After ten seconds I withdrew the needle, recapped the pen and popped it back into the insulin kit. “Give the kit to Branna when you get back home. Tell her to change the needle and to put it into the yellow bucket. Fresh needles are in the top press and she just has to click it into the pen. Easy peasy.”
When Kane said nothing, I looked up at him and flinched a little when I found him looking at me.
“What?”
He licked his lips. “I always want to kiss you after you do this for me.”
Oh.
I got to my feet and busied myself with zipping up the insulin kit. “Don’t forget to tell Branna what I just told you.”
“Aideen.”
I walked over to my front door. “Make sure she knows to change out the needle. It’s very important.”
“Aideen.”
I opened the door. “I don’t want a used needle to give you an infection—”
“Aideen!”
I jumped. “What?”
Kane buttoned up his trousers as he walked towards me. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
I looked away from him. “I know, but I just don’t think any talk of kissin’ or sex is good around us. We have more important things to focus on, right?”
I wasn’t looking at Kane’s face, but I could imagine his jaw set as he said, “Whatever you say, babydoll.”
I sighed, “Okay, so... just come by tomorrow for your injections. I’ve a bunch of things to figure out before I go back to work on Monday.”
“Fine.”
I heard a rapid pace of footsteps storm down the hallway outside my apartment just as Kane stepped outside. I jumped back when, out of nowhere, Keela dived onto his back.
“I told you I’d be back!” she bellowed.
Kane swung around and wheezed when Keela’s arm locked around his neck. “Can’t... breathe.”
More footsteps sounded then.
“Damn it, Keela!” Alec’s voice snapped. “Get off him.”
“Since when can she run so fast?” Nico’s voice rasped. “She is like a fucking bullet.”
I stood and watched Kane swing around with Keela still on his back. Alec pulled at Keela but she didn’t break her hold. Nico shook his head and put his hands under her armpits and tickled her. I think she was off Kane and in Nico’s arms in less than a second.
“You fucker!” Keela snapped at Nico then shivered and locked her arms at her sides so he couldn’t tickle her again.
“I was leaving!” Kane snapped and rubbed at his neck.
Keela looked at me when Nico sat her on the ground. “Are you okay?”
I nodded my head. “Yeah... b-but can you stay tonight? I don’t really want to be on me own.”
“Of course. I have me overnight bag in the car,” she said and looked at Alec. “Will you grab it for me, please?”
“Apologise to Kane first.”
Keela snarled at Kane, “Trick me again and I’ll kill you for real.”
Alec rolled his eyes. “Close enough, I’ll be right back.”
I couldn’t help but snort as Alec walked down the hallway. I looked to Nico and found him looking at my cheek. I waved him off. “It’s fine.”
“It’s bruised and a little swollen.”
“So is your face, and Kane’s.”
“We’re fine though.”
“So am I.”
I felt Kane look at me then so I again waved Nico off. “Honestly, it’s okay. It was an accident.”
Nico smiled at me. “You can tell him that all you like but he will still feel like crap for causing it.”
I frowned. “And you know that because?”
“Because I accidentally hit Bronagh during a fight with Jason Bane a few days after I first met her. And even though I didn’t mean to do it, I still feel like shit when I think about it, and it’s been years since it happened. I won’t ever forgive myself for hurting her.”
I didn’t know why, but I thought that was really sweet.
I looked from Nico to Kane. “I’m really okay. Trust me on that, please?”
He nodded his head, but I could see he still felt bad about the bruise.
I looked back at Nico when he laughed, “Told you so.”
I rolled my eyes. “When he sees me in labour it will overshadow some stupid bruise. When I’m screaming in pain, you can feel bad and be fully aware that you’re the cause of it.”
“Jesus, Aideen,” Kane groaned. “You were on top of me the majority of the time so technically speaking you brought this upon yourself—”
“Don’t finish that sentence, you won’t live to see the birth of your child if you do,” Keela said and held her hands up in warning.
We all laughed at her.
“Have a boy,” Nico said to me, his tone dead serious.
I laughed, “It doesn’t work like that, sweetie.”
“Just keep thinking of the baby being a boy and he will be.”
I laughed, “Okay, I’ll do that for you.”
Nico smiled happily.
Keela nudged him. “When Bronagh eventually gets pregnant, you both might have twin girls since you’re a twin.”
Nico grabbed his chest. “Don’t wish that upon me, I can’t have one girl let alone two.”
“Why not?” I giggled and leaned against my door frame.
Nico gave me a duh look. “You’ve seen Bronagh, she’s stunningly beautiful. Any girls she’d have would take after her and I cannot live my life fighting off every stupid boy that sniffs around my girls. I feel sick just thinking about it.”
I smiled. “Not all teenage boys are creepers.”
“No, but I know what all teenage boys think about. It’s all I could think about when I first met Bronagh. It’s all I still think about and I’m a grown man so yeah, I want boys, not girls. All boys. Ten of them.”
Kane groaned and looked up at the ceiling. “Please God, I don’t want any of what Dominic just said. Please bless me with a boy. Please.”
Myself and Keela fell around laughing.
“I want a girl just to torture you,” I said to Kane.
He growled at me, “She-devil.”
I laughed so hard I gave myself a stitch.
“Stop,” I wheezed. “I’ll wet meself.”
Kane smiled at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Please don’t worry about things—it really will be okay. I promise.”
I felt the other two look at me, but I focused on Kane and said, “I’m holdin’ you to that promise.”