I thought about Scott, wondering where he was. It was a Saturday night in the middle of September, and early evening back home. I pictured him eating dinner with his friends at the busted table we picked up on the side of the road. I saw his roommate Tommy, Tommy’s girlfriend, and my roommate and best friend, Marty. It looked like a double date, so I shook my head until the two women disappeared.
Every Saturday night last year, Scott hosted a poker game in his dorm room. It was risky, but he didn’t have a job and needed quick money. He had always been a risk taker, pushing the boundaries, and my logic often challenged him to the point where he no longer shared certain parts of his life with me.
He lived in an apartment now and I imagined house parties with dozens of people—cash on the table, chips stacked, and cards dealt. In my mind, I watched him scoop the center chips toward him, readjust his sunglasses, and rub knuckles with Marty for good luck.
Visualizing the night made my heart hurt. I missed him, and didn’t understand where we had veered off course. The summer felt normal until I left, and then it felt like I had disappeared. Or he had disappeared. I tried to contact him, but he never responded. Fear of missing out on my life back home draped over my body and a single tear dropped from my eye onto the flattened pillow.
I sniffled, but it came out more like a snort. My body froze, and I held my breath, unsure if Jaime was asleep. I heard rustling across the room.
“Good night, Rory,” he whispered.
“Night.” I wiped my eyes and buried my face in the pillow.
I knew this semester would be tough, but I never imagined how difficult it could be. I couldn’t wait to get back to Galway and email Scott, just to remind him I was still around and thinking about him. If only he were thinking about me.
My jumbled thoughts numbed my brain. I closed my eyes tight and when they opened again, it was morning.
Chapter 13
The sun cascaded through the small window above Jaime’s immaculate dresser, and my body relaxed under the covers when I saw his empty bed. I ran to the bathroom to prevent any uncomfortable encounters in the hallway and swapped Jaime’s t-shirt for my dirty top from yesterday. It still smelled like burning peat and nature.
My body yearned for a hot, cleansing shower, but I didn’t dare shower in Deirdre and Connor’s home. I brushed my teeth, pulled back my hair, and returned to Jaime’s room. Being alone in this strange house in a different country made me feel peculiar. If only my parents knew. They would lecture me about being a young woman alone with a strange man and how I must always make intelligent choices. I had never had a one-night stand, gotten blackout drunk, or even skipped a class before, but sometimes it felt like my parents assumed the worst of me, even though I never gave them any reason.
I sat on the sofa bed, trying my hardest not to snoop, but the temptation was too great. I crept over to the window and pretended to check the weather, but instead peeked down at his dresser. A picture of a younger Jaime standing with Owen and a blonde woman sat on the far corner of the clean, smooth surface, and I brought it to my face to get a better look. Owen and Jaime wore matching football uniforms and the blonde girl wrapped her arms around both of them. Her long hair and infectious smile made my heartbeat quicken and my gut clench. Surprised by my jealousy, but also curious as to who she was, I dropped the photo and headed toward the stairs.
Hints of sausage, eggs, and bacon crawled toward me from the kitchen, and my stomach growled. Moving through the hallway and down the stairs, I stepped softly, avoiding any noise that would indicate my arrival. My mouth salivated and my stomach grumbled, begging for food.
“Good morning, dear,” Deirdre sang. She placed a cup of tea in front of an empty chair, and I slid into the seat, smelling the hot, malty drink. “Breakfast?” She held a plate with sausages, eggs, bacon, and butter-soaked bread.
“Yes, thank you. Morning, Jaime, morning.” I made eye contact with Connor, unsure what to call him, and he tipped his head back in greeting before taking another bite of breakfast.
The plate set before me overflowed with an all-you-can-eat buffet. I took a bite of sausage and moaned under my breath with pleasure.
Jaime’s eyes sparkled like the joke was on me. His stare made me shift in my seat, so I cleared my throat and asked, “How’d you sleep?”
“Great, thank you.”
Jaime continued to stare at me, and I wiped my chin and ran my tongue over my top teeth, in case part of my meal hadn’t made it to my stomach.
“Oh, dear,” Deirdre interrupted. “Did you decide on church? We need to leave in thirty-five minutes.” I heard tirty-five and smiled to myself. I still couldn’t believe I was in Ireland.
I swallowed and looked at Jaime, pleading for help.
“Ma, I’m taking Rory to Clifden Castle for a few hours. She’s never been to ruins before.”
I looked at him, and he winked at me. This was the first time I had heard about a castle, but castles and Ireland went together like brown bread and Irish butter. It was one of the first things I had put on my to-do list, and it was about time I visited one.
“Ah, wonderful!” Deirdre clapped her hands. “Are you taking the old car?”
Snapping my head to attention mid-bite, I waited to see if he’d tell me what ‘the old car’ meant.
“Yeah,” Jaime said.
“Be safe. And be home by one, so I can drive you back to Galway.”
My watch read half-eight, and I wondered how long it would take to get there.
After breakfast, Deirdre and Connor excused themselves to prepare for church.
