Come Away

Chapter 4 - Disappointment

Cináed regards the waitress and says something to her. They both turn to look at me and the waitress nods, licking her red lips with a coy smile. Then Mr. Lucky Charms heads right for us. He isn't even trying to be subtle—his smirk lights up the pub like a sunburst.

Darren senses the sudden tension, or maybe catches a few of the choice words tumbling out of my mouth, and he follows my gaze, noticing the intruder right as he steps up beside our table.

"Roisín, I could have sworn we never scheduled our meeting, and yet, here you are at the very place I planned to bring you."

You've got to be kidding me.

"No way." My smile is more like a grimace. "It's just the kind of coincidence I could swear about too."

Darren shoots me a look, but sunshine boy isn't phased.

"You never mentioned you have a brother." He says as if we're lifelong friends and is realizing I've been keeping secrets from him.

"Darren, this is..." I pause.

"I am Cináed." He easily fills in.

I roll my eyes. I wanted to give a blatant demonstration that I forgot his name—a nice addition to my "couldn't care less" vibe. Although, truthfully that name was engraved in me since he said it the first time in the cemetery. It played in my mind all day like some catchy TV jingle you loathe forever but can't forget.

"So what brings you to my favorite Irish pub?" Cináed says, glancing between both of us.

Darren opens his mouth, but mine reacts faster, the words almost jumping over each other to answer him. "We're stranded till another bus comes cause the creepy bus driver called the cops on us and they'll probably take us back into foster care and—"

I cut myself off. Darren's eyes are bulging, and Cináed's are laughing. My face burns and I'm overwhelmed with the desire to stand up and punch Cináed right in his adorable face.

Before I can recover enough to salvage my dignity, Darren folds his arms over his chest and faces Cináed. "I didn't want to have to say this, but you're bothering my sister."

Cináed's eyebrows spike, but his little smirk still remains. "Oh, really?"

"Yes." Darren is all business as he continues. "And even though she basically hates you, I want you to help us."

Cináed starts to speak but Darren cuts him off. "I'm not asking for sympathy. We're willing to make a deal."

Finally returning to myself, I shake my head and look at Cináed. He returns the favor, and I inhale deeply to steady my thoughts fluttering around like idiotic butterflies. "Can you just give us a moment?"

Cináed nods. "Absolutely. I apologize for any inconvenience I've created." He smiles at both of us like nothing's happened, although I sense a twinge of disappointment. "Pleasure to meet you, Darren, and pleasure seeing you again, Roisín."

He leaves and I wait until he's sitting at another table, out of ear shot, before facing Darren with eyes ablaze.

"What do you think you're doing?" I say.

"I could ask you the same question."

For being thirteen, he sure is annoyingly quick-witted.

"You want to make a deal with a perfect stranger. Who knows if he'll turn us in the moment he has the chance."

"You're the one who told him we're runaways. I just tried to make the most out of it." He rested his hands on the table, a new eagerness in his young face. "But Roisín, I really think this guy can help us. And I think he likes us enough to do it."