While I want to know why, my head is spinning, and I feel like I might throw up again. That is insane. The guy that touched me, gave me a tattoo, and kissed me had apparently raped a girl? Left her outside a gate, drunk? And I was about to go out with said guy? Shaking my head, I lean against the bar, before crying out and standing back up. I leaned right up against where my new tattoo is. Rubbing my tender skin, I look over at Fiona. “I can’t go out with him.”

“No, you can’t. Ma and Da will have a fit. Ma doesn’t even like him in the bar.”

“Wow. I wish you’d never let me go anywhere near him.”

“I honestly didn’t think anything of it. I mean, you like Declan. They are completely opposite.”

She was right. “Yeah, I guess. No wonder Declan hates him.”

“Oh yeah, so does Kane. They all used to play on the same hurling team together in school. That’s how Casey met Lena. He claimed he loved her and all kinds of other stuff before this happened, but her da wasn’t having any of it. He said that Casey wasn’t good enough for Lena. So they saw each other in secret. Lena claimed they never had sex, so did Casey, but he could have gotten in trouble if they had. So no one really knows, but it was quite the scandal.”

I am flabbergasted by all this. I knew that these kinds of things happen in the world all the time, but I’ve never been face to face with it. It has me trembling, and I can’t believe it. Plus, what the hell do I say to him? I mean, this is insane. Do I tell him the truth that yes, there could be a chance that this is all hoopla, but I can’t risk the chance that it’s not? I mean, how is that fair to him? He has been nice to me, and I am going to write him off from one rumor. At the same time, what if Aunt Shelia forbids it? I know I am a grown woman, but I respect her. Oh for goodness sakes, why am I even entertaining this? I may not know if it is true, but I know I won’t be able to look at Casey Burke the same. He has been ruined for me.

“This is nuts.”

Fiona nods as she wipes up the water on the floor from the plastic tray. “Yeah, the town talked about it for a good year before rumors of Declan’s engagement came to surface.”

“Which, by the way, isn’t true.”

She glances up at me. “What?”

“He isn’t engaged.”

“Yes, he is,” she insists.

“No, he told me he isn’t. He asked me out.”

Her eyes go wide as she slowly stands. “The Whiskey Prince, Declan O’fucking-Callaghan asked you out?”

I nod, my eyes wide, as I say, “Yeah.”

“What the hell did you say?” she screeches.

“I said no. I was going out with Casey! I thought I would be a slut if I dated both of them!”

Fiona’s hands shoot up in the air. “Are you kidding me? You don’t say no to the Whiskey Prince! Are you crazy? And how does that make you a slut? I’ve dated multiple guys at once. You got to weed out the bad ones.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m new to this, remember?”

“Oh yeah but still, I can’t believe you said no.”

“Yeah, I can’t either,” I say as I let out a breath. “I’m pretty sure I’ve ruined everything with him too. Casey came in when he was here.”

“Ack, and he didn’t hit him? They don’t usually cohabitate in the same place.”

I shake my head, my mind still going a mile a minute from all of this. “Nope, he just left. He didn’t even say bye to me.”

And I feel so… so… lost. I don’t know what to do about Casey, or Declan for that matter. Of course, I’m going to call off the date with Casey, but do I call Declan? Do I tell him that I decided I don’t want to date Casey, and that I want to date him? Will he even want to see me?

“You look so sad, Amberlyn. I hate that. I’m sorry. You have to understand why I told you.”

I nod, looking over at my cousin. She is working her lip, and I can tell she is worried about me too. “No, I know and I think that Casey had no chance. Not when I really want Declan.”

She comes over and wraps her arms around me. I lean into her, needing the comfort and love. I rest my head on her shoulder and then say, “I just hope he still wants me.”

I’m still wearing my apron when Casey comes in later that night. His brows come together as he heads towards the bar, and my stomach drops. He cleaned up, his hair brushed, and his clothes neatly ironed. He really had tried, and I’m about to cancel our plans, but it wasn’t fair to him or me. I can’t believe I actually thought Casey had a chance. The more I thought about it, the more I know I was stupid to think that. I also really need to work on my judgment of character. The first time he kissed me should have been a warning sign but no, I thought my mom sent him to me. Blah, I’m so naïve.

Leaning against the bar, he reaches for me, but I sidestep out of the way. I’m not sure if he notices but still, with a grin, he says, “You ready?”

“Hey, sorry, can we go outside real fast?”

“To leave?” he asks as I go around the bar. I don’t answer him as I walk past him, heading out the side door. He follows behind me and when I shut it, he is practically towering over me. I take a step back, crossing my arms as he asks, “What’s going on?”

“I am sorry, but I can’t go out with you tonight, or any night for that matter,” I say softly, watching his face as it slowly turns from confusion to annoyance.

“No?”

“No, Casey. It was unfair of me to make a commitment to you. While I am attracted to you and I like you as a person, I’ve been sort of seeing someone else.”

“Sort of seeing?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know if he felt the same, but today he informed me he did and because I care for him, I don’t think it would be fair to try and start something with you when I have no desire to.”

He scoffs. “That’s a load of bullshite, and you know it. Fiona told you about us, and then probably told you about Lena. It isn’t true, you know. I didn’t touch her.”

“I understand that, but you did sleep with my cousin and that’s just weird for me.”

“It was centuries ago!” he complains. “I don’t even fancy her at all. I want you.”

“I don’t feel the same. I’m sorry.”