Chapter Twenty-Nine

Eamon

Finals week is over, and the relief is palpable. I handed in my last paper for the semester and joyfully walked from the building. Late last night I had an idea come to me that I can't wait to run by Norah. Since neither of us has family obligations, I was hoping to convince her to take a short holiday with me. Nothing far away or too grand, just a few days on the Outer Banks. It's a short drive and the thought of waking up next to her with the sound of the ocean just outside sounds like heaven.

Norah is in the middle of a class, so I decide to grab a cup of coffee from the campus cafe and wait in the library. I was an avid reader growing up but rarely have the time to sit and enjoy a novel anymore. Maybe I'll check one out to read over the holiday. I can't spend the entire time in bed with Norah, as tempting as that sounds. As I walk through the rows of books, I think about the future. Before Norah, I hadn't been looking for a relationship of any kind, but now that I have her, I'm not about to let her go. Even though I have no desire to go back to Ireland, I can't wait to introduce her to my Mam. We haven't been together long, but I'm certain I want her around for the long haul and I think Mam will love her almost as much as I do.

My phone buzzes, alerting me to a text from Norah.

Norah: All done! Where are you?

Eamon: In the library. I'll meet you outside. I have an idea to run by you.

Norah: Sounds intriguing. See you soon. xoxo

I'm leaning against the side of the building when I see Norah scurrying up the sidewalk. It's colder out today than it has been recently, so I open my arms as soon as she approaches and gather her close to me. Her cheeks and nose are rosy from the biting wind, making her face glow. I kiss her softly.

"Hello, you," I purr.

"Hi," she breathes.

"Let's get you out of here and warmed up," I say suggestively.

She giggles, pushing up on her toes to kiss my jawline before saying, "I support this decision. And I want to know more about this idea you were talking about."

"Right. Did you have any big plans for the holiday break?" I ask tentatively.

She cants her head to the side. "No, not really. I thought I'd get a jump start on designing costumes for the spring play, but I can take a sketchbook and pencil with me anywhere. What did you have in mind?"

"Well," I say, turning our bodies towards my car, "I was thinking maybe you and I could rent a place on the Outer Banks and have ourselves a proper holiday together. What do you think?"

Norah beams at me, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Eamon! That sounds perfect. I'd love that."

"Alright, it's settled. Let's head back to your place, get you warmed up, then we can plan our getaway. "

Norah

We're barely through the door when Eamon lifts me and slams my back against the wall. I'm wild with desire, kissing him like my life depends on it. He's holding me up with one hand, while the other kneads my breast through my clothes. I moan loudly when he pinches my nipple. Unwrapping my legs from around his waist, I drop my feet to the floor, shoving his jacket off of his broad shoulders and tugging his shirt over his head. He makes easy work of my hoodie and bra, practically tearing them from me. He presses himself against me roughly, trapping me between the wall and his solid body. When he grinds his hips into mine, I turn feral and spin us around. He starts to protest, but I place my hand firmly against his chest, holding him still. With his back against the wall, I sink to my knees, unbuckle his jeans, and shove them, along with his boxers, to his ankles. I grip his cock with one hand and take him into my mouth as deep as possible. He groans loudly as I suck and swirl my tongue around him then digs his fingers into my hair, holding my head still while he fucks my mouth frantically. It's the hottest thing I've ever seen, even as I gag around him. He finally comes, a string of unintelligible words flowing from his mouth. I swallow everything with pride, knowing that I'm the one making him feel this good. Panting heavily, he looks down at me, and I smile demurely.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while," I admit.

Pulling me to my feet, he kisses me brutally before spinning me around, my back to his chest. He nips his way down my neck to my shoulder and back while cupping my breasts in his hands. He walks us forward until we reach the couch, then splays a hand on my back, bending me forward.

"Put your hands on the back of the sofa, Acushla. And don't let go."

I whimper with need but do as I'm told. My senses are on overload as he runs his tongue up my spine and cups my center, rubbing the heel of his hand against my clit. I writhe against him.

"Eamon," I beg, "please. "

Eamon

I don't make her wait long before I'm plunging into her, buried to the hilt. Pulling back enough to drive deeply into her again, I continue thrusting harder and faster. She's gasping and moaning—so close to coming. I press the pad of my middle finger to her clit and begin circling quickly. That's all it takes for her to cry out her release. When I feel her inner walls contracting around me, I come again with a growl. Dragging us to the floor, I wrap my arms around her while we regain our breath, properly warmed up now.

"Wow…" Norah eventually murmurs. "That was intense."

"You won't find any complaints from me," I respond.

"Mmmm," she hums in agreement. "So. What about that trip?"

I kiss the top of her head, happy to spend all day every day like this if I could. The feel of her naked skin, covered in our sweat, pressed against mine is an aphrodisiac of its own.

"Right. Where do you want to go? And how long can you be away?"

"Can we do a week? Is that too long?" she asks.

"No, not at all," I tell her. "Have you been to Avon? It's a quiet place, very few people."

"I haven't been," Norah answers. "Sounds perfect though. Let's make it happen, Kennedy."

We spend the rest of the evening planning our holiday and eating take-out. Once the rental is booked and the leftover food put away, Norah leads me to the bedroom. We love each other slowly, kissing, caressing, and tasting leisurely. We come simultaneously, foreheads pressed together, and eventually, drift off to sleep, limbs tangled together and blissfully sated.

I'm dreaming about being buried deep in Norah on the beach when my phone starts ringing. I reach for it intending to send the caller to voicemail so I can go back to my dream, but I pause when I see that it's my Mam calling. It's half past four in the morning. She knows the time difference and never calls at this time. My pulse starts to skyrocket .

"Mam," I answer immediately, voice thick with sleep, "is everything okay?"

She's crying frantically, and I think my heart stops. "What is it? What's happened?"

I untangle myself from a sleeping Norah, careful not to wake her, and pad into the living room.

"Eamon," my Mam cries, "it's your sister."

Fear grips me as I sink to the couch. "What's happened to Caitlin?"

"They found her a few hours ago, barely breathing," she tells me through sobs.

"Is she…alive?" I whisper, the words barely able to leave my mouth.

"They have her hooked up to so many machines, Eamon. She's unconscious, and her blood tests show high levels of heroin. They're worried about brain damage."

"Fuck," I mutter. "Was anyone with her?"

Sniffling, she says, "No, she was found behind one of the shops. The fella that found her thought she was…dead. I'm afraid that if he'd found her later, it would have been a reality."

She breaks down sobbing again. God, Caity . My emotions are all over the place. I'm scared of losing my sister but angry at her for putting herself in this position to begin with. I'm also ashamed of ever loaning her money and overwhelmed with worry for my mother.

"I don't know what to do," she says, interrupting my thoughts. "I wish your Da were here. He'd know what to do."

I rub a hand over my face, sighing heavily. I already know what I'm going to do, but I say, "Tell me what the doctors are saying."

"Right now, it's a waiting game," she tells me. "They're going to do all sorts of scans to see the extent of the brain damage, but they're also concerned about organ failure. Given the amount of heroin in her body, it will be a miracle if she comes out of this unscathed. Oh, Eamon. Where did I go wrong with her?"

"Shhh, Ma," I comfort her. "You didn't do anything wrong with Caity. She knows what's right and wrong. Her behavior doesn't reflect the type of mother you are. "

"Do you suppose it's because she had fewer years with your da? You were older and had more time with him. She was such a wee wan when he left us," she cries.

My eyes prickle. I think of my Da often, but hearing Mam talk about him is painful.

"I don't know, Ma. That could be part of it, but I think a lot of it has to do with the tossers she's been hangin' with over the years. They dug their claws in pretty deep."

A hand lands gently on my shoulder and I turn with a start. Norah's eyes are filled with concern as she rounds the couch. Before she can sit, I grip her waist and pull her into my lap, burying my head against her chest. She strokes her fingers through my hair, providing me with a sense of peace in all of the chaos. I let Ma go on about Caity's friends and how she should have known those girls were no good. How she should have sent her to boarding school, or at least a Catholic school.

"I don't think sending her to either of those would have helped, honestly. She would have rebelled even more. I guess you could have locked her in the cellar," I say in jest.

"Ach, Eamon Kennedy!" she chastises but then huffs a laugh. "You're a good lad, my boy. I miss the devil out of you."

"I know, Ma. I miss you too," I pause, looking into Norah's deep blue eyes. She's looking at me with such compassion and steadfastness that it bolsters me to make my decision. Releasing a shaky breath and never breaking eye contact, I say, "Sit tight, Mam. I'm coming home."

"You're what?" she screeches from the other end of the line, loud enough for Norah to hear. "Oh, Eamon! I won't lie and say that isn't the best thing I've heard in the last five years, but are you sure, lad?"

I look back to Norah who cups the side of my face and nods.

"Yeah, I'll grab the first flight I can find and let you know the details," I say, then add, "Oh, and Ma?"

"What is it, my love?"

"I'm bringing someone with me."