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He glanced at his watch "I expect she's in New Jersey about now"

I felt like I'd been hit with a frying pan "What?"

"You heard one back to the States And if you didn't have such a kicked-puppy look about you right now, I'd box your ears for hurting her"

I sank back onto a bar stool and just stared blankly at the bar

She left? Without tellingus a chance? I couldn't fathom it

"I don't understand," I said lamely

"Neither do I, Cillian She didn't tellBut Cady saw her before she left, and based on the number of curses I heard come out of her mouth in relation to your name, I'lass and then set it down "It's probably best I don't know, because I'd hate to think it would come between us"

His words were hard and as I looked into his eyes, guilt flooded my entire system "I didn't mean to It wasn't my intention"

"Yet you did it all the same" His words were soft but they felt like acid poured onto my skin

I didn't even look back his way as I walked out of The Hibernian

I bang on Cady's door again I know she's on the other side, staring at h the peephole "Co until you talk to me"

"Go away, you ass"

I bang even louder "Better call the Garda to arrestthe ith every word

The door flies open and I almost pound Cady on the face but I' at me

"What do you want?" she asks

I push my way past her and spin around as she closes the door behind me "You knohat I want Where is she and when did she leave?"

"What do you care?" she asks blasely "You made your choice, live with it"

I wince, because that's exactly what I did I turned uilt "Because I love her, daet over your pique and help me out here"

"Oh, fine words co from a man that turned his back on the so-called wo woman"

"It wasn't like that," I grit out "You weren't there"

"I didn't need to be there, you prick I saw the dae you left behind"

Ouch, that fucking stings, knowing that I hurt Renner that badly Taking a deep breath, I tell her, "I want to fix this, Cady Please help me"

"I don't think it can be fixed, Cillian You chose poorly It's done"

"No!" I say ada to believe that all is lost "There has to be soiven She backed er, but there has to be a e can make this work"

"Let ht now?"

"She's at my apartment Why?"

"Gah, you're daft How in the fuck do you think it can ith Renner when you're harboring a known psychopath--alks around half-naked from what I understand--in your home?"

"Cady," I ad up for your cousin, but have a care Maeve has serious proble to help her with"

Cady then surprisesShe can't stop herself and actually bends over, holding her stohs I want to strangle her

"What the fuck, Cady? None of this is funny It's serious"

"Oh, you're funny, all right," she says, still chuckling "You're also aplayed"

I throwthat? Renner told ?"

"What you're et you back And you're so stuck in your own guilt and misery, you don't even see it"