Love Between the Lines ✔️ DRAFT 1 COMPLETE

Chapter 9

I awoke the following morning to a low rumbling sound. The air wasn't stale with humidity so it couldn't have been thunder. Maybe it was my stomach. I hadn't eaten since my milkshake and my stomach didn't always do well with too much dairy.

After blinking the sleep from my eyes, my hands came into contact with something hard and...breathing? Fionn lay still asleep next to me, his chest rising and falling with a light vibration escaping from his mouth.

Wait. Still asleep? Why was he next to me in the first place?!

I whacked his arm. "Fionn, wake up!"

He grunted and opened his eyes. "Wha—Em, why are you in my room?"

"Because we're not in your room, Fionn," I said, throwing my hands into the air. "We're still in your truck. From last night."

Fionn frowned. "Did we—"

"No. God, no." I swiped a hand down my face. That was the last thing I wanted to think about right now.

He smirked and reached forward to brush my hair away from my face. "Good to know where we stand." He leaned forward until his lips were against my ear. "For the record, I enjoyed the kiss."

I blushed from his touch but let his fingers linger on my cheek. Flashes from last night leapt to the forefront of my mind.

"Me too," I said. Part of me wanted to wrap myself in his arms again. It felt so good to be held by him. But the other part screamed that it was too soon.

My lips parted slightly as he brushed his lips over my cheek to land on my mouth, reliving the moment of last night.

So it hadn't been a dream.

But as quickly as the moment had come, it disappeared. Fionn jumped away from me and down from the bed of the truck.

"Shit," he mumbled under his breath.

"What is it?" I asked, following him around to the front.

"I promised Cat I'd meet her for breakfast this morning, and it's already eight." He put the truck into drive and we sped down the road.

"Eight?" I asked. How is it that the sun didn't wake us? Or the birds? "When were you supposed to meet her?"

Fionn signaled and pulled the truck onto the road that would get us back home. "Fifteen minutes ago."

"That's early."

He shrugged. "That's my sister."

We rode along in silence. Every so often, I would glance at Fionn through my hair. It had tumbled out of its braid overnight and now hung loosely over my shoulders.

We rolled to a stop outside of the bookstore. Catriona was there, not even waiting until we were out of the vehicle before flailing her arms and yelling something to her brother. It took me a minute before I realized they were speaking in Gaelic.

I quietly slipped out of the truck with the intention of running inside without being seen. But the fates had other ideas.

"Emilie?" Catriona asked.

I winced and turned to face her. "Hey."

Her eyes widened as she faced her brother again. "You were out all night with Emilie?"

Fionn opened his mouth to respond, but I beat him to it.

"Don't read too much into it. Nothing happened," I said quickly. Nothing happened, nothing happened. Maybe if I kept repeating it to myself, it would be true.