Page 14 of Intolerable Bishop

Ren

If Blake cared that he was dumped in the middle of three chaotic women, he didn’t show it. Lizzy was fawning all over him, and if you didn’t know her, then you’d wonder if she was serious, but this was just her normal. When she was genuinely into someone, she could hardly form two words and turned shy and reserved. She’d always been backward, but I loved her.

“This one,” Blake said and held out a bottle of blue nail polish.

“He has excellent taste,” Lizzy said, making us laugh as she plucked the color from his fingers. “Do you want yours done?”

“No thanks, I prefer to watch the magic happen.” Blake smiled as he walked over to Lizzy’s desk and sat down. Lizzy mouthed, “He is adorable,” as he spun in a circle on the chair. I blushed as Lizzy and Ivy giggled.

He’d already sat through me getting my hair done, where I had an entire argument about not having blue put in my hair. Then, a whole fashion show for no reason at all, and now I was getting my nails done. I didn’t care what anyone said. This was exhausting.

My phone dinged, and I picked it up expecting Myles, but it was Fiona. She’d messaged me for the first time not long after the text went out from Vicky. She hadn’t been removed from the text chain yet and was disgusted when she saw what Vicky had done. We’d been texting ever since.

F: Did ya make it home?

I loved how she texted exactly how she talked. I could hear her thick accent in my head.

R: I did. I’m in the middle of getting my hair and nails done.

F: LOL! That’s good, ya deserve ta chill. I found more pics for ya.

My phone vibrated as three images came through. You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I stared at young Myles. He was wearing a pair of coveralls with one strap undone, his hair a mess, and his face dirty as he smiled for the camera. Not much had changed. The next image was of him on a bicycle with Fiona next to him on one as well. The last image pulled at my heartstrings as I looked at the picture of Myles with his mum. They looked like they were going some place special or maybe church. She was beautiful, and Myles looked so much like her.

R: These are great, thank you so much.

F: I dunno if he’ll tell ya or not. He dinnie likes ta talk about it much, but his ma’s birthday is the 27th of May.

R: He hasn’t mentioned his mum much. He just says that he got her killed.

F: Loada bollox! Feck that! He did nothin’ of the sort. From what my da says, she died due to a fall. The injuries were too substantial, and she passed away. But the weird part is that Owen wanted her ta be buried on the family property. So, there is one lone grave in the field.

I shivered. I didn’t like the sound of that story. From what I’d already seen of Owen and heard about Devin, it wasn’t a far leap to think that one or both of them had something to do with her death.

R: Thank you for sending these and letting me know. I will think of something to do for him.

F: Have a great time, and next year ya have ta come here. I really want ta show ya around.

R: I’m looking forward to it.

I smiled, and Lizzy nodded to the phone. “Is that Myles?”

“No, Fiona. We’ve become friends,” I said.

“Isn’t that weird? I mean, don’t you find it weird being friends with Myles’s ex-arranged-fiancé,” Ivy asked, and I shrugged.

“It was a little strange at first. But Fiona’s really nice and sends me photos of Myles. Plus, she hates Vicky.” I waved my completed hand with the wet nail polish in the air.

“Still seems weird. I don’t know if I could be friends with the girl who had a contract to marry the guy I like,” Lizzy said.

“Has.” We all looked at Blake. “Technically, the contract still exists. It’s just that Myles is breaking the contract by not marrying her. If Fiona hadn’t said that she didn’t want to go through with it, she could’ve caused major issues. So, I’d definitely stay on her good side,” Blake said, and a pit opened up in my stomach.

“You mean Myles may still have to marry her?”

He shook his head no. “I doubt it. Fiona has already told her family that she doesn’t want to marry Myles. But to get her father to stop pushing, she had to say that the McCoys were not worth marrying. Owen is pissed.” I looked down, fear filling me. I’d already seen what Owen could do once. There was no way I was going to let him get his hands on Myles again.

“What do you think Owen will do?”

Blake lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Myles’s dad is crazy. I have no idea. He could do nothing, his point already made, or he could retaliate again. It’s hard to say.”