Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
He’s towering well over Ciarán. He’s nicely built as well. His hair is damp, causing it to look a lot darker than I think it truly is. He’s a blond.
A smile comes to his face as he looks down at me and I’m thrown back in time. I plant my hands against the mat of the ring to keep myself on my feet. Ciarán is talking excitedly, but I can’t hear a word of what he’s saying.
“Come on, Ciara. Me ma promised us ice cream after school. We need to get there before everyone else eats it all. We’ll take the shortcut over the hill and get there first.”
“Ach, Dylan, me wee legs are too small to carry me over that hill. We’ll be sure to miss out on the ice cream if we go that way, we will.”
He smiles at me and hands me his backpack, gesturing for me to put it on. The sunlight dances in his golden locks as his blue eyes twinkle back at me.
“Aye, that’s why yer going to get on me back. I’ll carry ya over.”
“Don’t drop me,” I whisper.
“Never, I’ll always protect ya. Promise.”
“Cee, Cee, are you okay?” Ciarán’s worried voice pulls me back to the present.
“Is she all right?” The big dude asks as he looks at me with panic in his eyes.
I reach to hold my aching head. I’m so confused. Was that a memory from before the accident? The boy … that was the boy from the dreams and the sketches.
“She gets headaches sometimes when she has memories from before the accident.” I hear Ciarán say.
“Accident?”
“Yeah, when I was a baby, she jumped out of her seat to cover me with her body to keep me safe. We survived, but our mom didn’t. However, Cee lost her memory.”
Anger fills me as my little brother says too much, causing my head to throb violently. I still can’t speak. I pinch my eyes closed, trying to breathe and not pass out.
“Is she going to be okay? Should I call for help?”
“No, no. It usually passes.”
The next thing I know, I’m scooped off my feet into strong, warm arms. I melt into the safest feeling I’ve ever had. He presses a kiss to my temple, causing me to sag further into his warmth.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs.
His words and voice shoot straight to my core. My head hurts so bad, I can only wrap my arms around his neck and hold on as he moves with me in his embrace.
I feel more than see that we’re moving up a flight of stairs. He tightens his arms around me possessively. His warm breath continues to fan my skin.
“Oh my God, is she okay? Should I call EMS?”
I recognize the voice as the woman from the phone, Taegan. I can’t open my eyes to see what she looks like, but that accent is as thick as it was over the phone, if not more so. I’m trying my best to will the pain away.
“No. Her brother says it will pass,” the guy carrying me says.
He lowers into a seat and places me in his lap. My skin tingles as he brushes my hair from my face and palms my cheek. Slowly, I open my eyes.
I gasp as I look into the same eyes I’ve drawn hundreds of times. He smiles at me and places his forehead to mine as he holds my face between his warm, tape-covered palms.
“Is tusa atá ann. Fuair mé thú faoi dheireadh, mo chroí, mo ghrá. Táim anseo. Coinneoidh mé slán thú, tabharfaidh mé aire duit. Ní chaillfidh mé thú arís choíche,” he breathes.
He’s not speaking English, but in the back of my mind, I know I should understand him. A gasp fills the room, causing me to turn. My gaze lands on a tiny redhead who’s watching us.
“Shut the fuck up. Ya have to be fucking kidding me. It’s her? Jesus, Mary, Joseph, what are the chances she’s walked right into yer gym?” she says in awe.
“What’s going on? Cee, should I call Miss Vega or Miss Daliah?”
“Ciarán, no. I’m fine. Please stop talking. Um, thank you,” I say as I stand from this guy’s lap.
“Ciara, wait,” he says, freezing me in my tracks.
I haven’t told anyone about that name. I close my eyes and try to latch onto what my mind is telling me he said.
It’s you. I’ve finally found you, my heart, my love. I’m here. I’ll keep you safe, I will take care of you. I’m never going to lose you again.
“Gaelic. You’re speaking Gaelic. I know Gaelic?”
I shake my head as if to clear it. In that memory, I had an accent like he did. Where did my accent come from?
Why did Theo make sure I lost mine? He could never tell me how I got it. He only corrected it until it was all but gone.