Saving a Legend(89)

“Fiona, you’re not doing anything to me,” he said, panic starting to lace his voice. He could feel her slipping through his fingers, and he had no idea why. “I swear to you on my life, I’m never going to put myself in a situation that could lead me back to prison. You can trust me.”



“I do trust you, Kieran,” she said quietly, “but I’m not so sure you can trust me.”

“Fi,” he started again, but she put her hand up and turned.

“I’m sorry, Kieran. This is really the best thing for both of us, believe me.” With that, she walked back into the house, taking his heart with her.





Chapter 21

“I’ve never seen a more depressed man in my life,” Nora told Fiona as she braided Shea’s hair into two pigtails a few days later.

It had been a miserable week and Fiona had tried her best to avoid seeing Kieran, but she lived with his parents. Despite the fact that she had successfully ditched Sunday’s family dinner, saying that she needed to work at the flower shop and taking Shea with her, she’d still seen him around town, and each instance had shattered her.

Her only respite now was at the youth center, because his recent prison stay had excluded him from performing community service with kids anymore. Just another thing to feel guilty about where Kieran was concerned.

“He’ll be okay,” Fiona assured her, hoping that was the truth for him, because it certainly wasn’t for her. She’d spent every night tossing and turning restlessly, wishing he were there beside her. She’d had to stop herself dozens of times from texting him or calling him, reminding herself that their separation was her choice. That it was the best for the both of them. “I’m sure he will be fine.”

“Fi, you broke the man’s heart.” Nora looked skeptical. “They don’t just get over that kind of thing.”

“Well, I hope that’s not true, because I’m breaking, too.” Fiona sniffed, not wanting to say too much in front of her little sister. “Shea, go get your book bag from the office, please.”

Once her sister left, Nora looked back at her. “I don’t understand, hon. I know I’m being nosy, but I can see the sadness on your face the last few days. You miss him. Hell, I miss him around here, too. He’s made his mistakes, but he’s a great guy.”



“He is. He’s wonderful, so…” Fiona’s words faded, and she cleared her throat. “It’s not about that, though. This is the best thing for both of us.”

“Remind me how that goes again?” Nora eyed her pointedly. “How your life is better without the first man to put a smile on your face in ages?”

“Nora, if he’d never met me, he wouldn’t have caught Shea with drugs, and he wouldn’t have gone back to prison. He’s trying so hard to fix his life and make something of himself, and my involvement screws everything up for him. He deserves a fresh start, and I’m not that.”

“That’s such bullshit, and you know it,” Nora scoffed. “This is about your past…about your stepfather.”

Fiona’s head snapped up to stare at her friend. “It is not. It’s because he’s better off without me.”

“It’s his fault he got caught, not yours. Not mine, not Shea’s, not anyone’s but his. He was on parole because of his own doing in the first place. He could have been sent back for anything at any time, whether he had ever met you or not. You’re making excuses, and for what?”

Fiona shook her head, a lump forming in her throat. “I’m not.”

“You are, and it’s because you think you don’t deserve him. You’re still feeling guilty over what happened with your stepdad. What does Kieran even think about all that?”

“Nothing,” Fiona admitted softly. “I never told him.”

Nora’s jaw dropped and she exhaled sharply. “He didn’t tell you about his past, so you dumped him…but you’re doing the same thing?”



“That’s not it.” Fiona rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, studying the ceiling tiles as she groaned. “I didn’t break up with him because of that, Nora. You know me better than that.”

Nora was silent for a moment before she sighed deeply and moved over to hug her friend. “The only thing standing in the way of you both being happy is you. You’ve got to tell him. You’ve got to at least let him decide if he can handle it.”

Fiona took a deep breath at the reminder of one of the worst days of her life. She’d had no choice, it was him or Shea. He had already violently taken one family member from her and had set his sights on Shea next. Fiona couldn’t allow that; she had to stop him. She had made a choice: she had chosen to kill him.