Night On Set ❁ COLIFER

Chapter 90 ❁ Almost midnight

Jen's POV

At the end of the night, which comes at exactly 10:45 pm, meeting Colin's family isn't as big of an embarrassment as I thought it would be. If anything, every single one of his family members is thoroughly amused by my outfit, which makes for an interesting conversation about how Colin and I met at JFK two and a half years ago. Other than successfully convincing everyone I'm charming rather than insane for impulsively hopping on an eleven-hour plane ride to Ireland, I also win the affection of the entire group of grandkids.

Oh, and the reason why I know the night ends at 10:45 pm? That's the exact moment I check the time on my phone after traveling down to Colin's basement for the sixth and final time, whispering "Lights are out, conversations are over" to the eight kiddos who look back at me from their makeshift beds on the floor.

Yes, you read that right. A little over two hours after arriving in Ireland, I've officially been given the title of babysitter of the O'Donoghue grandkids. To be fair, it had been my own suggestion to put them all to bed at Colin's house, because I was the only one who could convince them it was time to get some sleep. Colin didn't seem too enthusiastic about letting me wrangle all eight of them on my own at first, so I only managed to convince him it was fine once Mary suggested to help me brush their teeth and change them into their pajamas.

Despite succeeding at making a good first impression on his family members, I didn't want the rest of the night to revolve around me when Colin already gets to spend so little time with them. Assigning myself babysitting duties seemed the perfect opportunity to give them some private family time, which is why I'm currently perched on the window seat in Colin's kitchen, gazing into the night.

It might look like I'm staring longingly at the house next door where the rest of the family is gathered in Colin's parents' living room, but I'm not. My eyes are fixed on the bench underneath Mary and Con's kitchen window, but my mind is somewhere else, someplace else seven years ago.

Chicago.

No.

I shiver beyond my control, unable to swallow the suffocating lump that is blocking my throat. The more I try not to let my mind wander, the more my thoughts fixate on the image I'm desperately trying to stuff back in the box in my head, and I can't deal with it. The loud ticking of the kitchen clock on the wall behind me isn't exactly helping, either: it's like the sound is getting sharper with every second that passes, piercing my skin deeper and deeper. Every second that takes me closer to midnight.

When my legs go numb, it's not because of the mental battle I'm fighting with my own past.

Across the yard, right up against the side of Colin's parents' house, a silhouette suddenly darts through the bushes, making its way along the wall toward the little gate between the two yards. Burglar is the first thing that flashes through my mind. I'm numbed with sudden fear, because this is clearly not normal behavior and hello, I'm responsible of the eight kids who are currently whisper-shouting in the basement and utterly convinced that I can't hear them from the kitchen.

With my eyes on the figure outside and my heart in my throat, I try to assess the situation as quick as I can: should I wait and see if he just leaves? But what if I misjudge the situation and he comes running into the yard in a minute, and I'm too late to get the kids out or lock the basement? Should I just lock the basement already? Should I get the kids out of the house in their pajamas?

My mind has gone from worried to ballistic, and my feet are already moving across the kitchen on their own accord. "A black hoodie, for real?" I say out loud to absolutely no one but my panicking self as I shuffle to the fridge and turn off the light switch next to it, one eye still on the window.