper when fighting Gavin, and I wished I could take her pain away. I hoped she knew that I never intended her to get hurt because I would honestly rather die than cause her a moment’s pain. I cared about her too much not to.
A few minutes ticked by slowly when Bronagh suddenly shifted, sitting up to remove her cardigan. She draped it over her legs, and the action seemed a little odd to me.
“Are you warm?” I quizzed as she settled back against me.
She shook her head and held her injured hand to her chest.
“Then why did you—”
“I was coverin’ me legs.”
Why?
I was silent for a moment then said, “I’m probably going to regret asking this, but why did you cover your legs?”
She turned her head, and in my ear, she whispered. “‘Cause they triple in size when I sit down.”
Silence.
I tried to see from her point of view why it would be an issue, but I couldn’t.
“God save me from girls and their stupid way of thinking.”
She was about to tell me off as I nuzzled my nose against my neck.
“I happen to think you look fucking gorgeous tonight. I’ve never seen you wear clothes that actually fit you before. I must say, Bronagh, I like it a lot.”
She ducked her head as heat made its way up her neck, drawing a chuckle from me.
“Bronagh Murphy?”
We both looked up, then got to our feet when we noticed it was a nurse who had called Bronagh’s name. I followed Bronagh closely, and she didn’t say a word. I knew she would never admit to it, but she wanted me there with her. I made her feel better about the situation she was in.
“Bronagh?”
Bronagh nodded at the nurse, then the woman’s eyes landed on mine.
“Family or partners only—”
“I’m her boyfriend.”
Bronagh remained silent as the nurse smiled and gestured us to follow her into the triage room. It took only a few minutes for the nurse to check Bronagh over before she decided she needed an X-ray to see if her hand was broken. I prayed it would only be a sprain. I’d be sick to my stomach if she broke her hand because of me. When the nurse left the room, I focused on a silent Bronagh.
“What are you thinking about?”
She looked up at me. “I’m thinkin’ that you’re dangerous, and that havin’ ye’ in me life would be doin’ what Branna always wanted me to do, open up to someone. You’re a risk that I’m thinkin’ of takin’.”
I could scarcely believe what I was hearing, and before I knew it, I nudged my way between her thick thighs and stared down at her.
“You want me?”
I knew she wanted me, she had told me as much when she slept in my arms, but I wanted her to say it when she was sober.
Bronagh swallowed. “Ye’ have to work on not makin’ me so mad, but yeah, I want ye’.”
I lifted my hands to her cheeks and strummed my thumbs up and down all the while keeping eye contact with her.
“I’m not sayin’ I’ll be your girlfriend right away,” she added, a little breathless. “I’m sayin’ that I’m open to the idea.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So I’m on a trial basis with you?”
She bobbed her head. “Exactly. I just want to feel out how this could work with us before I put a title on us. Is that okay with ye’?”
On one condition.
“Can I kiss you whenever I want?”
She playfully rolled her eyes at me. “No kissin’ in school because I’m not ready to deal with any of that drama, especially after what happened with Destiny, which, by the way, I never want to talk about. We weren’t anythin’ over the weekend, so anythin’ that happened or didn’t happen is none of me business. Apart from that, though, yeah, ye’ can kiss me whenever you want to.”
She had nothing to worry about when it came to Destiny. I didn’t kiss her or have sex with her. When she hinted that we did things in the PE hall, I let her because I wanted to hurt Bronagh like she had hurt me by rejecting me, but when things weren’t so fresh, I’d explain that to her and make it clear that since I’d set my sights on her, no other girl had my body. I knew if I said nothing happened between us right now, she would think I was only saying it to please her, so I kept my mouth shut on the topic just as she’d requested.