Chapter 15

Kildare, Ireland – Sunday.

Carley.

I’ve finally decided how to handle this whole situation. How to pull things back to my favor. When I park outside of the keep, I make my way to the front door. Excited about my plan, knowing that it will work wholly. Edmund will be so overjoyed to see me that he will immediately forget the whore who he has been chasing after for the past few weeks.

I knock and wait, hoping that I get lucky, and the right person answers the door. If it is not her, then my entire plan will be ruined, and I’ll have to start back at square one. When the door creaks open and Lydia is standing there, I know I’m going to succeed. A smile spreads over my face and hers as she greets me and motions for me to come inside.

* * *

Rae.

When I wake the next morning I have a terrible headache, and my face hurts from all of the crying, but I can feel Edmund in bed behind me and I know he stayed with me the whole night. I smile at the thought as I roll in his arms and turn to face him.

“Good morning,” he whispers to me, kissing me on the nose.

“Morning.” I yawn and stretch in his arms. When I curl into a ball against him I feel so content that I know we could simply stay in bed like this all day. “Can we stay in bed all day?”

“Nope, unfortunately, we cannot. Lydia texted about ten minutes ago and said she expects us for breakfast, apparently, she has some kind of surprise for me,” he tells me.

“Oh! Maybe she made the banana nut pancakes you like?” I tell him, rolling to the edge of the bed and making to stand. When he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back to him, I giggle. “You said we had to go!” I protest, squealing as he tickles me.

“I did. But first I want a kiss.” When he rolls on top of me and closes his mouth over mine I smile into his kiss.

“Mmm. Okay, always time for kisses,” I reassure him, parting my lips and letting him slip his tongue into my mouth. I swirl mine around his, arching my back off the bed as I do so and rubbing myself against him.

“That’s another thing, kitten. You got a pass last night. You won’t get another tonight. Come to Dublin with me. Let’s go to the playhouse and have a night, just the two of us. Away from everyone. Then we can come back here and spend the night together again. I’m sure Ciara and Rian will still be up at the keep for a few more days.” I nod in agreement.

“Yes, sir,” I say, “that sounds incredible.”

* * *

Rae.

When we get to the keep, we both smile at each other and quickly share a kiss in the car before we head inside. We have to talk about when we are going to tell everyone about us, but right now I want to enjoy our secret.

“I’m looking forward to pancakes,” Edmund tells me as he makes his way up the steps and pushes open the front door.

I don’t know what I was expecting, whether it be pancakes or not but the last thing I was thinking I would see would be Edmund’s ex sitting at the dining room table next to my mother. I’ve seen this woman once before, about a year ago Edmund brought her here to dinner with the family and Lydia swooned over her, absolutely fell in love with the girl, and insisted for weeks that Edmund bring her back.

Needless to say, we never saw her again, until now. “What the fuck is she doing here?” I turn to Edmund at my side, my eyes feel like they’re popping out of my head and he just shakes his head at me.

“Carley? Your guess is as good as mine. But I think this means I’m not getting my pancakes.” He scoffs and storms off in the direction of his grandmother. “Grandma! Can I talk to you for a minute?” He takes her by the arm and helps her up from her seat, leading her out of the great hall.

I make my way to the empty spot at the table next to Carley, making damn sure that Edmund won’t be sitting next to her.

“Um, that spot’s taken,” she tells me sweetly as I sit down.

“You bet it is. My ass is in it and I’m not moving.” I stare daggers at her and wait for her to back down.

“No,” she laughs. “I meant it’s for Eddie”

“Oh, did you? Well, Eddie,” I spit the nickname, that I know he hates, at her, “can sit over there.” I point with my knife and spear a strawberry from my plate. “Like you said, the seat’s taken.”

I watch as Lydia and Edmund reenter the great hall and he stops in his tracks when he sees me sitting next to Carly, his eyes widen and he nods at me, pursing his lips, then shaking his head at me when I smile at him.

I don’t plan to make a scene, not a big one at least. But I know he is telling me not to, regardless of how big or small I plan to make it. “So,” I prop my elbow on the table and turn to the blonde seated next to me, “Carley, what exactly did we do to deserve the pleasure of seeing you here at breakfast this morning?”

“Rae!” My mother calls my name and I jerk my head up to look at her.

“What? I’m just asking what the hell she is doing here.” I motion toward her with my free hand and then pat her on the shoulder. “I mean just showing up like this, it's so… so… unexpected.” I finally find the word.

“Oh, well. Not really. I mean Eddie and I have been seeing each other off and on for so long, that I thought I would take Lydia up on her offer to stop by any time.”

I glare at Lydia. “Did you?” I ask Carley. “You have been? Seeing each other off and on, I mean.”

“No.” Edmund’s response is instant and when I look over at him I see the anger that I feel mirrored on his face at this intruder being here.

“Well, I mean. We haven’t seen each other in a while… but… come on, Eddie.” Carly shrugs.

No one else at the table speaks, they are all either as shocked as we are, or so enthralled in the show that they don’t dare interrupt. No doubt I will face questions about my attitude toward the woman once she is gone and I’ll have to explain things, which means the rest of the family is going to know sooner than expected about Edmund and me.

“Oh Eddie!” I look across the table at him. “Do tell, do you find this to be as wonderful a surprise as I do?”

“Oh for fucks sake, Rae.” He rubs his forehead with his hand and looks down at his plate.

“Edmund!” Aunt Melody and Lydia both say at the same time. “Language, we have a guest.”

“We do!” I sing out the words. “But if you’ll excuse me, my appetite is gone. I think I’ll just take this to go.” Reaching down I snag a bagel from the plate in the center of the table and storm out of the great hall.

Once I reach my car I turn and look behind me, expecting to see Edmund following behind me. My stomach drops when I don’t see him. The front door is still closed, no sign of him chasing me down.

“Well damn.” I kick the ground and get into the car, slamming the door so hard that I have to check to make sure I didn’t bend it.

* * *

Edmund.

“I better go after her,” I tell the group staring at me wide-eyed, confused as to what the hell they just witnessed.

“You most certainly will not, you have a guest—”

“No, Grandma, you do. I didn’t invite her here and I would rather not see her here again, I’ll make that clear now.” I stand and look toward the intruder. “Carley, I’d love to say it was nice to see you, but… well… it was something.” I head out of the keep, but by the time I reach the driveway Rae is already gone.

I jump into my car and follow her, when I catch up to her on the drive I honk the horn and flash my lights, signaling for her to pull over. Finally, she does and is out of the car before it is even completely stopped.

“What the fuck is that about, Edmund?” She storms toward me, her finger poking me in the chest. “You’ve been seeing her off and on for a year!” She shouts the last part at me, her face turning bright red. “Honestly, you could have fucking warned me.”

“Rae! I didn’t know, and no, I have not been seeing her for a year. I broke it off with her last year, right after I brought her here.” I try to grab her hand but she jerks it from mine and storms back to her car.

“Well, she seems pretty cozy with Grandma, just inviting herself to family breakfast.” Hands on her hips she just stares at me, waiting for me to explain.

“Stop it, Rae! Do you honestly believe any of that bullshit? Clearly, the woman just showed up and you know Grandma would feed a leper if it showed up on her front step.”

When she breathes out a long sigh through her nose I just look at her, waiting for her to calm down. I try to close the gap between us again, but watch as she takes a determined step backward.

“Rae! Stop it,” I command her, putting as much dominance in my voice as I can.

“You stop it!” she screams at me, tears are filling her eyes and the facade is starting to crack. She isn’t angry anymore, she is hurt and scared and I can see it written all over her face.

“Rae, come here, kitten—”

“Don’t call me that!” She bunches her hands in her hair and pulls on it, I’m not sure what to do. I just stand dumbfounded. “Did you call her that? Did you call them all that? All the subs you took to that club and fucked.”

“Stop, Rae, it’s not the same. You’re my mate! You know it’s not the same.” I’m shaking, I don’t know if it is the rage at Carley, or the fear of everything falling apart between me and Rae, but I’m unable to control myself.

I watch as she steps back from me and her eyes widen, they flash silver and I know mine are glowing amber.

“Edmund, take a breath. I’m sorry. It’s all right, just breathe.” She is holding her hands out to me, trying to calm me down now. I laugh at how quickly the roles reversed.

“Rae,” I shake my head, my breath caught in my chest. “I can’t lose you, not over some bullshit like this, Rae. I can’t do this.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She steps towards me, hands still out in front of her. My body is still buzzing. I try to breathe and keep my cool. “Except maybe back there to eat that little bitch for pulling a stunt like that.”

I burst out laughing, her words have the desired effect on me and I am instantly calmer, more in control of myself.

“I’m not joking. She smelled awful, but I mean I could take one for the team.” She shrugs, chuckling and I close the final gap between us.

“Come here,” I tell her. Holding my arms open to her and coaxing her to me. When I kiss the top of her head, she relaxes against me, and I breathe out a sigh of relief with her. “Don’t worry. I made it clear that she is not welcome back. But I think we may have to answer some questions from the family later.”

“Yep, I was worried about that,” Rae tells me, looking up into my eyes and kissing me on the cheek. “How about we just go back to the cottage and avoid them for the rest of the day? After all, you made me promise to go out on a hot date with you tonight, so I have plans.” She shrugs. “I think I’ll be too busy to go back there for a few days.”

“You are thinking by then it will blow over?”

She makes a face. “I hope so.” I pull her against me hugging her again.

“I’m sorry. But no, Carley and I have not been a thing for over a year. Not since I realized you were my mate, Rae. I broke it off with her and I haven’t been with anyone else.”

“You don’t need to explain, Edmund. I believe you, I was just angry, a little fired up is all.”

I snort. “A little?”

“Shut up, Eddie!”

“Do not call me Eddie!” I growl at her. “That’s grounds for punishment,” I tease.

“Oh really?” I watch the evil smirk spread over her face and see the gleam in her eye. I have no doubt that she will be using this to her advantage. I will have to make it a point to prove to her that the juice is not worth the squeeze.

“I’m going home. I need to shower and cool off before I go back there and snap that Barbie’s neck.” She is completely serious, and I have no doubt that she might, given a reason to do so.

“All right, I’ll go back and make sure that mess is all cleaned up then.” I motion back toward the keep. “Then I’ll meet you at the cottage?” Rae nods at me and I kiss her again. “Mmm. I love kissing you, Rae.”

“That’s because I’m so amazing at it,” she teases and kisses me again. I shake my head and watch as she heads back to her car.