“That date…” I blew out a shaky breath. “It’s—” “The first day of first year,” he explained quietly. “The first time I laid eyes on you, and the first time I understood what it meant to have my heart beating for someone outside of my family.”

I had always considered myself to be a strong girl, but right now, as I tried to look at myself in the mirror with my head held high, I had never felt like such a fake. So weak. So small. So fucking uncertain.

“Don’t hate me, Molloy,” Joey mumbled, falling into the passenger seat the moment I let him go to open the car door. “You’re all I have to wake up for in the morning.”

“Then it’s official.” I gave her a reassuring hug as I walked her down the corridor to class, making sure that every catty bitch in this school got a good look at us. “We’re friends.”

The truth was that nothing about being with Joey was easy, and yet being with him felt so incredibly right. Like I was exactly where I was supposed to be, with exactly who I was supposed to be with.

That small boy asked me for a chance that day,” he added, voice thick with emotion. “I took a chance on that boy, and I’m glad that I did because the man that small boy turned into is a man who I am damn proud of.”

“First.” He eyed me carefully and asked, “Do you love my daughter?” Heart thumping violently in my chest, I felt myself nod. “Entirely.” And then I heard myself say, “For about five years now.” Well, shit… “Second,” he said slowly. “Do you see a future with her?” “No,” I replied, hating my admission but needing to give him the truth, because if

“What the hell is that?” “What?” “That.” I poked at the skin covering his heart. Aoife was written in italic script across the left side of his chest.

“Because the only time that I allow myself to feel anything is when I’m with you.”