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Andi had glared at him, to which Rhys had simply glared back before her eyes filled with tears and she said, “You put us back in each other's orbit, Rhys. You did that and I don’t know how it came to this. How did it come to this?”
Rhys had been surprised because he totally thought that Declan would go and tell Andi about his and Declan’s conversation and it surprised him into thinking that maybe Declan had taken on board what Rhys had told him.
And then there was Shay...
Once Rhys had taken the time to think over the night at the Sullivan bar, he knew that there had been nothing malicious about what Shay had done and she really was just trying to help him., whereas Rhys had reacted purely out of anger, wanting to hurt Shay in that moment the way he was hurting.
So Rhys had a lot to apologize for before he left Ireland behind, with no destination in mind. His decision was made, right? Then why did it give him a pain in his stomach when he thought of leaving Shay behind.
Was it totally insane that he was tempted to ask her to go with him?
They had been walking for some time, Rhys lost in his thoughts as Shay kept glancing at him, her brown eyes seemed nervous. Her lips were pressed in a firm line, painted a dark gold colour that made her eyes seem bigger, and made Rhys want to drag her into a dark alley and smudge her lipstick.
“So, you wanted to talk?” Shay broached, sidestepping an old woman who came barrelling down the street, glanced at Shay with all her tattoos and piercings, and tutted. Shay ignored the woman, her focus on him and him alone, and to be honest, Rhys liked it.
It was different with Shay than any of the one-night stands he’d had over the last year or two, there was more of a connection, one that thrilled and terrified him.
“Ya,” He started, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “I wanted to say sorry for being an asshole after what went down at the bar, and I’m sorry for giving you the cold shoulder since then. I was being a dickhead and you don’t deserve that.”
Shay kicked at a stone on the ground sending it skuttling forward. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. At the time, I thought it was exactly what you needed, a little nudge in the right direction. I never meant to shove you off the cliff entirely.”
Rhys chuckled with a smirk. “I don’t think you’d throw me off the cliff, Shay. You think I’m too pretty and that would be a waste.” Rhys enjoyed the faint tinge of red that darkened Shay’s cheeks and he had to admit, he was having fun flirting with her. “I’m sorry for telling Cathal. I was mad at Declan, not you and I used it to make myself feel better. Didn’t work. Only made me feel worse in the end.”
Sweeping one of her braids off her shoulder, Shay ignored his flirtatious comment. “How about we just call it even and just go back to being friends? Besides, it all worked out for me in the end. I’ve moved into the apartment next to Cathal’s and I’m gonna apprentice part-time.”
“That’s awesome, Shay.”
Shay grinned, her happiness evident because her smile lit up her face. “I’ve tattooed Cathal and Darren already so it’s defo a start.” She worried at her bottom lip, “so maybe if it all worked out for me, then it could work out for you too.”
They were headed back the way they had come, so Shay could get back to work, but Rhys stopped walking and leaned against the wall, taking a minute to process his thoughts before he said. “I’ve left the band.”
Shay’s mouth gaped open and her eyes went wide. “Shut up. You haven’t.”
She said it loud enough to make people glance in their direction, so Rhys grabbed her hand, pulled her into the little park, and tried to ignore just how nice her hand felt in his.
“I told Declan that I was. Last week I told my parents I was planning on going away.”
“Okay,” Shay said, nodding. “That’s a good idea. Take a few days and come back and rethink the stupid idea that you are leaving Heartache Melody. That’s just insane, Rhys.”
A strand of Shay’s hair slipped free of its braid and Rhys reached out and tucked it behind her ear, ignoring the sudden intake of Shay’s breath. “I’m not going away for a few days, Shay. I’m leaving Ireland. Hell knows if I ever come back.”
After studying him for a long moment, Shay stepped back out of his touch. “You’re serious? You think it’s that easy to just walk away? Music is in your blood, Rhys and the band is too. You can’t just walk away like it all means shit and if you really think you can, then you’re fucking kidding yourself.”
Shay spoke the fears that Rhys had out loud, all the little things Rhys told himself didn’t matter. He told himself he could be happy, not making music, not being on stage with his family and he could be content. That starting fresh would be best for him. That leaving everyone behind wouldn’t matter.
That leaving Shay behind wouldn’t matter.
He had considered asking her to go with him as insane as that sounded, but then she had told him about her apprenticeship and new apartment, and how happy that made her...so he couldn’t be selfish and tell her he wanted her to go with him, even if he didn’t want to be alone.
Even if he had slowly fallen for Shay when he hadn’t been looking for her.
Even when he wasn’t sure he deserved someone like Shay to be his.
However, Rhys couldn’t help himself as he grinned, running his gaze down Shay’s body and back up to her face. “You look hot as hell being all bossy and shit. It’s a real turn on.”
Shay glared at him, her hands falling to her hips. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what, gorgeous?”
