Her screaming’s impossible to ignore. So as not to sound off myfeckinghead in front of Ava, I respond to Mam in my mind.“If I let you go, Mam, Kiera will break. Me too!” Aye, I have lost it!
Mam hisses,“Then you’ve killed us all.”
I come to. The edge of dawn is off on the horizon, bright, warm sunbeams. My forearm is flexed and extended, muscles trembling. A set of bonny brown eyes pierce through me. I hold Ava suspended over the cliff. Mam’s whispering in my ears to let go.
“Eun beag!”I scream out to my little bird before snatching her into my arms and fallingarsefirst onto the ground. My body goes still, parallel to the ridge. Silent, Ava trembles in my arms. Wide, tortured eyes flicker over the ledge. I turn our bodies until she’s beneath me, and we’re a few feet away from the drop-off.
“I said let me go!”Ava bristles beneath me.
No, Mam had told me to let go.
“I hate you. I. Hate. You.”
Wee stinging smacks collide over my face. Both of Ava’s hands clobber over my cheeks and jaws. She tosses a closed fist punch. This one I deflect.
Voice cracking in my throat, I call to her, “Please,eun beag, please.”
“You tried to kill me!”
“Eun—”
The sides of her fists slap onto my chest, and the sun catches in her eyes. They’re less guarded than usual, more curious, and, as always, insistent. “What are you saying?” Ava’s mouth pulls into a thick, pillowy line.
A warm glow descends over her shoulders. “Little bird. You’re my little bird.”
Head tilted, and with her lips parted, Ava regards me. She murmurs thoughtfully, “You’re the most peculiar man I’ve ever met. So, Ava, like bird. I’m your little bird.”
“Yeah.” I’ve gotten stiff as afeckingboard. I’ve never watched a lassie like this. With the light flowing down over her creamy brown skin, embers of desire flicker in her eyes. She continues to straddle my erection. Her head lowers, lips seeking mine, and when our mouths touch, the last shard of Mam’s ghost disappears.
I clasp the hair at the back of Ava’s neck, deepening the kiss.
“Let me taste you,” she begs. “Kieran, you’ve tasted me, but I haven’t . . . please let me suck your dick.”
She settles back on her haunches as I begin to work my belt buckle. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice her hand clutching a jagged rock a fraction of a second too late.
The rock grazes the left side of my brow when I push her off me. Ava tumbles over, moving into a wide-legged stance. She mirrors the glower in my eyes as I tower over her.
My hands flex, yet I already know the answer to my question.Whyshe botched our moment.
“You can’t keep me here.”
“Look around you,eun beag, apparently keeping you is an option. I’ve had it up to here, Ava.” I anchor my hand near my forehead. “You’re bloody stubborn, aren’t ya?”
“What are my other options, huh?” Her eyes dart in different directions.
“For one, the ledge.” I laugh a little. “Your guy left you for another woman. Left youheartbroken.” I attempt to goad her into sharing.Spill yourfeckingguts, sweetheart. We both have wounds.
Vexed, Ava tugs at the collar of her hoodie. “Yeah. He left my heart shattered into a trillion minuscule pieces! That’s what you’d like to hear.”
“If it’s the truth.” I wriggle my jaw. I know it sounds a tad off. This entire situation makes me look like abampot, stealing the lass. I don’t know if we’re supposed to wallow in pity together or if we can save each other. But maybe there ain’t no second chances for people like us. I’m a miserable, richmotherfecker. No foresight for happiness.
Though I’m not sure about my less than brilliant scheme, I say, “Let me help you?”
“Let me add a bit of insight into our predicament, Kieran. Leave mealone!” She screams at the top of her lungs. A few birds take flight from the sycamore trees.
The old Kieran, the one who got what he wanted by charm and flirtations, thatarseholetells me to calm thefeckdown. My mam whispers in my other ear to be the man sheknows I am.
And I bethatman.