“What the hell are we gonna do? They packed the entire fuckin' sittin' room!”
Bronagh sighed, “Relax, we still have the bedroom.”
The four of us turned and walked down to my bedroom. I lead the way and opened the door then gasped when I entered the room and found five boxes stacked next to the doorway. Everything in the room was bare.
“How the fuck did they pack so fuckin' fast?” Branna snapped.
I looked to Storm who was lying on my bed and let out a whine. “Why didn't you stop them?”
“Because he is a lazy fat—”
“Not now, Aideen!” I cut her off with a growl.
She grunted and folded her arms across her chest. “He is on their team, remember? He is against us, just like those four fuckers downstairs.”
I agreed with her as I glanced around my room.
“I'm gonna be stuck cookin' for an entire month!” I groaned.
This was bullshit.
“Alec sucks. Him and Dominic, and their stupid bleedin' bets,” Branna huffed.
I agreed with that wholeheartedly.
“What if we just nick these boxes? What can Alec do?” Aideen asked.
“He can take them back.”
We all screamed as Alec's voice spoke from behind us.
Male laughter erupted, and female growls were let loose.
“Don't do that!” Aideen shouted at Alec. “You just took ten years off me life.”
Alec seemed pleased with himself then nodded his head to the right. “Step aside.”
I stayed put. “Can't we at least talk about this—”
“Not a chance,” Alec cut me off.
He was being so unreasonable.
“But Alec—”
“I said no, Keela,” he cut me off again.
I screeched and balled my hands into fists.
“It's not fair!”
To become the toddler I was acting like, all I had to do was throw a tantrum.
“Not fair is distracting us for your own personal gain,” Alec said as I stepped aside with the girls so he and his brothers could enter the room.
“You got somethin' out of it,” I snapped.
Alec tensed as he picked up two boxes. “We'll talk about this later.”
Wonderful.
“You're so gettin' spanked,” Aideen murmured making the girls giggle.
Alec's lip quirked as he walked by me, and his brothers each sported their own knowing grin as they followed him, carrying boxes of their own.
Men!
I turned back to the girls. “Now what do I do?” I asked.
Aideen frowned. “Get the last of your things and... leave here.”
My heart stilled and I took a step backwards. “So soon? But—”
“There is no reason to stay here, Kay. You're all packed up and ready for your new house with Alec.”
Oh, shite.
“Right,” I said and licked my suddenly dry lips.
Bronagh looked sullen as she said, “Are you okay?”
I nodded my head. “I'm fine.”
Branna lightly smiled at me. “You're nervous.”
Try terrified.
“Maybe a little,” I murmured.
Branna chuckled. “You will be fine. Movin' out of here will be hard for you—it's been your home for the last few years, but your new house will be your home too, and Alec's. You will get used to it.”
Will I?
“I hope so,” I replied and sighed. “This sucks.”
Bronagh was transfixed on watching me, her face contorted in a grimace.
“Are you sure that's all?” she asked.
I nodded my head. “Yeah.”
She continued to stare at me, then she said, “You're lyin'.”
I blinked. “What? No, I'm not.”
“You are,” she pressed. “I can see it. You're scared... but not just about movin' houses. It's somethin' more than that.”
Aideen stepped to my side. “Drop it, Bronagh.”
“No,” she replied to Aideen without looking away from me. “We're your friends, and I want to know what is wrong so I can help you.”
She was such a lovely person.
I forced a smile. “Bee, I'm fi—”
“Don't,” Bronagh cut me off. “Don't lie to me, Keela. I know you're lyin'.”
How?
I was silent for a long period of time, and during this time Bronagh, Branna, and Aideen just stared at me. Waiting.
“It's... It's just... I'm... I'm havin' nightmares. I'm rememberin' everythin' and I don't know if things are right with Alec. I just don't feel... right with meself,” I blurted out then quickly looked out of my bedroom and down the hallway to make sure none of the lads were there to hear me.
I looked back from the hallway to the girls and found Branna was looking between Bronagh and myself.
“Why are you lookin' at us?” I asked.
Branna nudged Bronagh. “Tell her.”
I blinked. “Tell me what?”
“I had them too... the nightmares.”
Her admission took my breath away a little. “You did?” I whispered.
Bronagh nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “I had them for a long time. They still happen every now and then.”
I swallowed. “Do you... do you see bad things?”
Bronagh nodded her head. “Yeah... I remember what I went through, but my mind adds my worries to my dreams and the bad things that I witnessed happen to Dominic or Branna, and I have to watch.”
I gasped. “Me too! I see everyone—me uncle, Marco, and the brothers. A shadow figure kills Alec and I can't stop it no matter how hard I try, but the shadow figure turns out to be me and I tell myself I don't deserve Alec, and then the brothers ask why I let him die, and then I kill myself at the end of the dream, and then I wake up. It's the same one all the time. Some things differ, but it's always Alec who dies and I'm the one to kill him.”
I didn't realise I was crying until all the girls stepped to me and placed their hands on me.
“It gets easier,” Bronagh whispered to me and pulled me into a hug.
She rocked me as Branna asked, “Does Alec know?”
“No!” I gasped and pulled back from Bronagh's hold. “And he can't know. I don't want to worry him.”
All the girls frowned at me, but I shook my head. “This stays between us—promise me.”
Bronagh groaned.
“Bronagh, promise,” I demanded.
She sighed, “I promise.”
I nodded and looked to Branna and Aideen, and they both murmured, “I promise.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Bronagh sighed, again. “The part of your dream where you hurt Alec, is it because you're scared to lose him or somethin'?”
“Or that you're goin' to be the one to end it with him?” Aideen chimed in.