Page 139

The petite diamond ring from Mark’s backpack—Niamh’s ring was there…on Fallon’s hand, sparkling under the pot lights as she waved it back and forth underneath a hand dryer. Alex’s heart threatened to thrash through her ribs. She inhaled, but the sudden tightness of her chest didn’t allow further breaths to depart her lips.

Wait… The ring was on Fallon’s right hand.

Alex gasped for air and clarity as the dryers continued their thundering drone. What are they saying? Damn! I can’t hear anything! Only three women stood between Alex and an empty stall. Figures, the line would speed up now.

The dryers’ howling abruptly ceased.

“—story behind the ring.” Fallon’s friend placed her hand over her heart. “Oh, my God, Fal. It makes me want to cry.”

You want to cry?

“I know, right?” Fallon stared at her hand. “I can’t believe it’s mine now.”

The woman behind Alex nudged closer—so close her breath tickled Alex’s neck. Shit. Alex stepped ahead, next in line for a free stall. Her eyes darted back over her shoulder.

Fallon beamed at her friends, unaware of Alex a few feet away. “Of course, I have to wear it on this hand, otherwi—”

“Uh, excuse me?” An elderly woman’s voice invaded Alex’s ears.

Alex squinted. Otherwise? Go on!

“Hello? Excuse me…if you’re not going to use that stall, would you mind letting me go ahead of you? I have a urinary tract infection, and my doctor says that…”

Fuck fuck fuck!Alex’s eyes widened at the close-talker complaining all over Fallon’s story. She slipped sideways, waving UTI lady ahead, Alex’s need to pee overtaken by the need to hear Fallon. What came after ‘otherwise’?

Fallon tossed her hair over her shoulder and for the first time, clocked Alex. She dimmed her wide smile and nodded awkwardly, a flicker of sympathy in her eyes.

Shit! Spotted!Each second felt like an eternity. Alex froze on the spot, her legs heavy and uncooperative, like they were made of lead. She couldn’t escape anyway; all the stalls were occupied.

Hiding the surprise guest star on her finger, Fallon turned away and followed her friends out the door.

• • •

Walking away from the restroom, Alex loitered outside the entrance to the Loggia boxes, hastily typing ‘Mark Keegan engaged’ into her phone’s browser. A story date-stamped that evening popped up: A Promise Spoken: Irish Star and First Love Set to Wed.

No!Her knees started to buckle.

Fresh from the set ofA Promise Unspoken, the Dublin movie that rekindled their teenage romance, Mark Keegan and Fallon Delaney, both 26, are set to become co-stars in a real-life love story. Friends say the Irish lovebirds are secretly engaged. “Fallon and Mark are thrilled to be back together and aren’t wasting any time,” said a source close to the couple. “Expect an engagement to be announced before Mark leaves for Mexico in August to begin Full Throttle 3.”

“He proposed,” Alex gasped quietly into her hand, tears welling up beneath her eyelashes as she took in new photos snapped at the hall’s backstage entrance.

“Excuse us.” Two couples squeezed past, making their way back into the hall.

Alex blinked repeatedly, swallowing her sadness. Now was not the time, nor the place. She couldn’t let the Channel Four people see her like this—or Tarquin.

Mark’s no longer your concern. He isn’t yours, Lex. YOU broke up with him.

Alex drew a deep breath to calm herself; she felt more numb than angry. She walked through the doorway to the boxes and paused, her eyes locking on the stage. Mark was strolling up to the microphone and she stared, unable to look away. He began to introduce the Scottish TV segment, but Alex didn’t hear a word he said.

Mark’s getting married. Mark’s happy…without me.