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The questions started in hot and heavy, but Cassidy had taken our preparation head-on, digging in with the relentless fervor that must have driven her during all those late nights in medical school. We'd quizzed each other non-stop, and I was utterly confident by the increasing irritation on Halliwell's face there was nothing we didn't know about each other.
Well, almost nothing.
"Mrs. McTiernan--Cassidy, if I may. How did Connor's parents die?"
That was a low blow. I almost came up out of the seat at him, but Cassidy's cool hand in mine held me at bay. My palm felt sweaty in hers. I hadn't told her anything about them.
"They were killed in the University bombings in Dublin when he was sixteen. You would have seen it, it was all over the news. His mother, Nora, worked at the University, and his father, John, owned a small shop on Frederick Street. School was out, and Connor had been down at the park with his friends. He was supposed to meet his parents at a cafe for lunch at noon, but he forgot. They stayed anyway, and the cafe was bombed by the IRA an hour later. Connor saw it from the rugby pitch."
The blood drained from my face as I listened to her coldly recount the story. But her venom wasn't for my benefit. Cassidy was staring daggers at Halliwell, who suddenly looked like he had much better places to be. "Well. That is...tragic. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. McTiernan, you'll be receiving the results of this interview in the mail, along with the board's decision."
Cassidy was trembling as we walked out of the building into the bright afternoon light, but it wasn't from fear. It was anger. "I'm sorry, Connor, I didn't mean to use your parents' memory like that, but that asshole had it coming."
"It's all right, love." I pulled her around the corner, settling a hand against her cheek. "You did the right thing. Who told you, anyway? It was Sloane, wasn't it?"
She nodded. "Sloane didn't want to tell me, but I had a feeling they might bring it up."
"She was right to tell you. I should have told you myself."
Cassidy rested her head on my shoulder. "I don't blame you for not wanting to talk about it. It's a terrible memory. I'm sorry, Connor."
"I'm sorry, too."
"It's not your fault, you know."
I hummed against her skin as I kissed her cheek, not wanting to ruin this sweet moment with my baggage. "Come on, let's go home."
The morning sun was streaming in through the tall windows, slotting across the bed and warming the blankets deliciously. A lazy Sunday morning—I could get used to this.
CASSIDY was cocooned in my arms, her back pressed up against my chest. I drifted in the hazy in between of not-quite-awake, aware only of the warmth of her body against mine, the sweet scent of her hair, and the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing. I felt the tempo change as she started to wake, pulling me up with her.
She sighed happily and rolled over, burying her face in my chest. I chuckled and kissed the top of her head.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
CASSIDY froze, and she blinked up at me in surprise.
“You honestly didn’t forget it was your birthday, did you?”
“Um…”
I stared at her for a second, and then I let out a groan that dissolved into laughter. “Oh my god, I did, didn’t I? That’s…of course I did.”
I hid my face in the pillow. “I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t, I think it’s adorable. Of course you’d forget your own birthday—you’re always worrying about everyone else. And it’s not like we haven’t had anything else going on.”
I kissed her shoulder, working my way up to her neck until she giggled and peeked out at me. I kissed her lips.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled, and as always, I felt warmth bloom around my heart, spreading right down to the tips of my fingers and toes.
Then she leaned into me, and as always, her kiss halted any coherent thought and had my stomach doing backflips. That’s how it was for me—whether soft or passionate, she had the ability to reduce me to a quivering mess.
Which was exactly how I felt now. I groaned and shifted my hips away from her so she wouldn’t feel my massive hard-on, but it was too late. I blushed and she started to say something apologetic, but I shook my head, silencing her with another kiss.
