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Mam rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”
“What happened to you?” Dad was quick to demand. “Did someone hit you?” His eyes narrowed. “Did Joey—“
“No, no, Jesus, no, Dad,” I quickly appeased. “Joey never laid a finger on me.”Well, none I didn’t beg him to.“Basically, Paul was saying a few shady things about me around the place.”Like slut. And whore. And cock tease.“And when Joey heard about it, he pulled him up on it.” Shrugging, I added, “For your benefit, apparently. You know, since I’m your daughter, and he has a lot of time for you ever since you took him on at the garage. That’s why Joey got arrested for fighting early in the new year. Remember?”
Dad nodded. “I do.”
“Yeah.” I blew out a shaky breath. “Well, anyway, I got the black eye from Paul when I tried to break up their fight. In his defense, itwasan accident,” I begrudgingly admitted. “But once the rumor mill got wind of Joey sticking up for me, people started gossiping about us, putting two and two together and coming up with five.” I let out a breath. “Yep, that pretty much sums it all up.”
Kev snorted and then quickly buried the sound with a cough when I gave him a look that threatened violence. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
Dad stared at me for a long moment before exhaling heavily. “Well, I hope Joey gave that bollox a good stuffing.”
“What was he saying about you, love?” Mam asked, concern etched on her face. “Would you like me to phone his mother, because I will. I’ll give her a good piece of my mind—“
“No, Mam, it’s grand,” I hurried to say. “Paul was just salty because I wouldn’t, well…” I shrugged, “Because I wouldn’t…”
“Have sex with him,” Kev offered dryly. “He was pissed because Aoife wouldn’t have sex with him after four years of stringing him along and treating him like an afterthought.”
“I didn’t string him along,” I snapped. “And it was three and a half years, not four.”
Kev cocked a brow. “Sureyou didn’t.”
“Fine,” I reluctantly conceded. “Maybe there is a teeny tiny bit of truth to that statement, but that doesn’t mean that I have to—“
“Lay on your back and spread your legs for him?” Kev shook his head. “Because that’s what Paul thinks you’re doing for Lynchy.”
“More lies,” I bit out, glaring at my brother.
“Kevin,” Dad barked. “Don’t be saying those kinds of things in front of your sister.”
“What kinds of things?”
“You know,” Dad mumbled, flustered. “Sex type things. She’s too young for that sort of talk.”
“She’s the same age as me.”
“Still,” Dad huffed, looking incredibly uncomfortable. “It’s not right, son.”
“Was that it, Aoife?” Mam asked me. “Paul was making up stories about you?”
I shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“And there’s no truth to the rumors about Joey?”
“None at all,” I lied.
“Well, I never.” Dad looked to Mam and shook his head. “Fair play to young Joey, having my back like that.”
“Yeah,” Kev drawled, tone laced with sarcasm. “Let’s all raise a glass to the honorable Joey Lynch.”
“What a good lad.” Dad beamed at my mother. “Defending my daughter’s honor.”
Kev snorted again, and, this time, he didn’t even bother to hide it. “I’m off to bed.”
“Yeah,” I squeezed out, as the image of Joey’s head between my legs filled my mind. “My honor’s restored.”
BLUE EYES AND BLUE BALLS
