“The urban legend where they were suspended over a car crusher, got turned into human Spam, and now they haunt the breaker’s yard?”
“Yeah. That one. Conor’s Da was behind that. And get this, he had one of his sons push the button.”
She pulled a face. “Dude sounds crazy. Hot, but crazy. Just how I like them. Not dad-material, though. Even I know you don’t expose children to torture.”
Conor rubbed his eyes. “Hewascrazy.”
“So, why do you want Star to be sorry about wiping him off the face of the earth?”
“He was my da.”
Cin looked unconvinced—we were totally on the same page.
Sharing a glance, I shrugged. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“That has to count for something, Conor,” Cin peppered. “Unless is this the Catholic in you? Do you want her to confess? Because if you do, I mean, you should be prepared for the fact she’ll be in there for weeks. The list of sins…whoo-ee.No one’s got time to listen to that. We’re on a tight schedule here because I’m doing this pro bono and I’m missing out on millions—”
Conor raised a hand to stall her. “Okay, you two. I get it. But I’m the one who decides when I forgive Star for what she’s done, and I’ll have you know she’s well on her way to earning it.”
“I didn’t know you were that good in bed, Star,” Cin muttered.
I elbowed her in the side as Conor snapped, “It has nothing to do with sex. It’s just who she is as a person. She’s letting me in.”
Cin pulled a face. “Is he always this mushy?”
Biting my lip to hide a smile, I reached for his hand and knotted our fingers together. “I like him. I’m keeping him.” He narrowed his eyes at that, but I saw he was mostly amusedandperplexed by this conversation, not upset.
Cin sighed. “He’s making you mushy too.”
“He isn’t.”
“How are you supposed to unalive people if you start—” She gaped at me. “That’s why you didn’t crack those nuts this year! He’s making you have a conscience!”
She made it sound like an STI.
“He’s not exactly a saint himself,” I retorted. “And that wasn’t why I couldn’t do it.”
“All this sounds like he’s asking you to change.” Cin sniffed. “I like her as she is.”
Conor frowned. “So do I. But why would she want to be in a relationship with me if she isn’t willing to bring me on board?”
Those words hit me something fierce.
He hadn’t given me a working solution to earning his forgiveness, but there was no denying that he was right.
I could stay on my own. Remain independent. Maintain this unforgiving lifestyle and bealone.
Or I could let him in and have him.
Christ, there was no comparison.
I wantedhim.
Always.
Forever.
“We have an audience,” Cin muttered, pointing at the side window where five women were staring around the folds of a set of curtains at us.