Rory finally admits to Wren that she was lying, and there wasn’tactuallya caterpillar, which I’ve now picked up is one of his greatest fears in life. He’s come down off the couch, but still is not entirely trusting anything on the floor.
After that, he doesn’t trust her, so they all begin filtering out until it’s just me and her remaining.
“Well, that went… better than I expected,” Rory says near her front door as she turns to face me. “I’m remaining positive that my whole blackmailing with the snickerdoodle cookies is going to work.”
I nod. “They did seem very put off by that.”
She grins. “My snickerdoodle cookies are out of this world. Maybe I’ll make you some one day so you can taste for yourself.”
My phone vibrates in the pocket of my trousers, and I pull it out and see a text from Aisling asking me if I want any Chinese takeout. At… midnight.
She’s always up in the middle of the night studying so this question is not uncommon.
I quickly shoot her a text and tell her I’ll be home soon.
“I’ve gotta get back to my flat, but are you free Thursday? For your next…” I trail off, lifting a brow.
“Lesson? Yes. I’ve got a study hall until like six but then I’m free.”
Okay, that works because I’ve got tape review and team workout on Thursday. “Can we meet here around six thirty?”
Rory nods as she opens her front door, and I step through, looking back at her.
“Okay. Later, St. James.”
I start walking toward my bike when I hear her call my name.
“Hey, Kill?”
“Yeah?”
She bites her lip, pulling it between her teeth, and leans against the doorframe. “Thank you… for trusting me. I know that it isn’t easy for you, but I promise it will be worth it. You’ll see. No matter how great a player you are, you can’t be great just on your own. Rugby is built on family, and if you give these guys a chance, I know eventually they’ll welcome you into theirs.”
CHAPTER 12
Rory
By the time my study hall ends and I walk out of the library, my stomach is growling and I think I might actually be starving to death. I’ve been on campus since eight this morning, and all I packed was a protein bar and a bag of peanut M&M’s because I was in a rush and it was the first thing I grabbed as I was walking out the door.
Not exactly a well-balanced meal.
More of a hot-girl snack.
Checking the time on my phone, I realize I’ve got a few minutes left before I need to head home to meet Cillian, which means that I have plenty of time to stop at my favorite food truck and get some birria tacos to go. They’re the best in the entire city, and just thinking about them makes my mouth literally water.
I order some for Cillian too because I don’t want to show up with food and not have any for him, and if he’s been in weight training all evening he’s probably as starving as I am.
My apartment is right off campus, so it takes me only a fewminutes to walk home. When I get there, I find Cillian leaning against his bike in the parking spot directly in front of my place, scrolling on his phone. His brows are pinched together, and his expression seems… sad almost?
“Hi,” I greet him brightly, lifting the plastic bag full of tacos. “I wasn’t sure what the plan for tonight was and I’m so hungry I could actually eat a cow, soooo I brought dinner.”
He pushes off the bike, tucking his phone into the pocket of his gray sweatpants and nods. “Thanks. Came straight here after a shower.”
“Everything good?” I ask.
Something feels off with him, but I don’t want to pry because he’s only just started to really let me in at all. I don’t want him to shut down by pushing too hard and overstepping any boundaries. But I also saw the way he was staring at his phone, like whatever was on it was the most hurtful thing he’s ever seen, then just as quickly, the mask dropped back in place, leaving his face blank.
“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”
