My Summer in Ireland - Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning with a start. Lily had graciously tripped out of her own bed and slammed into mine. After realizing what had just happened, we both started laughing. I haven't laughed that much since I found my boyfriend cheating on me. By the time we stopped, tears were running down our faces from laughing so hard.

Then Lily got up and went to take a shower. She shut the door, and I rolled back over. Hoping to get just a little more sleep. But then I heard Lily scream.

"Oh my god!" I shot up out of bed to go check on her.

"I'm fine! It's just, I didn't check the water before I got in. And it was FREEZING!" She laughed.

"This is really just not your morning, Lily." I laughed. But now that I was up, I couldn't fall back asleep. So I told Lily to hurry up and waited for my turn. I swear, Lily takes the shortest showers. She's an environmentalist and a person who loves to recycle. So she takes short showers to save water.

Soon, I was in the shower and Lily was getting ready. And after I stepped out, Lily was smiling to herself.

"What?" I asked. She looked at me surprised.

"Oh. It's nothing. Aidan just called me. He invited us to breakfast. And lunch. And dinner." She smiled at me, waiting for my reply. And sensing my hesitation, she added, "His friend Decaln will be with us too! The same guy from last night."

Reluctantly, I agreed. And Lily was ecstatic. She jumped up and down squealing.

"What is it with this guy? You look like a love-sick puppy." I laughed at her.

"He's nice Keelin. And before you tell me that I just met him, I think I might like him. And today, I'll find out just how much." I nodded. I didn't understand what she meant. I want to be happy for her, but it just seems too good to be true.

After we finished getting ready, we left our hotel around 9 o'clock. We were to meet the boys at a diner. I don't remember the name. But we headed out, talking about everything and nothing. And we also acknowledged how beautiful Ireland really is. No wonder they call it the Emerald Isle. It's green, lush, and a very pretty sight. And the towns are so cute. So is our inn.

When we reached the diner, we walked in, and they weren't there. But that didn't faze Lily. She just picked out a table and sat down. So I followed her and did the same. We were looking over our menus, laughing at a joke she shared when I heard someone clearing their throat behind me. I slowly craned my neck, to find myself looking up to a cute, muscular boy and his friend. At first I was confused. But then Lily said, "There you are!"

So these must be the boys we saw last night. Boy, were they both cute. I didn't realize how cute until today. It must have been the darkness, and the overwhelming feeling of relief of just finding Lily. They both have sandy brown hair. And one has blue eyes, and the other has green. I slowly recognized Aidan, the one who looked interested in Lily. And I swear, they could be related, they look so much alike.

They both stayed standing, obviously waiting to get permission to sit. I was the first to speak.

"Please, won't you have a seat?" They both moved. Aidan went and sat next to Lily, while Declan sat next to me. He winked at me. I blushed. Lily saw this exchanging and laughed but tried disguising it as a coughing fit. It didn't really work.

"Hi. I'm Declan," the boy next to me said. I smiled and stuck my hand out.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Declan. I'm Keelin." He smiled. And I realized that he already knew my name. He was the one who asked me last night. I could feel my face burning with embarrassment. And that just let everyone else laugh even more.

During our whole ordeal, Lily and Aidan both seemed to be getting to know each other. And after my embarrassing moment, we ate and got to know each other better. Turns out that Aidan and Declan are related. They're half brothers. And Aidan is 21 while Declan is 20. So they're only 2-3 years older than us. We all got along really well. Soon after the awkwardness, we were all laughing and having a pretty good time.

We left soon after our breakfast, which the boys both paid for. How sweet? But I did find myself very much attracted to Declan. He was very sweet, and very easy to get along with. And the same seemed for Lily. And not to mention the gorgeous accents. I absolutely love them.

We walked around all day, ate lunch, then walked around more. And by the time we were going to get dinner, I was exhausted. When we got to where we were eating, I read the sign. It read, Kel's Pub.

"Hey! That's my cousin's name!" I yelled. Everyone laughed. And we headed inside. When we got to a booth, we all collapsed into it. And Declan slid in next to me. Instead of laughing, he looked at me with a concerned smile.

"Are you ok Keelin?" I looked up at him. And I almost melted. Today was a really good day. I haven't been this happy since before I could remember.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied. And then we sat and ate and laughed. It was a good dinner.

When everyone was done eating, we stayed and just enjoyed music and talked more. I was about ready to pass out. I was really comfortable. And I must not have noticed, but Declan's warm hand was on my knee. It felt like it belonged there. And soon, I felt myself lean over and rest my head on his shoulder. He didn't seem to mind.

The next thing I knew, I was being carried. My eyes flew open, and I freaked out a little bit. But muscles squeezed me and I realized that Declan was carrying me to the inn. And Lily and Aidan were behind us, softly talking and holding hands. So all I did was snuggle in and shut my eyes again. The last I heard was Declan's small chuckle. I smiled.

When we reached the inn, Declan walked into the room and set me down on my bed. I went to say thanks when he said, "It was no problem. Goodnight, Keelin."

He kissed me on the cheek and went to leave the room. And right as I was wondering where Lily was, he opened the door. And there she was. Wrapped in Aidan's arms, and they were kissing. Declan had to clear his throat because they didn't notice. Lily backed off, embarrassed. And she said goodnight and shut the door after them.

I looked at her, and when she saw, she just blushed and waved a hand at me as if to say, don't say anything. But I didn't listen.

"So, you really like this guy, huh?" She smiled at me.

"Yeah, I do. He's a great guy. And you know, I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be interested in Declan." It was my turn to blush, and she smirked at me.

"Yeah, yeah. Like you said, they're good guys." I smiled, thinking of how perfect Declan is. And how much of a gentlemen he is.

"So, we're gonna see them tomorrow, yeah?" Lily interrupted my thoughts.

"Definitely." I could wait for tomorrow to start. And I couldn't be happier.

"Ya know, you and Aidan kind of look alike. Like, your face structure," Lily said.

"Really? Hmm." I pondered her inquiry. I guess we sort of did. I could see it too. That's the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep.