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Visions entered her mind of Ronan’s fingers weaving through her hair as they rolled around the fusty motel bed after sneaking away from both their prom dates that senior year.
She had searched for weeks for her red dress, whereas he looked exactly the part of being stuck in a rumpled prom suit that two of his brothers before him had used. He still looked handsome, though.
They had argued the day before prom and just to stick it to him, Fianna had asked a guy from his football team as her prom date. Apparently they were on a break again and she wouldn’t sit at home crying while he was going to the dance without her.
When he’d confronted her at the dance, she knew that her sharp tongue and haughty attitude would drive him absolutely nuts. He had left no room for arguments when he stepped up to her and kissed her on the middle of the dance floor.
They ditched their dates and ended up together at the motel where they made love throughout the night before she needed to get back home. It’d been her first time, and she never forgot the loving look in his eyes when he entered her that first time.
It had been like that between them for years: fighting like cats and dogs before making up like there was no tomorrow. She had never met anyone since with so much fire. The thing with him and Fianna was that they both loved and hated with a passion. There was no in between.
Was spending her evenings alone in her one-bedroom apartment lonely enough for her to forget about what happened and take the plunge? Should she just go with the flow and enjoy whatever Ronan offered?
Spending this evening with her sister and her family only amplified her desire for the next step in her life. Even though motherhood wasn’t a walk in the park, she wanted what Bree had and wasn’t ashamed to admit it to herself.
Fianna was ready to share her life with someone and start a family. She would turn thirty in less than a year.
Her plans didn’t include an old ex who wanted to catch up just for old times’ sake. A night of fun would demolish any progress she’d made in getting over him. Instead of texting Ronan, she put her phone away in her bag and put on some mindless feel-good movie.
“Fi! Get your shoes on! We need to go!” Declan shouted from upstairs.
She shot up from the sofa, searching for her shoes in bewilderment.
“What’s wrong? Is it the twins?” she shouted as she put on the first sneaker.
Declan stormed down the stairs, his eyes frantic. Her heart stopped racing for a moment. She’d never seen the cool and collective Declan Mills act like this. This was bad. Whatever it was.
“Shoes!” Declan shouted once again.
She held Declan’s arm and stopped him on his way to the front door. “What is it?”
“Gwenn just called. It’s Ro. He’s been stabbed. We need to get to the hospital. Bree is waiting on Ryleigh to come over to watch the twins, but we’re not waiting on her.”
Her hand slipped from his arm and she almost tumbled down to the floor if it weren’t for Declan holding her up. She couldn’t believe it. Ronan. Stabbed.
He always seemed immortal with all those MMA fights under his belt.
“There’s no time, Fi. Come,” Declan said as he picked up her other sneaker. “You can put it on in the truck.”
“But…”
Declan walked her outside with his hand on her lower back. He opened her door for her and walked around to jump inside his side.
On their way to the hospital, Declan called Brennan. Of course he called him. As the oldest Mills brother, Brennan had acted more like a father toward Ronan than their actual dad. Fi overheard their conversation as Declan had dialed hands free in the truck.
She heard them talk but what had been said didn’t really register. She’d caught snippets though. Words like ‘shock’ and ‘not looking good’ pierced her soul.
Was this really going to be it for them? Was she ready to say her final goodbye to the love of her life?
6
Ronan
Adainty, warm hand touched Ronan’s face. He tried to open his eyes, but everything stayed dark around him.
“My stupid big ape…”
If he weren’t out of it, he would have chuckled at Fianna’s use of her favorite nickname for him since their breakup.
