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Tammy allowed herself a little smile. ‘Alright.’
As she sorted Shay’s wound, she began to feel a lot less self-conscious. Yeah, so there was the fact she was treating someone in her surgery while dressed as a Little, but Shay didn’t seem to judge her for that. It reminded her of the way he used to be about her toys. Never teased her like his brothers did. There were a ton of things wrong with Shay Healy, but he never mocked her. Just… quietly hated her guts.
‘It’s cold in here,’ Shay said, as she stitched his finger. ‘Do you live like this?’
‘Haven’t got the heating sorted yet,’ Tammy said, feeling suddenly prickly.
‘Don’t you know how to light a fire?’
‘Of course I do,’ Tammy lied. Maybe Shaywasjudging her after all.
‘You seem skinnier than when you were a kid. Are you eating OK?’
‘Of course I am,’ Tammy lied again.
Shame she’d already numbed Shay’s finger. Would have been quite satisfying to give this guy a little prick with the needle. Good job she’d just finished sewing him up. Best not hold anything sharp and pointy while she was feeling this irritable.
The truth was, Shay was touching a nerve. Tammy was rubbish at looking after herself. This was the first time she’d lived alone. She had no idea how to build a fire. It hadn’t even occurred to her, and Haze must have forgotten to mention it. And in terms of food, medical school was so busy that she had never learned how to cook. Just grabbed instant noodles between lectures and the crazy shifts she had to work on placements.
‘That’s funny,’ said Shay. ‘There’s a lot of stuff I remember about you, but I don’t remember you ever being a liar.’
Tammy’s cheeks began to burn. How dare Shay speak to her like this?
‘Well, I don’t remember you evercaring,’ Tammy spat in response. Shay looked shocked, but Tammy couldn’t stop now that she’d started. ‘Where did you take your brothers, Shay? Why did you make them leave me? Why did you three suddenly abandon me one day without saying goodbye?’
Shay’s eyes widened as the torrent of angry questions flew out her mouth. He looked as though he was about to say something… but then he stopped himself.
He took the bandage out of Tammy’s hand before she’d even had a chance to fix it in place, then he got up and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Tammy crossed her arms defiantly as she watched him leave.
Well, this place just keeps getting better and better.
*
Conor couldn’t stand it.
His brothers had both gotten to see her. It wasn’t fair. He’d been the one that was closest to her back then. He’d been the one who’d kissed her first. Who’d kissed her most.
He was desperate to go and see her, but it would have to wait until morning. He was hardly about to injure himself on purpose and go and bother her at night like Shay had done.
Ach, to be fair, Shay probably didn’t slice his finger open on purpose. The fecker had never been good with blood. And he looked far from pleased about having been to see her when he came barging through the door an hour ago.
Conor had never understood why Shay had hated Tammy so much. Obviously, the girl hadn’t been into him and Finn as much as they were into her, but that was hardly her fault, was it? They were all so young back then. Maybe there was a chance that if they were to meet now, as adults…
No. Conor had to stop torturing himself like this. For all he knew, Tammy was married. Or widowed. Or gay. Or asexual. And if he hadn’t been good enough for her back then, well — why would he be good enough for her now? He was a failed sportsman, running a bar in the middle of nowhere with his two oddball brothers. It was hardly the stuff dreams were made of, was it?
Besides, he and Finn had made an arrangement long, long ago, that they wouldn’t get into a relationship with anyone that they couldn’t share. Being identical twins, it felt wrong to them somehow to be with a different girl each. The problem was, Conor and Finn looked the same, but inside, they were totally different. It was going to be almost impossible to find one woman who loved them both. Sooner or later, they were going to have to accept that. Otherwise they’d both be single forever.
It really feckin’ sucked, though. Back when they were younger, it really did seem like things were going to work out with Tammy. She seemed to like both of them. And they sure as hell both liked her.
Conor knocked back his whiskey. Despite running a bar, he wasn’t much of a drinker. Too many years of professional sports had suppressed that desire in him. Booze was a mind-altering substance. And mind-altering substances made you unfit. Unhealthy. Unhappy. He only had to look at his own parents for proof of that.
Tonight was different, though. Conor was full of nervous energy. There was no way he was going to get to sleep without a few whiskies inside him. He got up and walked to the back of the bar, pouring himself yet another shot of amber-colored Jameson.
As he did so, he was interrupted by a sound.
‘You too, huh?’ It was Finn.
