Bronagh

by L. A. Casey

  "Oh, fuck... her arse in showin'!" I shouted to Kane.

  He adjusted Aideen on top of his body then reached around and pulled her dress down and held it down my keeping his hands firmly on her arse.

  "Should we stop her?" I shouted to Branna. "She is isn't drunk, but she is well on her way."

  Branna came beside me. "Do you really want to be the one from stoppin' that possible one night stand from happenin'? Besides, I think you might lose a finger if you try and separate them."

  I looked to Kane and Aideen, who were sloppy kissing and grinding against one another. Branna was right; there was no way I was breaking those two up.

  "Leave them be."

  Branna laughed at me then looked around and said, "Where are the rest of the lads?" She shouted.

  I could barely hear her over the noise of the crowd’s cheers and shouts. I turned around and scanned the crowd, but I couldn't find anyone.

  "I'll check the bar," I shouted.

  Branna nodded her head, so I walked down through the crowds in the direction of the bar. I leaned up trying to spot Dominic or his brothers and did so with a spring to my step. I was going to check in with Dominic and then go to the bathroom. I walked over to them, but I was knocked back when a man bumped into me.

  He laughed when he seen me stumble, and that annoyed me.

  "Excuse you!" I snapped.

  He looked surprised that I shouted at him.

  "You walked into me."

  "Yes, and I was goin' to apologise until you laughed."

  The man only grinned at me. "It was funny watchin' you try and stay on your feet."

  Fucking dickhead.

  "Prick," I said to myself then started forward.

  I shouted when the man grabbed my arm and pulled me against him. "What did you call me? A prick? Who do you think you're talkin' to you ugly little cunt?"

  I tried to pull myself free but the man had a firm grip on my arm.

  "Dominic!" I screamed.

  I knew he was at the bar in front of me so I screamed as loud as I could. The man holding me ducked his head and shook me.

  "Shut the fuck up screechin'!"

  "Bronagh?" I heard Dominic call.

  "Dominic!"

  "Get the fuck away from her!"

  I was shoved backwards when Dominic tackled the man who was hurting me. Two lads caught me from falling, I thanked them and looked back just in time to see Dominic rise to his face. The man he tackled got up as well.

  "Let me guess, the ugly bitch is your bitch?"

  Dominic swung with his right arm and can't man in with a perfectly timed right hook across the jaw. The man's head snapped to the side and he dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

  I flung my hands overs my mouth when he didn't get up.

  "Fuck. He knocked him out with one dig!"

  I ignored the shouts from the lads behind me and moved to Dominic's side. "Are you okay?" I asked.

  "Am I okay? Are you okay?"

  I nodded. "I'm fine, his bark was worse than his bite."

  Dominic was pissed as he took my hand and led me away. I tugged him in the direction of the bathroom because I still had to go.

  "Can you stay put Bronagh?" Dominic asked as he followed me into the girl’s toilets.

  "Get out, this is the ladies."

  Dominic didn't say anything he only held onto the sinks to steady himself.

  "Are you drunk?" I asked.

  He wiggled his fingers. "Just a little buzzed, I haven't drank in a long time."

  I frowned. "So why drink tonight?"

  "I wasn't planning on it, but then we decided to try for a baby so I figured what the fuck, let's celebrate."

  I snorted as I went into a bathroom stall, pulled down my booty shorts and suspenders and relieved myself.

  "Are you still there?" I asked.

  "Yes."

  I shook my head and grabbed some tissue, wiped myself then stood up and flushed the toilet.

  "Where were you going before that guy grabbed you?" Dominic asked me when I exited the stall and moved to the sinks to wash my hands.

  "To see where you where."

  "Why?"

  I shrugged. "Just wanted to know."

  Why so curious?"

  "Why?" I asked.

  Dominic shrugged. "Wanted to know what you followed me for."

  I frowned. "I didn't follow you, I was just checking in to see-"

  "Checking in? Jesus Bronagh, I'm not a kid, you don't have to check in on me."

  What?

  "No, that's not what I meant-"

  "I mean I was away from you for two minutes did you think I ran away or something?"

  Where the hell did all this comm from?

  "What the fuck is with you? What are you pickin' a fight with me for?" I bellowed.

  Dominic shrugged. "Not picking a fight, just saying it like it is."

  "You're makin' out like I'm clingy with you."

  Dominic laughed. "You are clingy with me baby."

  Excuse me?

  "No, I'm fuckin' not."

  "Yeah, you are."

  Oh, my God.

  "Because I wanted to see where you were at means I'm clingy? Okay, then yeah, I'm so clingy. What I want to know is why do you act like that bothers you?"

  Dominic blinked. "Because I like some freedom to chill with my brothers and friends without my woman's head up my ass 24/7."

  What. The. Fuck?

  "You're bang out of fuckin' line here."

  Dominic shrugged.

  I swallowed. "If I'm so clingy and it's bothers you why did you agree to us tryin' for a baby?"

  "Because I want a baby with you... I'd just like you to-"

  "Take me head out of your arse."

  Dominic laughed. "You said it pretty girl, not me."

  I was hurt, and I was furious.

  "They only thing up your arse will be me foot, you dickhead!" I snapped.

  "Oh, the dramatics."

  I stared at him. "I'm sick of this."

  "Sick of what?"

  "This. Us. Fightin' all the time."

  Dominic groaned. "We fight all the time because you turn every argument into a fight - not now, use the men’s room."

  I looked to the girl Dominic snapped at and watched her flee back out the restroom door. Dominic turned his head back to me, and he didn't look so buzzed anymore.

  "We fight because you can’t just converse when things get tough."

  I felt my heart pound.

  "I can't do this anymore Dominic; I'm not fuckin' tall enough to ride your emotional rollercoaster!"

  "So get on your tip toes," he snarled. "Because it's one ride you're never getting off. I'm your fucking life, not just your boyfriend. We're need each other, don't you get that? We need each other. "

  I blinked.

  "Why must everything be over the top with you, Bronagh? I try to tell you I want a little space so I can hang out with my brothers and friends and you get defensive. I love you more that life itself, I swear on my life that I do. I want to have a child with you, I want to be with you forever... but you need to grow up with me. We aren't in high school anymore Bronagh, the tantrums have to stop at some stage."

  I swallowed.

  "I'm not tryin' to hurt you baby, but you have an anger problem. I have a temper that is spiked easily, but damn when I say one thing to you, you explode verbally or physically. I walk on eggshells around you most days because I don't know what you will do. I admit I react wrong by laughing at you or playing everything off as a joke, but I don't know what else to do to take tension out of a situation. Do you understand that? I just don't know."

  I felt my stomach drop.

  "Why does this feel like a break up?" I whispered.

  Dominic sighed. "No one is breaking up, we're in this for the long haul... but I need to know if you're in my corner fighting for me, or if you in the opposing corner fighting against me. It's easier to fight when we're fighting for the same thi
ng, pretty girl."

  I looked down.

  "Yeah, what's that?"

  "Our relationship."

  My head was swimming, and I couldn't think.

  "I hate that this upsets you, I want to protect you from everything."

  I sniffled. "And who protects you if you protect me all the time?"

  Dominic smiled. "Once you're in my corner and you're really with me, that's all the protection I need, pretty girl."

  I closed my eyes.

  "Look, I'm going to do something I've never done before. I'm going to let you think about everything I just said instead of turning this into sex, okay? Come back to the table when you're ready."

  I was shocked when I opened my eyes and looked up and found Dominic was gone.

  He was serious about everything he said... but what the hell brought it on?

  He has never mentioned my anger in a serious discussion before, nor has he said I needed to fight with him instead of against him.

  He has obviously thought about it for a while, but what the hell triggered him to lay this out tonight?

  I thought on it for a minute then gasped.

  "The baby talk," I murmured aloud.

  Oh, my god.

  When I sprung that I wanted us to have a baby it must have brought this up in his mind. A baby is serious. He knows we're serious, but having a baby makes us really serious.

  "He wants us to be strong together so we don't fall apart if we have a baby."

  I went into a bathroom stall, closed the door and then sat down on a closed toilet lid and I cried.

  Was I ruining us?

  Was I the reason we fought all the time?

  Did... Did I have an anger problem?

  I calmed myself down so I could think clearly.

  I knew straight off the bat that Dominic really was my life and that I needed him because without him I wasn't me. Nothing would make sense without him. I also wanted a family with him, because despite our arguments I knew we were ready for a baby, but to make us a happy family Dominic was right. I needed put a stamp on my temper and my reaction to things... I needed help.

  I needed to talk to Branna.

  She was mid-wife, she must know of classes or something that help people deal with anger.

  I nodded my head, stood up and exited the toilet stall. I made the decision to fight in Dominic's corner and to fight for us with him. I would protect like him does me.

  I looked around the restroom and shook my head.

  I thought life changing decisions were meant to be made in the shower?

  I exited the bathroom but I didn't want to walk the way I came in case the fella Dominic knocked out was awake so I walked around the opposite side of the platform. I stayed close to the platform because most people hung back so they could watch any fights. It made getting by easier.

  I was walking along fine until I felt a tap on my head.

  I looked up.

  "Hey," a red headed girl shouted down from the platform. "Can you help me off this thing? Some of the lads pushed me up as a joke."

  Men.

  "Sure, I could catch you-"

  "Could you give me your hand?"

  Uh.

  "Okay," I said and reached my arm up and placing my hand in hers. "But I don't see how that will- omigod."

  Hands grabbed onto the back of my thighs and pushed me up into the air. The girl who had my arm pulled me until I stumbled onto the platform.

  "What the fuck was that?"! I snapped and carefully got to my feet.

  I looked at the girl who was in shorts, a sports bra and hand wraps around her hands.

  Oh, no.

  She was a fighter.

  "You're fightin' me tonight."

  I heard her wrong.

  "I beg your pardon?"

  "You. Are. Fightin'. Me. Tonight."

  Okay, I heard her clearly this time but I was not in the mood for jokes.

  "Listen, what's your name?"

  "Jennifer."

  "Listen Jennifer, I've a lot goin' on right not, can we please cut the bullshit here?"

  Jennifer laughed. "The only bullshit is that you think you can go around startin' shite and cause people to get hurt."

  What?

  "I have no idea what you’re talkin' about-"

  "Ladies, and gents. Who’s ready for a CATFIGHT?"

  Did that mean me and Jennifer?

  The screams and shouts were deafening.

  "I'm not," I shouted. "I'm not ready... I'm in heels and a fucking dress!"

  I screamed and jumped to the side when Jennifer suddenly came at me.

  This was not fucking happening.

  "Oh, please! I don't want to fight you!"

  I was crying, but can you blame me? This bitch wanted to kick my arse.

  "Why me?" I asked as tears fell down my cheeks.

  "Because your fella knocked mine fuckin' out."

  Wait, the lad who hurt me and called me ugly was her fella?

  "That dickhead is your fella?"

  Jennifer growled.

  I panicked. "I take it back he isn't a dickhead, don't kill me!"

  Jennifer took a step forward.

  I took a step back.

  "Can we not just talk about this, I'll buy you a pint?"

  Jennifer shook her head. "No, you're on the platform so let's just do this."

  "But I'm a beckon for peace; I wouldn't hurt a fly!"

  She didn't know me, so she didn't know how much of a lie that was.

  "Touch shit, princess."

  Oh, my God.

  I turned and tried to escape, I was going to run and jump off the platform but there was somehow a fucking cage around the platform now.

  A cage.

  I have never seen a cage around the platform.

  Never.

  "What the fuck is this?" I screamed and looked around.

  Where the fuck did the cage come from?

  "They lower it down on the second Friday of every month.

  Oh.

  That was nice.

  I ran up to the nice cage, reached out and shook it with all my fucking might.

  "Dominic!" I screamed.

  I searched the crowd for him, his brothers, and my sister, but all I could see were drunk faces that danced to the pulsing music.

  "Bronagh, watch out!"

  I swung around when I heard Dominic's voice, I then screamed when I looked to Jennifer and realised she was coming at me. Literally.

  I dove to the left and quickly scrambled back to my feet in time was watch Jennifer run into the cage. Usually I would call that person stupid, but I was so happy because I was hoping it would knock her out.

  Not with my luck though because she got back up, and was angrier than before.

  "Oh, Jesus... Oh, Christ."

  "Babe, listen to me, okay? Put your hands up in front of your face."

  I nodded my head and covered my face.

  "No! Guard your face Bronagh, don't fuckin' cover it!"

  I dropped my hands and held them out in front of my face.

  "How the hell am I supposed to know what to do? I've never done this before?" I bellowed at Dominic.

  I wish I knew where he was because when he spoke, it sounded like he was all around me.

  "Is this a lovers tiff?" Jennifer asked as she danced around the ring while I stood still in the centre of it.

  "No, this is normal for us. So normal that you would think we need a shrink... I'm actually considerin' goin' to anger manage- ahhhh!"

  I kicked my legs out at Jennifer when she was close. I was meant to kick her, put my heels flew off and hit her in the chest and head by mistake.

  The heel to the head hurt her though because she grabbed her head and fell backwards.

  I screamed then ran to the cage. "Someone get me out of here, this is a mistake! I'm a lover not a fighter!"

  "Move left. Left, left, left," Dominic's voice shouted.

  I swung left. "She isn't on me left!"

&
nbsp; "Your other fucking left!"

  I swung to my right and instantly threw my hands up in front of my face. I felt a punch hit me in the side of the head and seconds later I felt my body hit the ground.

  "Lift the fucking cage!" I heard numerous voices shout.

  I was dizzy, and felt like I was going to be sick.

  I tried to sit up, but I received another whack to my face then I felt a weight on my chest pinning me down. I opened my eyes and found Jennifer sat on top of me. I closed my eyes; covered my head with my hands and cringed.

  I think I screamed when she began raining punches to my head, but it didn't last long because one second she was on me, then the next she was off.

  I opened my eyes and turned to the right in time to see Dominic pin Jennifer to the ground and shout down into her face. Security guards got up onto the platform and took hold of Jennifer so Dominic moved over to me.

  "Jesus, baby," he said, he eyes wide as he looked down at me.

  I winced. "I'm fine, sore, but fine... I thought I was gonna die."

  Dominic pressed his hand to my cheek and it hurt.

  "What the hell happened? Why did you get up here-"

  "I didn't," I cut him off. "She tricked me. It was her fella who you knocked out at the bar... she must have saw the whole thing from up here. She wanted revenge on me."

  "Fuck's sake," Dominic growled.

  I reached up and touched his face and then out of the corner of my eye I saw Jennifer break out of the security guard's hold and rush at Dominic.

  I found the strength to pull myself up and pulled him to the other side of me. I don't know what I planned to do to Jennifer when she got me but I luckily didn't have to worry because the security guards caught her and pulled her back.

  "Bronagh, what the fuck are you doing?"

  I looked to Dominic and shrugged. 'What does it look like I'm doin'? I'm protectin' you."

  Dominic blinked, his eyes softening. "Baby."

  I leaned my head against his. "You were right about everythin'. I'm goin' to find a class or a course to help me deal with my emotions in the correct way. I'm in your corner with you for life, I love you."

  Dominic swallowed. "I love you so fucking much."

  He kissed my mouth but it was too rough so I pulled back and hissed.

  "I don't mean to ruin the moment, but I feel like I'm dyin' so can you get me off this thing?"

  "Of course," Dominic said.

  After a few minutes we were back at our table, I sat down across from Aideen and Alec and groaned.