“Oh, come on. There’s obviously something going on there, and you guys seem to talk all the time,” I nod towards the phone in her hands.
“I was hoping you didn’t notice that,” she says with a grimace.
“It’s okay,” I tell her honestly. “You can talk to me about him. If you want. I still want to know what’s going on with you.”
She pulls her dark hair over her shoulder and starts braiding it absently. “Well…did you know that Eamon told Teagan to take the reservation for the rental in OBX?”
My head snaps up, and I gape at her. When had he done that? And why didn’t he tell me? “What? No, I had no idea.”
“Yeah,” Layla continues, wringing her hands together. “Teagan invited me to join him, so I did. One thing led to another, and we… Yeah.”
There’s a stretch of silence while my brain processes this. When the information all clicks into place, I gasp loudly and grab Layla’s arm.
“You slept together!”
Layla blushes deeply and looks away. When she finally brings her eyes back to mine, she’s fighting a grin. She loses the battle and says, “Yeah, we did.”
“Layla, this is amazing! I’m so happy for you! So, you’re official now?” I ask, genuinely happy for her.
An ache fills my chest at the thought of not being able to double date with them, but I shove it aside to focus on Layla.
“Yeah, I guess we are,” she says, exhaling heavily. “It seems surreal, you know? I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I keep waiting for him to realize that I’m not anything like his ex and that he doesn’t want me anymore.”
“Not likely! Eamon said—” I stop short. Saying his name feels like beingstabbed with a serrated knife.
Layla winces and reaches forward to grab my hand. “Hey, it’s okay. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”
I nod, slipping off of the bar stool to give Layla a hug. “Yeah, I’m going to go to bed. Night.”
I pad into my bedroom, each step feeling heavier than the last. Crawling into bed, I pull the covers over my head, and let the tears flow freely. How is it possible to feel so much for someone over the course of a few months? Eamon Kennedy embedded himself into my heart and soul so deeply, and I miss him. I miss talking and laughing with him. I miss having him in my bed, with his strong arms wrapped around me. I miss the weight of him and the feel of his lips on my skin. Burying my face into my pillow, I realize it still smells like him, and the ache in my heart intensifies, threatening to suffocate me. I throw the pillow across the room. I’ll strip the sheets in the morning. Tomorrow, I’m determined to stop wallowing and move forward.
Eamon
“We got the results from Caity’s latest scan, and we’re pleased to see that the swelling in her brain has reduced significantly. So much so that we would like to start bringing her out of her coma tomorrow,” Dr. Colm says, smiling at us.
Mam bursts into tears, and I release a huge sigh of relief. It’s the first time I’ve felt something other than regret since Norah left.
“Oh, do you mean it?” Mam cries. “Will we finally be able to talk to her?”
“Well,” Dr. Colm hesitates, “that would be the ideal situation. However, there’s no guarantee that she’ll be responsive. It could take anywhere from several hours to even a couple of days for her to fully wake. We don’t want to rush her into consciousness, so we’ll be gradually reducing the medications.”
“‘Course.” She sniffles. “I should have known better.”
“Mam, it’s okay. We’re all anxious to see Caity awake,” I tell her soothingly,wrapping an arm around her.
“No worries at all,” Dr. Colm assures her. “We’ll begin weaning her off the medication tomorrow morning around seven. I would recommend waiting a couple of hours before coming to visit. She will be under close and constant observation, and those first hours are critical. Of course, you’re welcome to wait in the lobby if you decide to come in first thing.”
“Thank you, Doctor. I’d like to be here just in case anything happens. Is that alright, Eamon?” she asks me.
“‘Course it is. We’ll come whenever you want.” It’s not like I have anywhere else to be.
“Do you have any other questions for me, Rosie?” Dr. Colm asks, giving her elbow a lingering squeeze.
“Not that I can think of,” she says with a shake of her head. “I’m just ready to see my Caity Bug’s eyes open again.”
“Absolutely. That’s our goal,” he says. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”
“Thanks a million,” she says, her eyes filled with hope. It’s the brightest I’ve seen them in years.
