“Are you two dating?” Damien asked.
I looked at the phone, even though Kane’s gaze was on me. “We’re friends.”
“Friends or friends?” Damien asked making Dominic snort.
I blinked. “Is there a difference?”
“Yes,” everyone in the room said in unison.
I looked around at them, and then looked at Kane. “Are we friends or friends?” I asked.
He smirked. “I’m aiming for friends.”
Why did they keep saying it so weird?
“Okay, we’re friends then.”
Bronagh hooted while everyone else laughed.
I frowned and looked at Kane. “What is so funny? What am I missin’?”
He smiled and kissed my cheek. “I’ll tell you later.”
“This is weird,” Damien muttered. “I’m not used to seeing them so... civil.”
“It’s been like this for a while now,” Alannah said then shrunk into Bronagh’s side when Dominic turned his phone in her direction so Damien could see her.
“Hey, Lana,” he said, his voice a little tight.
Alannah cleared her throat and nodded. “Damien.”
I could feel the sudden awkwardness in the room.
“How are you?” Damien asked.
Alannah flushed a little. “I’m good, thanks. You?”
Damien was silent for a moment and said, “I’m okay.”
Things were silent again until Alannah stood up and said, “I’ve got to get goin’. Call you later, Bronagh.”
Bronagh sighed, “Alannah.”
Alannah was already out of the sitting room and halfway down the stairs of the house though. From the sounds of things, she was running down the steps at full speed.
“Damien,” Dominic murmured.
“It’s fine,” Damien replied. “I deserve it.”
I frowned. “Deserve what?” I whispered to Kane.
“I’ll tell you later,” he whispered back.
I nodded my head and looked back to Dominic’s phone.
“She looks incredible,” Damien murmured.
Bronagh sat up straight. “She’s single, too. Come home and rectify that.”
Damien’s laugh was genuine, “I’ll be home soon.”
We all held our breath.
“Our soon, or your soon?” Dominic asked.
Damien laughed again. “Your soon. I have to finish three more months on my current contract here at work to get a big bonus at Christmas. It’ll be triple my current salary so I’ll stay for that, then I’ll be back. The bonus will hold me over until I get a job somewhere in Dublin.”
We were all silent, except for Dominic.
“If you’re joking, I’m going to fly over there and fucking kill you.”
Damien chuckled, “I’m not, bro. I’ve been staying away to figure out the shit inside my head. I’ve made peace with most of it, but I have to come back to fix the rest of it.”
Alannah.
I didn’t know their history, but I was sure he was talking about Alannah.
“When did you decide this?” Ryder asked his little brother.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but decided to do it about two minutes ago.”
Yep, definitely Alannah.
I blinked. “You’ll be here to see the baby born!”
Kane leaned against me. “I’m so happy you’ll be here for it, bro.”
“Me too,” Damien replied.
Bronagh burst into tears and that instantly set me off.
“You bastard,” Alec snapped. “You’re making them cry.”
“You’re just mad because you know Keela will question why she is with you when she sees me in person.”
Dominic burst into laughter while Alec glared at the phone with a smirk on his face.
“Trust me, blondie, my girl is going nowhere.”
Damien snorted, “We’ll see.”
I turned to Kane and placed my face right against his neck. He instantly wrapped me up in his arms and pulled me onto his lap. I closed my eyes and rested against him. I was so happy Damien was coming home, and I knew how happy Kane and the others were too. This meant everything to the brothers.
“Kane is taking full advantage of this emotional news,” Ryder commented, dryly.
Kane lifted a hand off me; the lads laughed a few seconds later, then his hand returned back to me. He stroked up and down my back. It calmed me, but also made me ridiculously tired.
“I’m goin’ to fall asleep,” I murmured after a few minutes of his back rub.
Kane’s body vibrated as he chuckled. “Come up to my room.”
I growled.
He laughed, “Just to nap. Promise.”
Damn right it was just to nap.
“Okay,” I sighed and pushed myself to my feet. “Bye Damien.”
“Bye, gorgeous. Bye, bro... Have fun being friends.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I was sure it was a sexual reference so I gave Damien the finger as I walked away, making Kane laugh as he placed his hands on my hips and followed me. He continued to laugh as he pushed against me in order to get me up the stairs. I had one eye open just to watch the steps I took. I was tired before we sat down to watch the DVD, but now that I had a little cry and closed my eyes on Kane, I was absolutely drained.
We made it into Kane’s room and I kicked off my slippers as he pulled back the covers for me. I fell sideways onto the bed and sighed.
“I want your bed,” I murmured as I snuggled deeper into the pillow and massive mattress I was lying on.
Kane chuckled as he climbed onto the bed and lay next to me. He was on top of the covers while I was underneath them. “What’s mine is yours.”
I snorted, “That only works if we were married.”
“You’re having my kid, you own my balls for the next few years. We might as well be married.”
I kept my eyes closed as I snickered.
“Don’t let me fall asleep,” I said after a yawn.
Kane was silent for a moment then said, “Why not?”
I wanted to say because it was wrong for us to sleep in the same bed, but somehow saying it would feel like a lie. In all honestly, I would happily sleep in the same bed as Kane. It was my willingness to do so that was the cause of my hesitation. My willingness for all things Kane was becoming a big bloody problem for me.
“Because I don’t want to ruin a night’s sleep for you,” I eventually said. “I’m restless durin’ the night now.”
Kane scoffed, “Babydoll, go to sleep. We’re having a sleepover tonight.”
My belly burst into butterflies.
I opened my eyes. “Are you sure?”