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Chapter 8
Connor Murphy
My feet drag as I head up the hill to the house. I need to shake off my dark mood and make an effort to be sociable at dinner, but my heart is still back in that bedroom with Kennedy.
She said I didn’t do anything wrong. She said it wasn’t me. I’m desperate to believe her, but then the alternative is almost worse. I can’t believe my own grandfather said such vile things to her.
After keeping me in the dark all this time, she’s finally shedding some light on her sudden departure. Images of the life we could have been living flash before my eyes. Over and over the images play out on an unending loop—the wedding we never had, the family we never started. Like our friends, we might have had a child or two by now if things had gone differently. We could have had everything we wanted. We could have been happy.
In my mind, I’ve always pictured us with a little boy—our son—with his mother’s raven hair and dark eyes and my sense of humor. Nostalgia tightens its grip on my heart as I mourn for the life we never had.
When a hand appears suddenly in front of my eyes, I’m shaken out of my reverie.
Will snaps his fingers in my face. “Hello there! Earth to Connor.”
I blink, and the fragmented images of my alternate reality rain down around me, until they are no more.
I focus on Will. The evening sunlight beats down on his dark auburn hair making it appear almost burgundy, which is fitting as it matches the color of his T-shirt.
Suppressing a smile, he shakes his head. “You almost walked straight past me.”
Shrugging, I clap my friend on the shoulder. “What can I say? Jet lag is a bitch.”
Will glances down the hill at the cottage. “Where’s Kennedy? Isn’t she coming?”
“She’ll be along,” I say, trying to sound unconcerned. I don’t want to admit to him that I just made her cry. “She’s unpacking.”
Will frowns as his gaze bounces between me and the cottage. “Is everything okay?”
I paste on a smile, hoping I come across as more assured than I feel. “Sure. Everything’s fine.”Actually, it’s not. It’s fucked up, and I don’t know how to fix it.
Will eyes me skeptically, but he doesn’t say anything more. “Well, come on then. Dinner’s about to be served.”
When I pick up the pace, so does he.
As soon as we step inside the house, I’m greeted by the scent of freshly-baked bread and the aroma of home cooking. I follow Will through the house to a spacious dining room with a big pine table surrounded by eight high-back chairs painted white. The walls are a light gray with white skirting boards. The décor is bright and airy, giving the room a real homey feel.
The table is set for five places. One end has been completely taken over by a range of toys, including Lego projects in various stages of construction, coloring books, Crayons, and Barbie dolls.
“Uncle Connor!” Penny’s enthusiastic cry catches my attention. She’s presiding over the toy end of the table, bouncing in her seat while holding a Barbie doll in one hand and a Ken doll in the other. She’s wearing a purple floral dress, and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail.
“Hello, little miss,” I say as I take a vacant seat near her. “Don’t you look pretty this evening.”
“Thanks. Do you want to play with me?” She offers me the Ken doll, which is looking very dapper in a miniature suit and tie. “You can be the boy.”
I snicker. “Good choice.”
Will opens his mouth to speak but stops when Skye enters the room with baby Nicholas cradled in her arms. The baby’s wrapped in a soft white blanket, only the top of his head and tufts of brown hair showing. Skye has faint shadows beneath her eyes, and she looks exhausted.
Will jumps up to pull out a chair for his wife. “Would you like to give the baby to me so you can go for a lie down?”
Skye squeezes Will’s hand. “I appreciate the offer, honey, but right now we have guests.” She winks at me. Then she glances around. “Where’s Kennedy?”
I’d assumed she’d only be a little while behind me, but it seems she needs more time to compose herself. I really should be back there with her now, making sure she’s okay, comforting her if I possibly can, but instead I’m here pretending everything’s okay when it clearly isn’t.
She dropped a bombshell on me just moments ago, and there’s a lot still to be said between us. I’m trying to get to grips with what she told me of my grandfather. I never would have believed him possible of saying such awful things. If I’d known he could be like that, we’d never have stepped foot in his house.
I clear my throat. “Kennedy was still unpacking when I left her. Maybe I should go check on her, make sure she hasn’t fallen asleep or something.”By somethingI mean that she isn’t still in tears.
