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“When the last pub cleared out, you and Aoife danced in the middle of the pub.”

I held up my hand to stop him. “Wait, did we dance on the bar?”

He laughed, and shame grew inside me for not remembering. “No, you tried, but the bartender stopped you.”

Relief coursed through me for not disrespecting Ireland.

“It was your idea to have a dance-off. In the end, Aoife won. She’s been dancing since she was three, so no one was surprised.”

I covered my eyes with my clammy hand. Of course. I must have looked like a fool.

“She said she won a shift and a date with me. I don’t know if you’d decided on that beforehand or if you even knew, but everyone cheered. So I leaned over and shifted her. As for the date, I don’t plan on dating her. We’ve already done that.”

I tried to conjure up the memory of them kissing, but nothing came. “So, what happened after that?”

He leaned against the wall. “We walked back to the hostel, and you passed out on the bottom bunk.”

“With Owen?” I interrupted.

“Yeah, you passed out, but that hostel had no blankets, so we all bunked together to stay warm.”

“But why Owen?” I asked again. “Why not you?” The desperation in my voice pulled me back to when I was a little girl, and all I wanted was for my dad to like me. Searching for his approval, I would do anything to prove that I was worthy of his attention. I would do handstands and cartwheels around him if that meant he would love me the way I needed. Looking at Jaime, I dropped my frantic tone and tried again. “Why didn’t you want to bunk with me?”

He smiled, probably remembering the night I couldn’t. “Because you didn’t want me.”

My eyes creased in confusion, and I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”

“I asked you if I could crash with you, and you mumbled no. You said you couldn’t trust yourself around me.” His smile spread across his face. “You told me you loved me.”

I recoiled and covered my face with the blanket. Too shocked to cry, I needed him to disappear. “Nooo,” I exhaled. “Did anyone else hear?” I imagined Aoife’s smug, beautiful face sweeping Jaime into her arms, declaring him hers.

“No, just me,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to say anything because I knew you didn’t remember, but I couldn’t stand to see you so upset this week.”

“What did you say?” I whispered back. I couldn’t look him in the eyes, so I stared at his collarbone instead. His skin was fair and smooth and I counted the freckles to distract myself and fill the silent void.

“I said nothing. I said good night and left you to sleep.”

Thankful he hadn’t taken advantage of me in my less-than-conscious state, I said nothing.

“And I needed to think about what you said.”

I challenged him with my eyes, begging him to be honest but gentle. “And?”

“And I like you, Rory. Like, a lot. You get me, and you get my family. You’re beautiful and thoughtful and excited for life.”

Damn it. Another tear seeped out of the corner of my eye, and I wiped it with my thumb. I swallowed the egg in my throat. “What about Aoife? Are you and she a thing?”

Jaime looked away and then returned his gaze to me. “We were. We were a thing for about six months, but it didn’t work out. She’s a good friend, mostly because she’s Owen’s sister, and Owen’s my best buddy. I like her as a person, but I’m not attracted to her like I am to you. We have a loose relationship. She likes to flirt, and I like to be flirted with, but we aren’t together, no.”

“Did you break up with her, or did she break up with you?”

“I broke up with her. It was too weird. She wanted more, but it didn’t feel right. I’ll always protect her and care for her, but I don’t want to be with her.” His eyes reflected honesty, and his body communicated sincerity.

I played with my fingers, picking at my cuticles. “So, what does that mean for us?”

Jaime leaned closer, and his intense eyes filled my vision. “Can we see what happens? Let’s hang out and see how things unfold. You’re leaving in six weeks, and I’m afraid to fall too hard because I don’t know what will happen to us once you’ve gone.” I closed my eyes and felt his soft lips gently brush against mine.

I understood why he was afraid. “I’m scared too.”