Off Course (Off 4)

I shoot up from the table and hiss, "That's enough."

Pulling her up, I walk from the restaurant, keeping her wrist firmly grasped in mine. She continues throwing out memories.

Or the time you fucked me back stage...

Or what about when you fingered me under the table...

I wanted to slap my hands over my ears to drown her out but I didn't want to release her wrist until I got her out of the restaurant.

When we step outside, I pull her a few feet away from the door and spin her around roughly, tossing her arm aside to glare at her.

"What in the hell is wrong with you? Are you fucking nuts?" I spit out.

She stares at me blankly for just a second, then tears well up in her eyes. "What about the time you told me that you could see a permanent future between us? Have you forgotten that?"

A single tear slips down her cheek. She glances to the ground and then back up at me again. "Have you really forgotten everything we were to each other?"

I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. "Maeve, I've forgotten none of that. But it's over. I'm sorry but it's over."

Her voice goes shrill all of a sudden. "It's because of her... that fucking bitch has you brainwashed, I know it. I should go back in there and stomp her ass... drag her out and drown that bitch in the sea."

Grabbing her by the shoulders, I give her a shake. "Stop it. Just shut the fuck up."

I'm spinning out of control right now and Maeve is apparently slipping over the edge of sanity. Her threats against Renner have my blood boiling and I want to just walk away from her, grab Renner, and get the hell out of there. But there's no way I can leave Maeve like this, especially when it seems she's spiraling out of reach.

Maeve takes in a racking breath and then a sob tears out of her throat. She throws herself into my arms and starts to sag to the ground, so my arms automatically come up to wrap around her.

She starts mumbling, rapidly... bursts of fragmented sentences spilling forth. "We were right together... know it... I don't have nightmares with you... he doesn't come into my room at night when I'm with you. I'm best... you'll see. Best for you. Once she's gone, it won't matter."

Oh, God. Oh, fuck. What do I do with this? How do I fix this mess?

"Maeve... darling... let me take you back to Dublin Mind Wellness right now. I'll help get you through this."

She just starts crying loudly, her tears wetting my t-shirt, and I pull her in close for a tight hug, my heart ripping.

Glancing over her shoulder, I see Renner and Brady have come out of the restaurant and are standing a few feet away. I have no clue how long they've been there but the look on Renner's face makes my stomach sick. She's looking at me hold Maeve and the look she's giving me is one of fear and revulsion.

Unfortunately, I can't think about that right now. I have to figure out what to do with this situation. One thing is clear though... I have to handle this and I have to handle it now.

My mind races, trying to figure out the best way to get Maeve back to Dublin. My plan is to drive her straight to Dublin Mind Wellness and hope to God they can take her in immediately.

I look to Brady, not even wanting to see Renner's face over what I'm going to suggest. "Brady... can you take Renner back home so I can handle this?"

"Sure, mate." He doesn't seem surprised by my request, nor does he seem surprised by Maeve's meltdown. In fact, he doesn't seem too bent out of shape by any of this fucked-up scenario.

With one arm still around Maeve, I reach into my pocket and pull out a wad of cash. I thrust it at Brady and he takes it. "Take care of the tab and gas up your car. Keep the rest, just get her home safely." His eyes positively gleam because I handed him probably two hundred Euros.

I don't dare make a move toward Renner, afraid that Maeve will start freaking out. I look at her briefly and say, "I'm sorry. But I have to handle this."

I can feel Maeve turn her head against my chest so she can look at Renner too. But I keep my eyes pinned to those green jewels.

She returns my look, her face impassive but her eyes are slightly morose. She flicks a quick glance to Maeve and something hardens in her gaze. She then turns on her heel and walks back into the restaurant.

My heart lurches with anxiety and I feel like something pivotal has just happened. But I push it aside, my intent and only desire now is to get Maeve some help. Giving one last look at Brady, I turn away with my arm around Maeve and walk her to my car.

CHAPTER 23

Renner

I'm exhausted as I knock on Cillian's door. I haven't slept a wink all night, sick with worry over what happened and over what may happen.

Last night was a train wreck, the beginning only being Maeve's meltdown. I still can't believe Cillian left me stranded with a total stranger, one that turned out to be weirder by the moment.

I was stunned when Cillian left me with him, alone and stranded miles from Dublin. I know, deep down, he wasn't thinking rationally. But something happened, just before he left, that gave me no doubt that Maeve was the only one thinking rationally. Just as he spoke his last words, she turned to look at me and I returned it. And I wasn't seeing a woman on the edge of a breakdown. No... the look she gave me was one of triumph. She actually smiled at me and her look said, "I won. You lost."

I knew, in that moment, that Maeve was full of shit. Oh, I still understand that she has a problem... maybe one fueled by alcohol dependency and mental instability, made all the worse by the abuse she suffered. But last night, she was lucid and her eyes told me everything... it was a well-orchestrated plan on her part.

The ride back to Dublin with Brady was wretched, but I also learned some important stuff. Stuff that has me full of rage at Maeve right now. I had to put up with his wandering hands and filthy suggestions to me, but at least I got what I think to be truthful information about her.

First, I had to make him give me the keys to his car, because I suspected he had shown up at the restaurant a little sauced. I wasn't about to get in the car with him. He easily relented, which I came to learn on the ride back was so that he could try to put his hands in places they didn't belong.

It started out first with him resting his arm across the back of my seat. Then his fingers slid into my hair and tried to rub my head. I wrenched it away and told him to back off. One other time, he tried to lay it on my leg and I told him I'd rip his nuts off if he tried to touch me aga

in.

He finally relented for the rest of the trip, and became bored with me. But I was having none of that. I started pumping him for information, because I'd reached the end of my straw with Maeve.

The thing I realize about Brady is he doesn't know how to shut up once you get him going, so it was easy to learn about my nemesis.

After I heard about the slimy details of their dating and sexual relationship, I asked about her family. It was eye-opening indeed.

"So, I heard her parents were real jerks to her growing up." I had no plan to share the real details of what Cillian had told me, because despite how much I despised Maeve right now, I wasn't going to give away that confidence.

"Nah. Her aunt was an old sweetie."

"But what about her mom and dad?" I pressed.

"Mom and dad?" I glanced over at him and he was looking at me with curiosity.

"Yeah. Mom. Dad. You know--the people that raised her."

"I don't know who you're talking about but Maeve was raised her Aunt in Galway."

"What happened to her parents?"

"Maeve never knew her dad. Her mom was always single as far as I know, but she died when Maeve was only eight and her aunt raised her."

Son of a bitch. Her story about her parents being alcoholics and abusing her was a fucking lie?

"You're sure?"

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Of course I'm sure. We dated for just over a year. I spent a lot of time at her aunt's house."

My mind was still buzzing when we pulled in front of my apartment building. I tried to make haste to get out of the car but Brady put a restraining hand on my knee. I looked down at it and then back up to his face, giving him an icy glare.

"Want to do a little blow with me? We can go up to your place and party."

For a split second, I had no clue what he was talking about and then it dawned on me. Reaching down, I pulled his hand off my knee.

"No, thanks," I gritted out and opened the car door.

Before I could slide out, he locked his hand around my upper arm, with a hard enough grip I winced. "Don't be like that. Our dates ditched us. No reason we can't have some fun."

Thankfully, the sidewalk was filled with people and the door was open. "If you don't let me go, asshole, I'm going to scream this neighborhood down." My words poured out in a fury that actually had me flinching at myself. But I know only a small portion of that fury was aimed at Brady. Most of it was for Maeve and the realization of her duplicity.