by L. A. Casey
"Alec said he has a girlfriend. I think he is sick."
Dominic smiled. "Keela is his girlfriend."
Bronagh brows furrowed as she looked back in our direction.
"I don't understand... you were single when I left the house this mornin'."
Dominic laughed as he put his arms around Bronagh's waist. "This just happened thirty minutes ago."
"It was instant love, Bronagh. She took my breath away, I had to make her mine."
I rolled my eyes at Mr. Dramatic behind me and focused on Bronagh as I said, "We're fake datin', Bronagh."
"I'm sorry, you're what?" she asked.
I chuckled. "Sit down and I'll explain."
Bronagh did as asked and for the next ten minutes I explained everything to her about Jason, Micah, and my situation with them and how I needed Alec's help.
"That's messed up," Bronagh said when I finished speaking.
I laughed. "That's one way of puttin' it."
Bronagh looked to Alec who was now sitting next to me. "How the hell are you gonna pull off bein' someone's fella? You're the biggest slut I know."
I looked away from Alec so he wouldn't see me smile.
"Have a little faith, bee. I'll treat Keela like the queen she is."
I rolled my eyes at the same time Bronagh rolled hers and Dominic found it funny.
"Two words, bro - good luck."
Myself and Bronagh smiled as Alec waved Nico off. "I've got this, how hard can being a boyfriend be?"
I looked to him in awe. "You've really never been someone's boyfriend before?"
Alec scratched his neck. "No... work always got in the way of potential relationships."
What did that mean?
"I don't understand-"
"Keela, do you wanna come out back with me? It's roastin' in here."
I looked to Bronagh when she spoke and nodded my head because it was really warm in the kitchen.
Alec leaned away from me when I got up and went out to the back with Bronagh and I laughed when Tyson waddled out behind us. I was about to close the backdoor when I glanced up and froze when I found both Nico and Alec smiling at Bronagh and myself.
"Why are you smilin' at us like that?" I asked.
Nico then glanced to Alec and said, "She’s straight to the point, I like her more than I did before."
Alec smirked. "I like her too, all of her."
I scrunched up my face in disgust when he openly molested me with his eyes.
"Stop it Alec, I'm not havin' sex with you."
Alec snapped his teeth at me. "I said I like you, I didn't ask you to fuck me."
"It's all you're short of doin' Playboy, but you might as will give it a rest - sex is not on the cards for us."
"Challenging me in front of my little brother and his girl is not a smart move, kitten."
I snarled, "Call me that one more time and I swear to God I will-"
"Fuck me up?"
I clenched my hands into fists, and blew a huge amount of air through my nostrils.
"I'm going to punch you in the face before this day is up, I can feel it."
Alec yawned. "I think I can hold my own against you, kitten."
I glared at him and it made Bronagh and Dominic snicker.
I looked behind me to Bronagh and asked, "What's so funny?"
"Would you believe me if I said the conversation you just had with Alec is very similar to one I had with Dominic in our school corridor three years ago?"
I turned to face her. "You couldn't stand his cocky arse either?"
Bronagh grinned. "Yeah, I could barely stand him even when I got with him. We had to work through a lot of shite to get to where we are now."
Nico grunted from behind me. "You can say that again."
Bronagh looked to him. "It was worth it though."
I turned to my side and watched as Nico bore his eyes into Bronagh's, he stared at her until Alec cleared his throat and ruined their moment. Nico looked to Alec and then to me and said, "So... you like dogs, Keela?"
I looked to Bronagh, who was snuggling Tyson into her chest and said, "Yeah, I have a German Shepherd."
"You have a dog?" Alec asked me.
"Yeah."
Nico moved towards me when I pulled my phone back out to show him my screen saver of Storm. "He is a big boy."
I frowned. "It's just his coat, he isn't fat."
Nico flicked his eyes down to mine and then took a step back. "You consider him your baby, don't you?"
"Yes."
Dominic took another step back. "I'm keeping my mouth shut, I know how violent women can be when their 'babies' are talked about."
Bronagh snorted and said, "You're so subtle, you can't even tell you're talkin' about me."
I snickered a little when Nico pulled a face at Bronagh over my shoulder. I moved my eyes to Alec when he walked towards me and then stopped directly in front of me to look down at me.
I cleared my throat. "Can I help you with somethin', lanky?"
Bronagh laughed which made me grin and Alec smirk.
"Nope, just want to get an idea of how short you are. You're tiny."
I gasped and shoved him in the chest. "I'm five foot eight, that is tall for a girl!"
"I'm six-four, to me, you're tiny." Alec grinned.
Bronagh huffed from beside me. "Oi, stud! If five-eight is small to you, what does that make me?"
Alec flicked his eyes to her and grinned. "A very pale smurf."
She dramatically gasped, and it made me laugh.
"You're lucky I'm turning over a new leaf otherwise I'd kick your arse!"
Alec held up his hands and smiled. "I mean no harm."
Bronagh glared at Alec until she passed by us with Tyson and headed back inside the kitchen.
"I'm not that small, am I?" she asked Dominic who was right behind her.
"No pretty girl, Alec doesn't know what he is talking about," Nico replied making me smile as they left the kitchen together along with Tyson who was still in Bronagh's arms.
"He knows when to agree with her," I commented.
"He should, they’ll be together for three years next month."
"Long time," I murmured.
"Yeah."
I looked at Alec who was directly in front of me, but I had to take a step back instead of tilting my head all the way back just to look up at him.
"I'm goin' to get a crick in my neck lookin' up at your lanky arse if you keep gettin' that close to me."
Alec waggled his eyebrows at me. "I could always massage you."
"You mean massage my neck?"
"Yeah, your neck, too." He grinned.
"Thanks, but I'll pass, Casanova."
Alec chuckled then sighed when Kane called for him.
"Be right back."
"Okay... send Aideen in to me, will you?"
Alec nodded as he went back into the house. I went back inside and retook my seat at the kitchen table and stared into my half full cup of cold tea. A minute or two passed by until I heard Aideen's loud sigh.
"Where have you been?"
Aideen shrugged. "Talkin' with Kane."
I raised my eyebrows, but Aideen said nothing more about Kane or what they talked about.
"I'm hungry."
Shocker.
"We can go to Eddie Rockets when we're done here if you want?"
Aideen licked her lips. "Sounds good, but why can't we leave now?"
I shrugged. "Alec said he wanted to come with us so he could see where I lived."
Aideen frowned. "Why?"
"I honestly have no idea," I replied.
Aideen huffed and folded her arms like a chastised child, after a minute of listening to her grunting and mumbling to herself about how hungry she was, I snapped.
"Aideen, stop it!"
Aideen jumped with fright then reach over the table and slapped my arm. "Don't do that, I almost wet meself."
I laughed at her and rubbed my stinging arm. "Sorry, but please stop givin' out, you
are the one who wanted to come here."
Aideen sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry. You know how childlike I get when I'm hungry."
I nodded. "Trust me, I know."
Aideen stuck her tongue out at me making me chuckle as I lightly nudged her with my arm and waggled my eyebrows. "I thought you would want to stay longer since Kane is here."
Aideen pursed her lips and shook her head. "I must have been off my head last night for even thinkin' about havin' sex with him. He is hot as hell, but he is way too cocky for my likin'."
I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"
Aideen nodded her head. "Yeah, when you were in here talkin' to Bronagh and the lads, we were in the gym room and he asked me to come up to his room so he could fuck me. I mean, seriously? When is that ever okay to just come out and say that to a lady? I must have really given him the impression I was a slut last night."
Well yeah, you were all over him like a bad rash.
I blew out a large breath of air. "What did you say to him?"
"I told him I was a lesbian and the only reason I came onto him last night was because I thought he was a butch girl."
The fact that Aideen said this with a straight face and a dead serious tone caused me to burst out laughing which in turn made her laugh.
"You did not!" I gasped through my laughter.
Aideen nodded her head. "I did."
I fanned my face. "And he believed you?"
Aideen was still chuckling as she shook her head. "No, he didn't, but the longer I keep this facade up he will."
I wiped under my eyes. "You're mental."
Aideen shrugged. "You know that and I know that, everyone else will find out eventually."
I covered my face with my hands as my laughter started up again. I quickly uncovered my face a few moments later when a female voice was heard from out in the hallway.
"Bitches!" Branna's voice cheered as she entered the kitchen.
I looked to her and smiled politely while Aideen jumped up and bee lined for Branna to gave her a bone-crushing hug when she was near enough to do so. I winced at Branna's screech when she pulled back from the hug and looked at Aideen's face.
Aideen reached up and gently touched her face before launching into a recount of last night's events.
"I was so drunk I didn't even know, I'm so sorry!"
"Stop it, you were already leavin' with Ryder, it's not your fault."
Branna was fuming that Aideen got hurt, but found my interaction with Alec and Kane hilarious.
Branna glanced at me as I wiped under my eyes for the second time in the last few minutes.
"Are you cryin'?" she asked me, worry suddenly laced in her tone.
I nodded in Aideen direction. "Only with laughter, because this one told Kane she was a lesbian so he wouldn't chat her up."
Branna burst into laughter that made me snicker again.
"It was the only thing I could think to say at the time to throw him off."
I raised my brows. "Flat out tellin' him you weren't goin' to have sex with him was too hard to think up, was it?"
Aideen narrowed her eyes at me. "You're a bitch."
I shrugged. "That's true."
Branna snickered at mine and Aideen's banter and then nudged Aideen's shoulder. "I thought you told me in the club last night that you thought Kane was hot?"
Aideen sighed and moved towards the kitchen table with Branna. "He is hot, but I clearly gave him the wrong impression last night. I was obviously a little too forward with him and gave off a vibe that I was down to fuck, but I'm not. Now he thinks I'm a lesbian."
I laughed. "This is goin' to blow up in your face."
Aideen rolled her eyes. "It won't, I would make a brilliant lesbian."
"Do lesbians act a certain way or somethin'?"
Aideen shrugged. "I have no idea, but I'll just pretend I'm into the V and not the D. Kane will get the hint that I don't want his trouser snake eventually."
Branna and I burst out into laughter and it set Aideen off. After we calmed down, the growling from mine and Aideen's stomach could be heard which made Branna shake her head.
"I have to go shoppin' today, there is zero food in this house. I live with horses who inhale anythin' that resembles food, so I don't have much to offer," Branna said as she moved over to the fridge and opened it.
"I have small tins of tuna?"
I perked up. "I'll have a tin."
Aideen curled her lip up in disgust. "You're a knacker."
I grinned and shrugged my shoulders. I looked to Branna when she brought over my tin of tuna and a fork. I thanked her and pulled the pin off the tin and peeled the lid off.
"I love tuna," I mumbled as I filled my mouth with a large forkful.
Aideen heaved which made Branna chuckle.
"What are you eating?" Alec's voice asked.
I turned my head and watched as he and his brothers strolled into the kitchen all topless - none of them own shirts apparently - and looking like the Magic Mike cast, only much hotter.
I swallowed my food and tongue, but quickly cleared my throat and held up my tin of tuna and said, "Tuna."
Alec grinned at me. "I like eating things raw as well."
I dropped my fork and my damn tin of tuna!
"Alec!" I snapped.
Alec laughed, his brothers laughed, Aideen, and Branna laughed.
I was the only person red faced and silent.
I picked up my tin of tuna and my fork and placed them on the table in front of me then glared at Alec. "I'm leavin' now. I'm not waitin' around any longer for you to finish off whatever you're doin'."
Alec smiled. "Relax, kitten. I was packing my bags, they are in the hall so I'm ready to go too."
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.
"Why do you have your bags packed?" I asked.
"This should be good," Ryder murmured.
Branna stood up and moved towards him which caused his eyes to solely focus on her and a smile to stretch across his face as she neared him.
I looked from them to Alec when he scratched his neck. "I'm moving in with you."
I stared at him blankly.
After a few moments I found my voice and said, "Can you repeat that?"
Alec rubbed his nose. "You want your family to believe we're a real couple and you said you wanted to take things slow so you can get used to me so... I'm moving in with you. By the time the wedding rolls round you will be more than used to me."
"She might hate you by the time the wedding rolls round," Nico muttered making Kane snort.
"I already hate him," I growled keeping my eyes trained on Alec who wouldn't make eye contact with me.
He opened his mouth to speak, but I held my hand up in the air keeping him silent as I got to my feet. "You're not movin' in with me Alec, and how fuckin' dare you just assume it would be okay!"
Alec sighed. "I barely have two days to get to know you. If you want us to appear as a real couple then I really have to get to know you."
"But why do you have to move in with me if-"
"Because this is an easier way to spend a lot of time with you. Think about it, I know you don't like me and that you think I'm a prick-"
"She would be right on that front," Kane snickered.
Alec continued talking as if Kane never spoke. "But spending a lot of time with me will get you used to me, thus you would be comfortable around me. I have no underlying motive here, I swear. I'm not looking to get lucky. I told you I'll make you beg me before I fuck you, remember?"
I felt my eye twitch as the brothers, and the girls cracked up laughing.
"You're a cocky bastard, you know that?" I growled to a grinning Alec.
"I'm well aware of it, yes."
It was impossible to insult him!
I folded my arms across my chest and stared Alec down, but his gaze never wavered.
I cracked and stomped my foot on the ground. "Fine, but you will follow me rules or you’re out on your arse, you got
that?"
"Of course, sweetheart."
Nico laughed and sang, "Alec and Keela sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-"
I held my hand up cutting Nico off and focused on Alec. "Our 'relationship' is fake, you'd do well to remember that."
Alec bowed to me and sarcastically said, "Of course it's fake, my lady."
His teasing ticked me off.
"Kiss me arse!" I snapped as Alec straightened back up.
"Present it and I will," he replied almost instantly.
I gaped at him.
You aren't supposed to reply back with anything other than a 'fuck you' when someone tells you to kiss their arse, no self-respecting person replies back to a dare with another fucking dare!
"I'm itchin' to smack that smug look off your face, playboy."
I looked to Alec's brothers when they laughed. Nico patted a grinning Alec on the back and chuckled as he said, "I'm fuckface, and you're playboy, the Irish are creative and funny with their insults, you've got to give them that."
Alec smirked. "That's for damn sure."
I sighed and lifted my hands to massage my temples, the slight pounding of a headache was starting to bother me again. I groaned loudly when I heard the grim reaper ringtone suddenly blare from my bag. That’s all me and my headache needed, a conversation with my mother.
"Here we go," Aideen murmured.
I dug my phone from my bag and answer it as brightly as I could.
"Mornin', ma."
"Don't call me ma, you're not a sheep."
Well, hello to you, too.
"Mornin', mother." I said with a roll of my eyes.
Aideen grunted. "You should call her ma for the simple fact that she hates it."
I motioned for her to shut up, and she closed her mouth but she wasn't happy about it.
"Why haven't you called me about Micah and Jason's wedding? I've given you three whole weeks to mention it and nothing!"
Three whole weeks?
Even if I got the invitation on time that was still very short notice to be invited to a wedding in a different country!
"I only got the invitation today, the post man delivered it to Mr. Doyle's post box by mistake."
My ma dramatically gasped. "That damn Post Office, I knew I should have hand delivered it!"
It doesn't even surprise me that she is so involved with Micah's wedding, she probably planned the whole bloody thing.
I cleared my throat. "You think? A heads up that they were gettin' married in the first place would have been nice as well, mother."