Damien (Slater Brothers #5)(32)

Everyone sucked in shocked breaths, but that didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was that the first person to reach me, to gather me in their arms and hold me wasn’t Bronagh. It was Damien, and at that moment, there was no other place I wanted to be.

I put my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest as sobs erupted from me. I wasn’t sure how long I stayed in Damien’s embrace, but eventually, he moved me to a now empty settee. He sat on my left with his arm still tightly around my waist while Bronagh sat on my right. Leaning her head against mine, she hugged me.

“What happened?”

“I went around to their house for dinner, like I do every Monday.” I wept. “I went early today because Dante and Damien had a fight in the garage, and I didn’t want to go home and be on me own after that ... I wanted to see me ma, so I went around and helped ’er with dinner.”

Damien gave me a squeeze, and I knew it was a silent apology for his fight with Dante.

“We had the best laugh we’d had together in a long time.” I smiled, my lower lip wobbling. “She was takin’ the piss out of me and was ’er usual happy self. That changed after dinner when ’er and me da sat me down in the sittin’ room.”

Another squeeze from Damien.

“I knew it was somethin’ bad,” I said, recalling the worried expressions on their faces. “At first, I thought somethin’ might have happened to me grandparents or Brogan. Nothin’ could have prepared me for what they were goin’ to tell me. I wasn’t expectin’ them to say she had breast cancer. I had no clue. None.”

Bronagh placed her hand in mine and held it tightly.

“When they told me, and me ma left the room to clean ’erself up, I just went off on a mad one at me da.”

Bronagh gasped. “Did you confront ’im about the affair?”

“I did; everythin’ I’ve kept inside just boiled over.” I swallowed. “I told ’im I’d savage ’im like an animal over it, too.”

Silence.

Bronagh stroked her thumb over my hand. “What’d he say?”

“That he regretted it.” I snorted humourlessly. “That the second he found out me ma had cancer, he ended it. That the possibility of losin’ ’er made ’im realise how wrong he had been and that she is the only one he could ever love and want.”

Damien murmured, “You don’t believe him?”

“No,” I answered. “I don’t. If he loved ’er in the first place, he would have never looked at another woman, much less have a relationship with ’er. He swore to God that they never had sex, but even if they didn’t, he still cheated on ’er. He broke the vows he made to ’er.”

“Does your mom know?” Alec inquired.

I looked at him and shook my head, drawing a frown from him.

“He begged me not to tell ’er.” I snivelled. “He said we need ’er to focus on gettin’ better, and if I tell ’er, it won’t help that.”

“That manipulative bastard!” Aideen scowled. “He is usin’ the situation to hide his mistakes.”

I solemnly nodded. “I know, but as much as it pains me to admit it, he is right.”

“How so?” Bronagh quizzed.

“If I tell me ma about the affair, it’ll break ’er, and I don’t think she’ll want to beat ’er cancer.”

“Of course she will,” Damien spluttered. “She’ll want to live.”

“You don’t understand,” I cried. “She adores me da. She is so in love with ’im, Damien. If I tell ’er, it’ll ruin ’er.”

Silence.

“Whatever you decide to do,” Bronagh reassured. “We’ll fully support you.”

“Thanks,” I acknowledged. “That means a lot.”

“I’ll make tea,” Branna announced.

This was one situation that tea couldn’t make better.

“No,” I quickly said, “I’m not stayin’.”

She frowned at me. “But, Alannah—”

“I really just want to go home, Bran.”

Branna’s frown stayed in place as she nodded at me.

“I thought you were supposed to have the babies by now? On Monday, when I saw you last, you said you were gettin’ induced in four days’ time, but that has come and gone.”

“Me doctor changed me dates last minute. I’m thirty-eight weeks now, so anytime to have them is a good time.” She placed a hand on her large stomach. “I’m gettin’ induced this Friday for definite if I don’t go into labour before then.”

I smiled. “That makes me shitty day much better.”

She winked at me, but she couldn’t hide the worry I knew she felt for me. I didn’t want to worry her further so I stood, the action causing Damien and Bronagh’s arms to fall away from me. “I better get goin’.”

Everyone was frowning at me, and I hated it. I didn’t want anyone’s pity, but I knew I received it tenfold.

Bronagh stood. “I’ll walk you out.”

I said goodbye to everyone, and she grabbed my hand when we reached the front door.

“What am I goin’ to do?” I asked her. “I can’t lose ’er, Bronagh. I can’t.”