Page 22 of Try Line Hearts
Kaine’s eyes flicked sideways. Just for a second.
Maeve’s voice crackled through the speaker, bright with amusement.
“An bhfuil tú ag roinnt seomra?” she asked—are you sharing a room?“Le fear?”With a man?
Byrne closed his eyes. “Ná bí amaideach,”don’t be ridiculous.
“A Dhia,” Maeve said—oh God.“Ní féidir liom é a chreidiúint. Comhghleacaithe. Leapacha ar leith. An bhfuil báisteach taobh amuigh freisin?”
I can’t believe it. Teammates. Separate beds. Is it raining outside too?
“Tá tú dochreidte,” Byrne muttered—you’re unbelievable.
“Táim dáiríre,”she shot back—I’m being real.“Is cosúil le húrscéal grá. Inis dom—an bhfuil an teannas dochloíte?”
It’s like a romance novel. Tell me—is the tension unbearable?
Kaine turned a page. Slowly. His lips curved in amusement despite not understanding a word.
Byrne pressed his face into the pillow. “Stop,”
“Níl,” Maeve said sweetly—no.“Is maith liom an smaoineamh seo. Tú, ag luí ann, ag ligean ort féin nach bhfuil tú ag smaoineamh air.”
I like this idea. You, lying there, pretending you’re not thinking about him.
“Tá sé sa seomra,” Byrne hissed again—he’s in the room.
“Tá a fhios agam,” she said—I know.“Sin é an chuid is fearr.”
That’s the best part.
Kaine’s mouth twitched. He didn’t look up.
Maeve finally relented, her voice softening just a touch. “Tá tú ceart go leor, áfach?”
You’re okay, though?
Byrne exhaled. “Tá,”I am.
“Maith,”good.A pause. Then, lightly: “Codladh sámh, a rómánsóir,”sleep well, you romantic.
“Slán, a Mhaeve,”goodbye, Maeve.
He ended the call and let his phone fall to the mattress, staring at the ceiling like it might offer absolution.
For a moment, there was only the quiet again. The gentle sound of pages turning. The faint hum of the dorm’s ancient radiator.
Then Kaine spoke.
“Po marie, tane ataahua.”Goodnight, gorgeous man.
Byrne turned his head, brow furrowing. “What?”
Kaine’s smile widened just enough to be unfair. “Two can play that game.”
He reached up, clicked off his reading light, and rolled onto his side, back to Byrne, utterly at ease.
Byrne lay there in the dark, heart doing something reckless and loud, staring into nothing at all and wondering—not for the first time—when exactly things had become this dangerous.
