The Veil

Chapter Twenty-Three

Thanks for anyone reading, it means a lot to me!

Little bit of smut in this chapter :).

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That wasn't the last time I'd slept with Ronan to distract myself from Tom, the last year it had only happened once, when I'd let my feelings slip and couldn't reign them back in in time.

He didn't seem offended that he hadn't seen me in the bar in a while, "You look stunning tonight though." He smirked at me, looking me up and down.

While my stomach was the only visible part of my body, he still made me feel exposed.

"Um thanks" I mumbled, aware of Tom next to me, already mad.

"Do you want a shot?" He asked, turning slightly to find Sandra.

I laughed and looked to make sure he hadn't caught Sandra's eye yet.

"No thanks, I'm not drinking tonight." I shook my head.

"Fair enough then," He hopped off the stool and turned to face me, holding his hand out.

"At least dance with me like you used to?" His smile was cute, his eyes unguarded.

He wasn't a complicated person, he said what he was thinking all the time and you could tell he meant whatever he said.

I felt a little bad for rejecting him, but the only person I wanted to touch me was Tom.

"Not tonight Ro." I smiled up at him and as he shrugged, I saw Tom move out the corner of my eye, as I turned to look over at him, all I caught was the back of him storming out of the bar.

I didn't give Ronan a second glance before I darted after him, there was no use shouting him, Tony's band were too loud for any hope of him hearing me.

Once I was outside though, I could see Tom almost at my toyota across the small lot. "Hey, what's happening Tom?" I called as I jogged towards him.

He stopped in the action of yanking the car door open, "I'm just not in the mood to keep watching you flirt with your ex." He growled, his tone shocked me.

I stopped just as I got to that side of the car, his hand still on the handle. "What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. I hadn't flirted with Ronan, I was just being polite.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Lily." He put his foot on the running board to get into The Monster.

I grabbed hold of his shirt sleeve and tugged, not enough to stop him if he'd tried to pull away from me, but he did stop, putting his foot back onto the gravel.

"Stop it! It wasn't my fault he came to speak to me, I was just being nice, he hasn't done anything wrong! And what were you going to do, just leave me here?" I was as pissed as he seemed to be now. "And you know he isn't my ex!" I added, getting that little bit more mad.

I'd never explained to Tom, or Jade and Andrew, why I'd slept with Ronan, not able to tell them I was sleeping with someone to distract myself from Tom.

"Well what else do you call someone you used to regularly fuck?" He spat back at me, eliciting a gasp on my part.

It was so strange for Tom to be talking to me like that, he was usually so calm around me, even when he was mad he never spoke to me like that.

The fight had been knocked out of me, I was no longer mad but hurt and upset.

I backed up a step to the back of the car, "Just leave." I almost whispered.