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The second: fantasizing about all the terribly inappropriate things I longed to do with his sister.
32Days Off and Demon Brothers
SHANNON
“I think you need to buy that girl a ring, Joe,” I announced as I read and then reread the note Aoife had left on my brother’s bedside locker on Sunday morning. “She’s a keeper.”
“Yeah,” Joey muttered, scratching his jaw. “She must really love me.”
“Uh, you think?” I rolled my eyes. “She adores you.”
“But I don’t get why she would do this for me.”
“Me either,” I teased. “Especially when you look so much like Shrek.”
“Cheeky fucker,” he chuckled, play-shoving me. “Give me a look at that note again.”
I held it out for him—the same note he had already read at least a dozen times—and then padded over to the kitchen table with my mug of tea. Taking a seat, I watched my brother read the note again, brows scrunched in confusion.
“Why did she do this, Shan?” Shaking his head, he walked from cupboard door to cupboard door, opening and closing them. “She must’ve gotten up at the crack of dawn to do this.” He opened the fridge, revealing a heaving stack of groceries slotted inside. “It must’ve cost her a fortune.”
Joey was right. Aoife had to have gotten up early to do this, considering it was only eleven o’clock. He was also right about it costing her a fortune.
I had found the shopping receipt in the bin for €143.67.
“Says here, she’ll be back around one o’clock with the boys,” he added, rereading the note he’d been brooding over since he woke up. “They’re going to the playground first and then the pitch for a kickabout after that.”
“Did you see this?” I asked as I thumbed through seven neatly stacked envelopes, labeled by day of the week. Shaking one of the little brown envelopes in my hand, I smiled when I heard the sound of coins clanging. “Your girlfriend allotted your money into daily budget packets.”
Joey gaped at me. “What?”
“Yep,” I giggled, placing Tuesday’s envelope back down on the pile.
“No fucking way,” he muttered as he stalked over to where I was and picked up a handful of the tiny rectangular envelopes.
“And she put little hearts on them for you,” I snickered. “It’s so cute.”
“Is it normal to be mad at a person because they love you?” my brother asked, eyeing the envelopes with confusion. He turned his green eyes on me and asked, “Is this normal?”
“Why are you asking me?” I shrugged uncomfortably. “I have no experience with this sort of thing.”
“Oh, would you look at this,” he said with a sigh, pointing to the twenty-euro note lodged beneath Aoife’s car keys and the sticky note alongside it saying: Joey and Shannon’s breakfast fund. In capital letters beneath that were the words: Feed your sister, babe. She’s too skinny.
“My girlfriend left me pocket money.” Joey’s tone was laced with sarcasm. “Jesus Christ, Shan.”
“Don’t be mad at her,” I told him. “She’s trying to help us.”
“I know.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled heavily. “And I’m not mad. I just don’t know how to handle it.”
“Maybe just by saying thank you?” I offered. “And I love you, too? Or flowers? Those are good, too.”
Joey smirked. “You’re full of ideas, aren’t you?”
I smiled back at him and then sighed, forcing myself to address the elephant in the room—or the lack of. “Do you think Mam will be home soon?”
The light in my brother’s eyes dimmed out.
“I really don’t give a fuck what she does, Shan,” he replied tightly. “So long as that prick stays away from this house.”
