Returning to „Aisling” that afternoon, after walking with Kate through the park, Alex saw Mark and Erin in the coffee shop. They weren’t only there but seemed to have an interesting talk, judging by the strange position of their bodies and closeness. Yes, the two were staying too close to each other at that moment. They were so close that their elbows touched sometimes when they were sipping from the coffee Robert had served them. Their eyes weren’t focused on the cup but on the other’s eyes, looking at each other with a certain interest. Even a strange form of love shone in them at one point.

Looking at them and seeing them so close to each other, Alex felt jealous. He had always been jealous of each suitor of his elder sister. Yet, he hadn’t ever shown that because he knew that it wasn’t fair to do that, once Erin had the right to be with whom she wanted. But… Mark, really? No, it was strange to him to think about this because he hadn’t ever thought about Mark as a possible suitor for his sister. Erin seemed to have also felt that all this time because she had always seen Mark only when she was with Alex and never alone, although Alex heard Flynn inviting Erin to get out sometimes… only the two of them. Something could have changed meanwhile. Yes, undoubtedly, something could have changed, but Alex didn’t realize that. It might have been possible because he’d been too weird lately, especially after he met Kate. He’d been immersed in his world, thoughtful, and incapable of seeing what happened to others or asking them what was going on in their lives. Nevertheless, Alex intended to find out things about them after that because it was his duty as Erin’s brother to know what was going on with her and especially with her heart.

Finally seeing Erin watching him, Alex smiled. „You are back!” She told him in a playful voice. „Not alone but with a beautiful lady! Have you been hunting?”

Alex frowned. „I’m not a hunter. Neither the weather is good for that. Let’s just say she’s someone I know, and with whom I spent a short while.”

„A pleasant time, judging by your eyes where romance is seen shining,” Flynn joined their talk, looking at Kate this time and not at Alex. „Or… am I wrong?”

„At all,” replied Kate, smiling, understanding that those two seemed to tease Alex. Yet, she knew they didn’t do that because of malice or envy. „Actually, it’s impossible not to spend a pleasant time with the owner of „A pair of blue eyes.”

Kate’s answer made Erin take thoughts. She did that because she didn’t know how to understand those words. Only when she noticed the book in Alex’s hand, did Erin understand the hint and smile. „She also thinks about him, it seems to me,” thought Erin, sipping from the coffee but eyes on them. She saw them acting clumsily while exchanging meaningful looks, as though they had other plans that afternoon and hadn’t ever thought about the presence of two strangers with them. This made Erin ask them in a playful voice eventually, „Did we interrupt something?”

Kate winced, although she hadn’t understood the meaning of that question, at least not totally. Alex instead frowned. „Sometimes, I really don’t understand what crosses your mind, Erin,” he rushed to say. After that, taking Kate’s coat, which she took off meanwhile, he went and hung it on the hanger, going behind the counter to serve everybody with a coffee. „Just as I don’t understand why you are here when you haven’t told me about this, giving me a call or texting me. Have you stepped by here because you were bored?” Alex asked that in an irritated tone, trying to let his sister understand that it wasn’t the right time to be there, at least not that afternoon, and that it would have been a good idea to apologize and leave.

The tone of his voice and the way he looked at Erin made Kate insistently look at Alex. She felt something strange at the two, judging by their behavior. They seemed pretty close, just as she felt that there was something unfinished between them. „Undoubtedly a relationship because… a woman can’t look at a man like that without having feelings for him.”

Eventually, Kate winced again when she heard Erin, who was with her back to her and staring at Alex, saying, „You are actually right. If I’m here, it’s because love brought me to you.”

Poor Alex widely opened his eyes, hearing Erin saying such words. Seconds later, he looked at Kate, whom he saw slowly biting her lower lip, somehow embarrassed. Mark instead was strangely grinning, a hint that that awkward situation, created between Erin, Alex, and Kate - a kind of weird love triangle - amused him so much. Yet, that situation didn’t seem to amuse Alex, who understood that Erin went too far with that joke, even if she did that to tease him. That’s why he told his sister in an irritated tone, taking the empty cup from her hand, „Exaggerated love sometimes destroys more than it helps.”

„Not if you can control its flow,” Erin confidently replied. Then, looking at Kate, she asked, „Don’t you also think so?”

„About what?” Kate asked, not understanding the question.

„That love is a two-edged weapon and that only those really skillful can work with it without hurting themselves.”

„They can hurt others instead if they head one of the sharp edges toward the wrong person,” replied Mark instead of Kate, leaving his cup next to Erin’s. He seemed to have intentionally done that, touching his cups of hers so gently that a pleasant chink was heard eventually… as pleasant as two crystal glasses touching each other.

Mark’s reaction made Alex nervously move. He even suddenly moved Erin’s cup, which still had lipstick on it, away from Flynn’s, as if trying to let his friend know that he went too far with that joke. In particular, Alex wanted to let Mark know that he was aware of his game and that he wouldn’t ever allow that. Why? Alex knew very well who Mark Flynn was. And, even if he was his friend and a good man, Alex still didn’t want him with his sister because nobody was good for Erin in Doyle’s eyes.

The jealousy felt in Alexander’s voice and that weird shining seen in his eyes when he moved the cups of coffee away from each other, staring at Mark after this, made Kate attentive. She also felt strange being there, as though she was extra in that weird love triangle between two handsome men and a beautiful woman. Then, feeling a strange impulse, she approached the hanger, intending to take her coat and leave. While heading toward the hanger, Kate said, „I think it’s better to leave. You can talk quietly after that.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

„Not that your presence bothers us,” said Erin, smiling, staring at Kate this time, after turning her back to Doyle and Flynn. „Yes, there’s no problem for you to be here because beautiful women have always been welcome in this coffee shop. Especially, around the master of „A pair of blue eyes.” Right, Alex?”

Alex didn’t answer. He only cleaned his voice. Then, pouring coffee into four cups, Alex put them on the counter. And, seeing Kate still next to the hanger and with her coat hanging over her arm, he approached her and took it from her, saying, „Don’t pay attention to them. They can be insufferable sometimes.”

Looking into his eyes, Kate saw him confused. She didn’t understand if he felt all that because they had been caught returning to the coffee shop together or because he found Mark and Erin there. Yes, it was undoubtedly the first reason, and not because he felt something for the other woman. No, it undoubtedly couldn’t be like that because Kate felt he had feelings for her and was sincere. The stranger instead, who kept insistently looking at them, seemed to know more about that or even want more with Doyle. Eventually, he was a handsome and wealthy man, and a beautiful and confident woman, as the other one seemed to be, knew how to choose her prey and not let him escape from her claws if she really wanted that man.

Thinking about that, Kate felt so weird. She also felt a strange knot in her stomach. „Jealousy?” She wondered, wincing and staring at Alex, who was hanging her coat in the hanger again. „For him? Impossible! Yes, that’s impossible because I love only Jonathan. Still, I feel something strange being here and thinking that the other one might have feelings for Alex. I feel like a teenager who clearly sees that another girl is trying to conquer the kid I also like but whom I don’t dare to approach. It’s strange. I never felt this even for Jonathan, although enough beautiful women tried to conquer him. Especially, I haven’t felt jealousy before, not for a man that’s not mine.”

She winced again when she heard the stranger saying, „Erin Doyle.” Erin said that, approaching Kate, although she didn’t see Erin coming toward her. She was too immersed in thoughts, spying on Alex. That’s why she didn’t pay attention to what was going on around them. The other one seemed to think differently though. She approached Kate first because she noticed her insistently watching the owner of the coffee shop. Thus, taking the first step toward her to greet her, Erin was showing Kate her superiority and confidence.

„Kathleen O’Connell,” Kate answered, understanding that it was in bad taste to keep her rival with her hand stretched toward her without shaking it. „You can call me Kate!”

Erin smiled. „It sounds better. Kinder and, why not, like… among friends?!”

„Although, from far away, it seems a totally different relationship,” Mark jokingly said, sipping from his coffee. „A kind of love triangle that can be found only in books or movies.”

Alex glared at Mark, as though trying to tell him, „What about stopping saying bullshit?” After that, looking at Erin, he asked, „What about telling me why you are here, aaa?”

„I told you already: love brought me here. My love for you, undoubtedly because… I’m always in love with beautiful things, Alex. Especially with you.”

Kate slowly bit her lower lip again. „There is love between them,” she caught another thought crossing her mind. „I wasn’t wrong in thinking that Erin likes him. It’s clearly seen in her eyes. She kindly looks at him, as only a woman that loves can look at the man that stole her heart.”

„You know, you are actually right in thinking like that,” Erin suddenly said, making Kate wince again and stare into her eyes. Kate even wondered if the stranger could read her thoughts. That’s why Erin smiled when she saw the confusion in Kate’s eyes, saying, „I was talking about the fact that you are right in thinking that there might be love between us. There is love: a pure one. The love between brothers can’t be different.”

„Brothers?” Kate murmured, confused. „Doyle! Ah, why didn’t I think about this before?” She wondered in her head. „Yes, they have the same surname and, if carefully looking at them, they are so similar. Especially their eyes… a pair of blue eyes.”

Suddenly Kate turned back to her senses, getting rid of thoughts, which she left for later, when she saw Alex smiling. Then, reproachfully shaking his head, he told his sister, „You and your jokes, Erin. You are the only one who can joke like that to tease others.”

Erin shrugged. „What to do?! It’s funnier this way. Thus, you can meet new and pleasant people as Kate seems to be. That’s why, I think that’s a good idea to spend this night together… the three of us. No, wait, we are four! You join us, right, Mister Flynn? What about a night with us?”

Mark stared at her, both comically and confused. „Mister Flynn? Did I do something wrong that you call me like that?”

„No, you didn’t do anything wrong. For the moment. Yet… I thought it would be more polite and formal to invite you to have dinner with us tonight this way. So, what do you say: are you in or out?”

„Erin,” whispered Alex, touching his sister’s arm. „I don’t think that’s the case. I also don’t think that Kate has time for us. You could have asked her first.”

„I ask her now. She’s here, right? Next to us. So, Kate: what about a night with us? Three strangers and you. I assure you that it’ll be interesting.”

Kate smiled. „Undoubtedly. Yet… I think that’s not the case, as Alex said. Eventually, it seems that you have plans together. Only the three of you.”

„Plans are to be changed, like the destinies. And… I don’t accept a no as an answer. Think about this! Meanwhile, Mister Flynn and I will take care of the dinner. You can do whatever you want to do and, of course, think about my offer. Not for long though: only for an hour while we prepare dinner. And… let’s go, Flynn!” Erin confidently said, taking her coat from the hanger and heading toward the exit door.

Seeing her leaving, Mark jumped from his place and left the cup of coffee, which he hadn’t finished yet, on the counter. Then, also taking his coat, he left without saying a word to Kate and Alex, who stared behind them, confused. Right before getting through the half-open door, Mark glanced at them, as though trying to let them know that they had to find them there when they were back. If not, they would have gotten into trouble for sure.

Looking behind Mark and Erin, who were moving away from the coffee shop on foot, Alex felt guilt in front of Kate, whom he had involved in that story, although involuntarily. Then, looking at her, Alex said, „I’m sorry. For what has just happened. And… Erin can be rude sometimes and… inopportune. Nevertheless, she’s not a bad person or resentful. That’s why, there won’t be a problem if you turn down her offer. Eventually, you might have had other plans for tonight.”

„No,” replied Kate, smiling. „I don’t have plans for tonight.” She wasn’t lying when she said that because she thought to read after leaving the coffee shop that night or sleep. Instead, she received an invitation to dinner and a stranger told her, „Among friends.” That’s why she couldn’t turn down that offer. She couldn’t do that because, besides returning the favor to Alex for defending her that night from those individuals, she could also spend a pleasant evening „among friends.” Yes, even if she practically didn’t know any of the three with whom she was about to have dinner, Kate was sure that they were good people and that she’d have a pleasant time with them. That’s why she didn’t find it hard to accept the dinner invitation that night. She also did that because it would have been better for her to spend her night like that than being alone in a cold and empty hotel room.