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The luxurious shtdown at ht in bed in surprise

"What are you doing here?" I asked

"I told you I’d be back," O’Connell answered in confusion My cheeks coloured as he realised I hadn’t believed hih not to call me on it He reached toward my bedside table and handed roan

I leant back, wrapped up in O’Connell’s sweater and sipping luxury coffee, feeling like this was the best dreaot even better when O’Connell started stripping

"U to put an end to the free show When he was down to his jeans and nothing else, he slid into bed next to rabbed a box by the side of hi very pleased with hi a box full of wared ourselves completely, I laid back down onthing anyone’s ever done forht"

He set aside the box and laid down to face h day for ently I didn’t mean to pry, but O’Connell looked like he needed to talk

"Ma fell off the wagon again night before last We got into it, and we both said so to say that could athered that she was an alcoholic, and reached out and laid esture of support He stared at it for a really long ti anything in a skirt for as long as I can res got bad She started drinking and would go on binges for weeks at a tiet better There’d be food in the house again, and she’d start giving a shite aboutto school and stuff, but then she’d hear about et a final demand on a bill, and I’d come home to find vomit all over the kitchen floor and her passed out on the sofa"

O’Connell looked so nervous telling e my opinion of him I wouldn’t pity him We all had our own sad stories to tell, but now he stood taller in my eyes Any man who could survive a childhood like that would

"How did you stay out of care?" I asked

"I was pretty good at covering for her and taking care ofwas up, but she never called s were really bad, she fed me and let me bunk in Kier’s room, which prettyabout it was too on this ti at his open wound

Now he’d started, I figured that he needed to let all the poison out before it would heal

"Who the fuck knows," he ad over it How a with hers?"

"You shouldn’t drink when you’re angry It probably s worse," I whispered I didn’t erous path for histhe sa a loser is in the blood," he admitted, as he opened his eyes to look back at me sadly I didn’t cuddle hi would be fine That was a promise that I couldn’t e his life, then only he could make it happen I knew that better than anyone I reached across to rabbed a black pen He looked stunned as I started writing across his rock hard pec His chest really orthy of appreciation All rock hard ertips When I was done, I looked over my handiwork and s down at his chest

"It says," I replied throatily,

"A chaets up when they can’t- Jack De reference, and I think that if you can pick yourself up, even when you think you’re rock bottoet any loell, then that makes you pretty special"

He sed deeply and pulled ainst his bicep, I fell asleep Just like that,tiht with O’Connell As the days passed, I convinced myself that he must have diseym on Thursday, it ith a heavy heart The at The place was packed and Kieran and a few other boys were crowded around the ring, chatting with a few of the trainers I tucked my head down and made a beeline for the sanctuary of the office, but as soon as I walked in the door, Danny grabbed reat kiss onaway like a jolly little leprechaun, he began pouring us both a coffee I’d screeched when he grabbed me, but now I just stared at him, my mouth wide open like some stupid fish

"Uirl, are a bloody genius! I’ve been trying to get that boy to fight seriously for years He trains with one foot in and one foot out He lacks co you, that cocky little shit has soift that, up until now, he’s been pissing up the wall Then Mondayhe comes and tells o professional I don’t knohat you’ve done to hi out like aon between you two, but I never thought it would lead to this"

He shoved the hotof coffee into my hand, but didn’t pay any attention to my stunned expression Never, in all the crazy scenarios that I’d thought up, did I i on this past week