"Murphy! Are ya alright in there, it's been nearly an hour."

I blinked and pushed myself away from Murphy, only I pushed to far and landed on the floor with a loud bang. Connor burst through the door, and Murphy stuck his head over the edge of the bed and looked down at me concerned.

"Murphy what the fuck did ya do to her?"

"Nothin' we were just…"

"Talking. We were just talking and I fell off the bed," I interjected from my location on the floor. I gave Murphy a look telling him to keep his mouth shut. I did not want Connor to know what had nearly taken place between me and his brother. Especially since I wasn't even sure at the moment. Connor hardly looked convinced. "And I'm fine by the way thanks for asking."

Connor walked over, reached out his hand and I grasped it allowing him to pull me to my feet. I then realized that I had landed on my sandwich. The back of my shirt was covered. I made a face. "Yuck."

"Here." Connor pulled a sweater out of the top draw of the dresser. "You can change into this. We'll get ya a new sandwich and then we'll find yer apartment and collect yer things".

They both just stood there. "What? I don't get any privacy to change?"

Connor grabbed Murphy by the collar and pulled him from the room but not before I caught the odd look that Murphy sent my way. I pulled my shirt over my head and pulled the sweater on. It smelled faintly of cigarettes and the musky scent that I associated with guys. I wondered if it was Connor's or Murphy's. "Stop that," I told myself. "It is way to soon to be giving your heart away a second time. Especially to a guy you just met, not to mention one of these guys." I picked my coat up off the floor and grabbed my shoes before making my way into the living room.

Connor came over wearing his coat. "Ya ready?"

"Sure." Murphy walked out of the kitchen carrying a beer. He barely looked at me as he walked into the bedroom and shut the door. "He's not coming with us?"

"Nah. Said ya didn't us both to protect ya."

"Oh, okay."

"Da we'll be back later." Connor held open the door for me.

"Alright, but I'll probably be gone before ya get back."

"Goodbye Mr. McManus."

"Maggie, hold on." I turned around as Murphy came back out of the bedroom. "I thought you could use these." He handed me a pair of gloves. "They're big but warm."

I pulled them on and looked up to thank him, but he had already left the room. I sighed and went out the door.

Connor figured that the easiest way for me to find my apartment was to take me back to the bar and have me backtrack from there. When we got to the bar, it was dead crime scene. Yellow police tape covered the door and the windows had been boarded. I shivered at the sight of it. Strange how what had started off as a really bad experience had managed to meld seamlessly into my life in only a matter of hours. And yet it seemed so long ago. Connor placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I hadn't asked about what they were doing that night and they hadn't told. I didn't think I ever would ask.

I found my way back to the apartment easily from the bar. And it was just as I had left the day before. A horrible apartment with my bags just dumped in the middle of the floor. Connor took the suitcase and I took the duffel.

"Is this all?"

"Left home with only the stuff I needed. Clothing and personal items. And this of course." I reached down the collar of my shirt and pulled out a small silver cross on a long thin silver chain. "Didn't want anything else." I placed the cross back in the shirt. The chain was so long that the cross hung just between my breasts where it couldn't be seen even when I wore shirts that were slightly lower cut. It was the only thing of personal value that I had brought with me. "I'm starting a new life; don't want it cluttered with things from the past."

"I suppose that make sense."

I didn't give the room a second glance as the door closed behind me. I slid the keys under the landlord's door. No explanation. But he'd figure it out.

We had walked from the McManus apartment but decided to ride the bus back. I sat with my face pressed against the glass watching everything go by in a blur. Connor didn't say anything the entire ride, I guess he figured I didn't want to talk. It didn't matter to me one way or the other. But I appreciate the silence, gave me time to think. Time to think about Murphy, Murphy and his sudden change in attitude just before I left. Maybe he was just real temperamental. Annoying one minuet, caring and understanding the next, and then just plain sullen. "Or it could have something to do with the fact that you nearly kissed him and pretended it didn't happen." I pushed that thought aside. That couldn't be it. He barely knew me well enough to want to kiss me let alone be insulted by the fact that I'd turned him down. "Did you turn him down or did Connor just walk in at the right time? And if he hadn't come in would you have kissed him?"

"Maggie, we're here."

I came back to the present and followed Connor of the bus. We walked the final block to his building and up the apartment. Mr. McManus was gone like he said he would be. Again, I didn't ask where he went and Connor didn't say.

"Connor I think I'm going to take a shower before I go to bed."

"Alright, I'll just leave ya stuff out here for now. We can figure something else out later. Night."

"Night."

I ended up showering much longer than I had intended and it wasn't until after I got out of the shower that I remembered that I had no official place to sleep. I changed into a pair of grey sweats and a black tank top and toweled dried my hair. I tried sleeping on the couch but was unable to find a position that didn't hurt some muscle in my back. So I slipped into the guy's room. They were both fast asleep. I figured Connor was my best option for a sleep partner. He had gone to bed after Murphy and would not only be easier to wake up but less cranky when he did. At least I hoped so.

"Connor." I nudged his shoulder. He didn't move. "Connor?" This time a little louder. I gave him a jab in the shoulder. All he did was grunt, roll over unto his stomach and completely sprawl over the bed. "You sleep harder than a dead man."

"Maggie?"

I'd woken up Murphy. I turned around. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"No, but ya seem rather intent on waking Connor. What are ya doing?"

"Trying to get into bed."

Murphy scooted over and pulled the cover back. "Come on. Ya wouldn't want to sleep with him anyway. He moves around way to much."

"Thanks." I slid in next to him. Again he was only wearing his boxers. I stared up at the ceiling. "Murphy?"

"What?"

"Are you alright? You've been acting odd ever since, well ever since Connor came into the room earlier."

"I've been acting odd?" He leaned up on his elbow. "I'm not the one who told Connor we were just talking, and I'm not the one who's pretending that nothing happened."

"Look, I'm sorry. But you have to realize that this whole situation is very strange. I've just met you, and under very unusual circumstances, and yet I've spilled my life story at you and explained what happened with my last and only boyfriend. And now I'm moving in?" I still wasn't quite sure what I had gotten myself into or why I was getting into it. "I mean the timing is way off. What was I supposed to do? Tell Connor that I had almost kissed you just because I was emotional."

"Perhaps, but that was more than ya just being emotional and ya weren't stopping it."

"I did stop it."

"No, ya didn't. Connor walked into the room."

"I would have stopped it whether or not he had come into the room."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"What about now?" Murphy rolled over so that he was on top of me, supporting his weight with his arms. I looked up at him in shock and my body stiffened. "Would ya stop it if I were to try and kiss ya right now, with Connor in the next bed sleeping?" He looked me unblinkingly in the eyes as he lowered his mouth closer to my own. I nodded unable to find my voice. "Liar," he said and pressed his mouth against mine.