Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“It’s just a uniform, Mum. Calm down,” she said with an exasperated smile.
Having grown up in a posh part of London, my daughter’s accent would set her apart here. She was everything like me in certain ways and nothing like me in others. She’d inherited my studious nature and had always done very well at school. Unlike me, she had confidence in spades and managed to make friends wherever she went. It was kind of fascinating to watch her ingratiate herself with people in a way I’d never been able to. Like, how did this socially skilled person come from me? It was perplexing.
She was also incredibly mature for her age. When I’d told her we were moving to Ireland, she hadn’t thrown a fit or acted out. Instead, she’d been excited for the change, a new adventure. Even though she would miss her father and friends, she adored her grandparents and was looking forward to living only a few minutes’ drive from their house.
“Hey, I’m allowed to be a little emotional. You look great,” I replied, smoothing my hand down her long, golden-brown hair. Looks-wise, Deirdre was every inch of her dad, with his same hair colour and greenish-grey eyes. Like I’d told Nuala at the party, she’d also gotten his height, and at only fifteen, she already towered over me.
“How are you feeling? Nervous?”
“I’m fine, but we better get going. I don’t want to be late.”
I glanced at the clock and saw we didn’t have much time. After snapping a quick picture of her on my phone—which she reluctantly agreed to—we headed out. By the time I dropped her off outside the school and watched her disappear inside the gates, I was in desperate need of caffeine. I swear I was more nervous about her first day than Deirdre was herself. I’d tossed and turned most of the night because I just really wanted her to fit in here. If it turned out she wanted to go back to London and live with her dad, I wasn’t sure I had it in me to deny her. Being a teenager was tough on its own, never mind when your mother moved you to a different country where you had to start all over again.
Deciding I’d grab some coffees and morning pastries to bring over to my parents’ house, I parked in town and walked to Christine’s. My old friend from school, Tara, ran the place. It had originally been owned by her grandmother, but Christine had passed away about ten years ago and left the café to Tara. The business had been struggling at the time, but Tara completely turned it around. The building used to be a traditional Irish pub before it became a café when Christine purchased it, so it still had lots of old, interesting features, like brick walls, original woodwork and even a fireplace. Under Tara’s ownership, it had become one of the most popular spots in town for breakfast and lunch. I’d always gone out of my way to visit whenever I was home because the pastries were out of this world. It thrilled me that I could now visit whenever I wanted, plus I got to see my friend, which was an added bonus.
I stepped inside the café and joined the queue for takeaway orders when something prickled at the back of my neck. It was a familiar sensation, one I felt only in the presence of a certain someone. I sensed his eyes on the back of my head and self-consciously ran my hand down my ponytail before pulling it over my shoulder and nervously fiddling with the ends.
When I felt it was safe to look, I cast a quick glance behind me and saw Derek standing next to a woman as they waited farther back in the queue. It took me a moment to place her. She was from the party the other night, his cousin’s friend from Australia who his mother introduced him to while I’d eavesdropped on their conversation. Her name was Kayla, and she was moving to Ireland in a couple months and needed help finding a rental apartment. It was almost embarrassing how well I recollected the details.
A twisty feeling took up residence in my stomach at the sight of them, but I quickly faced forward before Derek noticed me staring.
When it was my turn to order, I asked for three lattes and three cinnamon swirls before moving to the end of the counter to wait. I couldn’t see Tara around, only her employees, so I presumed she was out back in the kitchen or in her office. I pulled my phone from my pocket and busied myself, pretending to check my messages, studiously avoiding glancing at Derek.
“Milly?” the barista called out, and my eyes flicked up. I’d meant to only look in the direction of the barista, but somehow my eyes clashed with a pair of hard, brown ones.