Bronagh (5 page)

"Maybe I should have left the book till last."

I laughed and cried as I wrapped my arms around him.

"I l-love it."

I was crying hard.

Dominic hushed me and swayed me from side to side for a few minutes and when my sniffles slowed down he pulled back and laughed.

"You're so attractive."

I shoved him and quickly took tissue from Sarah's outstretched hand. I thanked her then wiped my eyes and blew my nose. I took a deep breath and sniffled a little more.

"I love it so much, I love
you
so much."

Dominic kissed my head. "I love you, too."

I knew he did, I had the book of reasons to prove it.

"This is the best present I've ever received, thank you."

Dominic pushed loose strands of hair out of my face.

"That was only your second present, I've a few more to give you yet."

I gasped. "Really?"

Dominic nodded.

"Can I have them now?"

"No," he laughed, "You will get them at each location."

Each location.

"How do you-"

"I've a list, remember?"

Ah, his list.

"Okay, so now that we're done wall climbin'... I mean we
are
done wall climbin', right?"

Dominic nodded his head.

Oh, thank God.

"Great, so where to next?" I asked excited to see what else he had in store for me.

Dominic helped me out of my harnesses then lightly tapped my behind.

"To get some food."

Oh.

"I'm in me gym clothes, I'm not dressed to go out for food."

Dominic winked. "I've a change of clothes for you in my car, Branna packed them for me when you were sleeping this morning."

Oh.

"Oh, okay, where are we goin'?"

Dominic smirked. "Wait and see."

"Why are we in Phoenix Park? Are you takin' me to the zoo?" I gasped.

Dominic snorted. "And listen to you complain about all the children in your way of the penguins? No thanks."

I scoffed. "That was one time-"

"It happens every time we go to the zoo."

I folded my arms across my chest. "They purposively stand in the way of adults. It annoys me."

Dominic shook his head as he laughed. "A lot of things annoy you."

"So?"

Dominic didn't reply he only mumbled to himself and continued to lead me somewhere in Phoenix Park by the hand. I followed him mutely but looked down to my bag when my phone rang. I reached into it with my free hand and answered the phone before I put it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Happy birthday!"

I smiled. "Thanks, Gav."

Dominic's hand tightened its hold on me and it made me roll my eyes.

His childlike grudge against Gavin was still as strong as when we were eighteen and in school. It was a very painful headache to deal with.

"Where are you? I have a card and present to give you."

I smiled.

"Awe, thank you! You didn't have to get me anythin'."

Gavin chuckled. "I know but I wanted too, it's your twenty-first after all!"

Every time someone said that all I could think was I only have another nine years until I celebrate my thirtieth birthday... that was scary.

"Well, thank you that is so sweet of you - ow!"

I snatched my hand from Dominic's suddenly painful hold and stormed ahead of him.

God, he pissed me off sometimes!

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay, so can I drop your stuff by... or is Dominic around."

I grinned; he was so wary of Dominic.

"I'm in the Phoenix Park with him, he has a bunch of things planned for us today."

Gavin sighed. "I'll give my present to Aideen then, and she can give it to you later or give it to Branna for you."

Aideen Collins was Gavin's older and only sister. She was good friends with Branna; she was funny and completely bat-shit crazy.

She fit right in with us.

"Thanks Gav, why don't you swing by later? I'm sure we're all goin' out somewhere tonight."

"Thanks for the invite, but I'm in work until eleven, I'll be shite company from fallin' asleep standin' up."

I snorted. "Okay well, come by durin’ the week so we can watch a film or somethin'."

"You're on, speak soon, hun."

I grinned; he said hun like an old woman.

"Bye
hun
." I replied.

He laughed and hung up.

I put my phone in my bag and felt
him
close behind me as I done so.

"You hurt me hand you know?"

Dominic sighed. "Sorry, I just hate-"

"You hate Gavin. I know that, he knows that, the fuckin' world knows that, Dominic."

Silence.

"I just hate that you're close with him."

I turned to Dominic and glared up and him.

"I warned you before not to start this argument up again, but yet you started it. If you can't handle one of me best friends is a fella then you might as well pack up your shite and move out of me house and life because he isn't goin' anywhere. He is me
friend
; I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."

Dominic narrowed his eyes back at me.

"And I warned you not to threaten me with break ups. I'll end up killing someone over it Bronagh, you fucking know how mad it gets me."

I did, but he got me mad with his constant hang-ups about Gavin.

"Then grow up and accept I have a male friend. Honestly Dominic, are you worried I'll cheat on you or somethin'?"

Dominic went red in the face. "No it's not you, it's him.
He
likes you; he always has."

I threw my hands up in the air just to avoid wrapping them around his neck.

"That was
years
ago!
He
is the one who decided on us just bein' friends, you remember that night, right? You ruined me first date."

Dominic had the audacity to laugh. "Yeah, and you started dating me instead.... I also fingered you for the first time in the hospital examination room. Good times."

Oh. My. God.

"You fuckin' infuriate me!" I snapped and shoved him in the chest before turning and storming away from him.

He jogged after me though.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

I didn't.

Phoenix Park was huge, and I was in a part of it I had never been in before.

"No, but I'll follow this path and get out eventually. I'll then get a taxi home away from fuckin' you, you stupid fuckface bastard."

I was mad, and when Dominic laughed at me when I was mad I became murderous and laugh at me is exactly what the cunt did.

I turned around and rushed at him with a screech.

He dodged my swinging hands grabbed my shoulders then crooked his leg behind my knee and pushed. I gasped when my back touched the ground.

That bastard tripped me up.

I tried to get up, but Dominic was on me within a second.

"L
isten to me crazy, calm down or one of us are going to get arrested. We're out in public, we aren't at home where we can kill each other then fuck it out."

Fuck it out?

Bastard!

"I'm
never
have sex with you again, do you wanna know why? Because I'm goin' to cut your fuckin' dick off when you are least expectin' it!"

Dominic gazed down at me with gleeful eyes.

"Every time you say you won't have sex with me I get you on your back and fuck you so hard that you cry when you come. This challenge has been set and completed millions of times pretty girl, you might as well stop it."

I growled because that was true.

Very true.

"I hope me vagina closes up and never gives you access again."

Dominic shrugged. "Your asshole feels just as good wrapped around my cock, I won't be sad."

Oh, my God.

"You're a bastard."

"You're a bitch."

Gah!

"It's not nice to call me a bitch."

Dominic raised an eyebrow then said, "You will get over it."

Prick.

I huffed and looked away from him; he took it as an invitation to his my cheek.

"Can we get to your birthday picnic now? It's only around the next bend."

I gasped. "A picnic? We're goin' picnic?"

We've never gone on a picnic before!

"We are." Dominic smiled.

I leaned up and kissed him hard on the mouth and as always our argument; name-calling and threats were forgotten... until the next time we fought of course.

Dominic stood up then helped me to my feet; we walked down the pathway and around the bend to where a Ryder Slater stood over a beautifully laid out picnic.

"Uh... hey Ry."

Ryder winked at me then turned and walked off without saying a single word.

I looked to Dominic.

"What was that?"

Dominic shrugged. "He set this up then stood guard until we came, he is gone back home now."

I gasped. "He drove an hour from home just to come into the city to set up a picnic for us?"

"Yes."

"God, I love your brothers."

Dominic chuckled. "They love you too."

I practically skipped over to the picnic and sat down. Dominic laughed and sat down across from me. He opened a huge basket and reached inside; I burst out laughing when he lifted out a bucket of KFC chicken pieces.

"What? You think I can survive this day on your sandwiches? Please."

I shook my head still laughing as he grabbed some paper plates, napkins and plastic forks and placed them in front of us. I sat patiently as he poured chips onto my plate followed by chicken pieces and beans."

"That smells
so
good!"

Dominic looked up and gave me a knowing look.

"It's a one-time thing, okay?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm serious, every time you eat fast food you complain about gaining weight."

"Fat food," I mumbled.

"What?"

"It should just be called fat food not fast food, the person who added in the 's' was a clever little fucker."

Dominic snickered. "You've gone six weeks without stepping food inside a Mac Donald’s or Burger King or even a KFC. You're doing awesome, and you've lost a dress size to show for it."

I stared at him. "How do you know I lost a dress size?"

Dominic shrugged. "You buy your clothes from ASOS on my debit card, and you use my account. I get an email with your order, and it tells me the sizes of the items you bought."

I mentally grumbled.

I was not smart with computers, emails and debit cards. Whenever I needed them, I would just use Dominic's accounts for everything. I gave him the money of course; I wasn't 
that
type of girlfriend.

"I lost a size on top, not on the bottom."

Dominic grinned.

"It's not a good thing, me arse is-"

"Perfect the way it is." Dominic cut me off as he dished up his food. "You stress you have a pear shaped body and that you have a big ass because you have big hips, it's time to just fully accept it and move on, you can’t change your bone structure."

I grunted.

"Unfortunately."

Dominic was appalled. "You have an ass, a phat ass. I love it and so do the guys who check you out."

"No one checks me out."

Dominic snarled. "Trust me, they do... why do you think I hate going into town with you? I use bucket loads of self-control not to punch people."

I snorted. "And people say
I
have anger issues."

Dominic grinned. "I know I have a bad temper, but so do you, we're a perfect match."

"A match made from Hell according to Branna."

"Like she can talk."

I chuckled and opened a bottle of coke Dominic handed to me. He had more chicken on his plate than I did because he could eat more, but I was curious as to why he was even eating this food in the first place.

"No celery sticks or steaks hidden in there?" I asked peering down into the picnic basket.

Dominic smirked. "Like I said, it's a one-time thing."

I sighed. "You will work all this off later, and I won't."

Dominic chewed on his lower lip before he released it and said, "You
could
work out with me you know?"

I laughed but stopped when I seen Dominic's face.

"You can't be serious?"

Dominic gave me a stern look. "You have to look after your body, and I'm sorry to say it but you're unfit babe."

I frowned.

"I'm not calling you fat before you go off at me, I'm just saying that it wouldn't hurt for you to be able to walk up stairs without getting out of breath."

I was mortified because it was true.

I
was
very unfit.

I frowned. "You would ease me into it, right?"

Dominic's sudden smile warmed my heart; he was shocked I was considering it.

"Yeah
 I would, I'll do you up a beginner's exercise and diet program."

The word 'diet' disheartened me.

"I'm not eatin' rabbit food, you would be dead within a week after I turn into a monster and go on a rampage for real food."

Dominic burst out laughing. "You won't be eating rabbit food, you will eat the same food as me just in smaller portions. You can still have small treats and even a cheat meal once a week."