I glance back at Amberlyn. “You make sure she gets home, okay?”

He nods, a smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, I’m driving.”

“Great, see ya tomorrow.”

“Night,” he says as I start to walk away, but first I look back at where Amberlyn is swaying to the music, her eyes closed, as she gets lost in the music. When Casey’s lips come along her jaw, I want nothing more than to go over there and knock his teeth out, but I can’t. What happened is over. Nothing I can do to change what the outcome was. I just have to live with it and do everything in my power to make sure that Casey Burke never hurts anyone else I care for again.

Especially Amberlyn.

Sleep wasn’t an option the night before, until Kane texted me to say they got home okay, and that Amberlyn was safe and sound. I wish I wouldn’t have left, but to protect my reputation, I knew I had too. Casey brought out the worst in me, and I couldn’t risk embarrassing myself in front of Amberlyn. I know I would have, so I trusted that Kane would take care of the situation and from my understanding, he did.

“Yeah, I dropped them off. Fiona came out after getting Amberlyn in bed. We made out a bit, and then she went back in.”

I reach for the car door. “Was Casey all over her still?”

Kane looks away as he tucks his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, they look pretty homey.”

“What the fuck, man. Should I even go?”

Kane shakes his head. “Man, I don’t know, but if ya want her, go get her, or shut the hell up. I’m tired of it.”

What a wanker! “For fuck’s sake, I’m just asking what you think!”

“Why does it matter what I think? You don’t do it anyway.”

“I do, too! I go out now, I do things and I’m about to go tell Amberlyn I’d fancy a chance to take her to lunch or dinner.”

Kane rocks back on his heels as he lets out a long breath. “You’re right. It’s just that I’m worried this is going to go bad, and then you’ll go back to the way you were. I’m just nervous for ya.”

“Well thanks, now I’m really confident about this.”

Kane shrugs his shoulders and I can see the worry all over his face. Expelling a long breath, he says, “Be true to her, Dec. Tell her the truth. If it doesn’t work out then… I don’t know, man. Just promise me you won’t go back to the hermit.”

My body is shaking with nervousness, but I promise. “I won’t.”

“Good, off with you then. Go get your woman.”

I send him a wave before getting into my car and driving off. I have ten minutes before I get there. As I drive, my heart is pounding against my chest. I try to play the words that I want to say in my head, but I don’t know them. I don’t know how to sell myself to a girl because I’ve never had to. They’ve always come to me. Now the girl I want could be off the market and out of my hands. It irritates me and within seconds, the white of my knuckles is showing as I grip the steering wheel too hard. Soon doubt fills me as I pull into the pub, and I don’t want to get out of the car.

We’ve been talking for weeks now. Every day I come here and we chat while I eat. It’s been the best times of my day. If I go in there and she doesn’t feel the same for me, then everything will be ruined. Will I still come here? Would I keep my promise to Kane? I don’t know but before I can talk myself out of going inside, I jump out, locking the door as I head in. When the door shuts behind me, I look up to see Amberlyn with her head on the bar, her arms outstretched before her, hanging over the edge.

“Don’t mind me, first full-blown Irish hangover.”

I chuckle as I head towards the bar, pulling out a stool beside her and sitting down as she says, “Where did you go last night? You disappeared.”

So she noticed. That’s a good sign. I don’t want to tell the truth, so I say, “I had to go back home to give my ma some milk.”

She looks over at me, and my heart drops for her. Her eyes are glassy, her face flushed, and her hair is a mess. She looks like road kill, but she is still so beautiful to me. “Don’t you have servants to do that?”

I chuckle. “I do.”

“So why did you do it?”

I shrug. “I needed an excuse for why I went home.”

She sits up, looking deep into my eyes. “You don’t need an excuse with me, Declan. Just tell me the truth.”

“I didn’t want to watch that tool all over you.”

She only blinks, and then her brows come crashing together. “Why does it matter to you who’s all over me? Plus, he wasn’t all over me. We were dancing.”

I looked away and then say, “Because it does. I don’t like it.”

I look up to find her still watching me. The place is dead, but it’s silent too. She doesn’t have music playing like usual. I feel myself breaking out in sweat, and it’s rolling down the middle of my back. She makes me nervous.

“Sorry if this comes off rude, but you don’t have any right not to like it. I shouldn’t matter to you.”

I lean back in my seat as I scoff. “Is that so?”

She nods. “Declan, you are engaged. You’re not entitled to have a say in what I do, especially when you already have someone and we aren’t dating for that matter.”

I lean in towards her because surely I’ve heard her wrong. “Come again?”

She looks confused as she asks, “What didn’t you understand?”

“The “I have someone” part. I’m not engaged.”

Her beautiful face scrunches up as she says, “What? Yes, you are!”

I shake my head quickly. “No, I’m not. I’ve never been engaged.”

Looking away, she lets out a breath before grabbing a pint and filling it. I want to tell her I’m not thirsty, but then I realize she isn’t pouring it for me. She drains the pint before setting it down and shaking her head again. Looking up at me, she points and asks, “You’re not engaged?”

“No.”

“Well, fuck me,” she says, and I smile.

“Well, if you’re offering, I’d like to take you to dinner first. Maybe get to know you a little better before.”

Her mouth turns up at the side, but then it falls just as fast as it comes. She shakes her head slowly. “I wish I would have known you were single before because I’m sort of seeing someone right now.”