Oh.
“Kane,” I whispered breathlessly.
He licked his lips. “Yes?”
“Kiss me,” I panted, “now.”
I didn’t need to ask him twice.
He covered my mouth with his and pressed me back down against his mattress. I tried my best to kiss him back with the same intensity he gave to me, but I was exhausted.
“You’re tired.” He smiled.
I hated that my stamina was fucking up our moment.
“I’m sorry,” I panted.
Kane kissed my head. “Don’t be sorry, just rest.”
“Let me feel you. All of you.”
Kane swallowed. “O-Okay.”
I sat up and traced my fingers over all of his scars. I paused a couple of times to kiss them too. I wanted to shower Kane’s body with love so he never doubted my thoughts towards it again. I was about to lie back down on the bed when I brushed my fingers over the hair that covered his neck and felt really thick lumps.
I tilted my head to the side and I pushed Kane’s hair out of the way. When I did so, I froze.
“Kane,” I whispered, “it says ‘Marco’.”
He moved away from me. He stood up from the bed and pulled on a pair of tracksuit trousers. “I know what it says.”
“That’s not a tattoo,” I continued. “It’s a scar.”
Kane wouldn’t look at me as I stated the obvious.
“Yes. It’s a scar, Aideen.”
I shook my head. He said it like it wasn’t a big deal when it was.
It really was.
“Was it carved into you? Who done it? Why-”
“Aideen!”
I jumped with fright when Kane bellowed my name. I shrunk back against the pillows behind me and tightly closed my lips together.
“Leave it alone.”
I couldn’t.
“Marco made you do your jobs, right? They were the cause of the scars, weren’t they?”
“Aideen.”
Oh, fuck.
He was infuriated.
“Okay,” I whispered and looked away from him.
Kane was silent for a few moments before he said, “I’m going for a run. I’ll be back later.”
I looked at his bedroom door when he exited through it and I thought, I won’t be here when you get back.
“What’s wrong with you?”
I was sitting in my new apartment with my girlfriends surrounding me, but I didn’t feel present in the room with them. My mind was elsewhere.
I looked at Bronagh when she spoke to me.
“What?”
Bronagh deadpanned, “Don’t play dumb, somethin’ is botherin’ you. You ask us round for some tea and a chat, but you have barely spoken and we got here hours ago. Spill.”
I didn’t want to spill. I didn’t want to do anything.
“Did you and Kane have a fight?” This came from Branna when I remained silent.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Kind of.”
“You can’t kind of have a fight with a Slater brother,” Keela interjected. “You either did or you didn’t.”
I rolled my eyes. “I did then.”
“Why?” Bronagh asked, her voice soft.
I exhaled. “I asked him about his scars.”
“Oh, fuck,” Branna mumbled.
Yeah. Oh, fuck.
“My sentiments exactly,” I grunted.
Keela whistled. “A shitstorm happened?”
I nodded my head. “There was no cursin’ or even much shoutin’... he just shut me down with the look in his eyes and the way he said me name. He went out runnin’ so I came home.”
Bronagh leaned her head back against my settee. “We can be expectin’ him soon then.” It was a statement, not a question.
I shrugged. “He might not come over. He wasn’t happy with my pryin’.”
“You could hold a gun to his head and he would still come to you,” Keela snorted and the girls agreed.
I frowned. “This time was different... I asked about a scar with a name on his neck and he just... blew up.”
“What name on his neck?” Bronagh asked, surprised.
I looked at her. “You’ve never seen it?”
She shook her head and so did the others.
“Huh. His hair must have hidden it from sight. It’s right on the back of his neck.”
“Whose name is on his neck?” Keela asked, her voice tight.
I looked away as I said, “Marco.”
“What?”