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“Fucking Bella Wilkinson,” Hughie grumbled, coming to stand beside Gibsie. “It’s always something with her.” “Because she is Lucifer with tits,” Gibsie confirmed grimly. “The living, breathing devil in carnage.” “It’s incarnate, Gibs, not in carnage.” “Whatever, lad. I tried to warn you all, but oh no, nobody listens to the beautiful one.”
I missed him
“Get off him, you dirty little scumbag,” Bella screamed, and then she did the unspeakable; she put her hands on my man. Oh hell to the no.
Period Aoife! Lol
“Who the hell are you?” Bella demanded, casting a menacing glare in my direction. Oh, you poor, sweet summer child. “Oh, I’m your worst nightmare, bitch,” I snarled, knocking her off Joey’s back and onto the flat of her own. “You like terrorizing little girls? Try someone your own size.” Losing my ever-loving shit right there and then, I straddled her chest. “Think you can call my boyfriend a scumbag? Think you can bully his sister, huh? Think you’re safe because you’re a girl and he can’t hit you back?” Narrowly avoiding a nail to the eye, I reared my fist back and socked her in the nose.
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Perioddd
Maybe this is a good thing, I thought to myself as I was led out back to a waiting prison van. Maybe the judge will decide to remand me, and I’ll be transferred to Cork Prison. At least then, Molloy and the baby will be safe from me.
Bruh…
The most shocking part of the whole ordeal was the well-dressed man waiting for me in said waiting room. “Joey Lynch.” John Kavanagh looked up from the table he was sitting at and smiled. “We meet again.”
Ayyyyy
“My client is an eighteen-year-old boy with a horrendous, detailed history of domestic violence. There are reams of reports of him being the victim of atrocious child abuse at the hands of his caregivers. That’s not to mention his even more troubling history of being let down by both the state and the Garda Siochana in this town,” John interjected coolly. “Quite frankly, I’m astounded your superiors had the nerve to take this boy before the judge. Once I’m finished making a spectacle of them, I’ll be turning my attention to the long list of Gards, social workers, and authority figures that
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Clock it!!
“You protected my son’s future, and now I’m here to protect yours,” he finally said, folding his arms across his chest. “Sounds like a fair trade if you ask me.”
It's giving healthy father figure :')
“We want to keep you!” his wife blurted out, causing John to drop his head in his hands and groan. “All five of you,” she continued, hurrying over to the island and catching ahold of my hand. “Especially you.” She smiled down at me. “I think I want you the most.”
Crying
“I don’t want to be mothered, and I don’t need a father figure. I’m too old for that shit.” “You’re never too old to be loved, Joey.”
Never too late :')
Jesus , I could barely breathe just thinking about it. It was for those reasons that I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go to her. Not tonight, at least. Dejected and thoroughly demoralized, and with my father’s words still fresh on my mind, I returned to the only place I felt some semblance of control over my life.
JOEY!! :'(
“So long as your version of getting by doesn’t result in name-dropping or throwing your old friends under the bus, we’re golden,” he replied, handing me a baggie of pills. “But the minute you even consider crossing me, it’ll be over for you, kid. I’ll come down harder on you than your daddy ever did. You remember that.”
A*hole
There was a family waiting to take her in. To take all of them in.
You too Joe…
“Well, life or not, if you keep this up, you’re going to turn into him. You’re going to end up becoming the one thing you hate most in the world.”
I hate Darren…
“Joey, please,” she sobbed, clinging to me just the same as always. “What about me?” What about her? What about Tadhg? What about Ollie? What about Sean? What about Darren? “What about me?” I broke down and cried. “What about me, Shannon? What about me!”
"Who's going to save Joey…"
“Stay, Joey,” Darren pleaded, voice breaking. “I can’t do this without you.”
Oh now you need him…news flash buddy…you COULD NEVER!!!!
Of course she was worth a goodbye. She deserved an explanation more than anyone else on this planet. Problem was, I couldn’t tell her any of that to her face. The only way I could give her my truth was on paper. On pages of paper that I had neatly folded in the ass pocket of my school trousers. On pages of paper that I had planned to put through her letterbox.
Coward
I would not turn her into the woman in my kitchen. I loved her too much to allow that to happen. My father didn’t do the right thing for the mother of his children, but I would do it for mine.
Coward
We were having a baby. And Joey was leaving. Worse than leaving, he had left. How could he leave me? He promised. I trusted him. I still trusted him. No, no, no, this was all wrong. Something’s wrong. Don’t give up on him. He’s not well. Find him before it’s too late.
Aoife…:'(
I was going home. I just needed to find him first. Because that boy was my home.
:'(
Several weeks of rainfall meant that the town’s river was close to bursting its banks. Good. The current would take me quickly. All I had to do was let go. Just close my eyes and let myself fall. Eerily at peace with my decision, I tossed my bag into the water and watched as the river swallowed it under and washed it away.
Noooooo
“No!” Momentarily releasing my wrist, my sister’s friend wrapped both of her arms around my body and pressed her cheek against my back. “I won’t let you do it to Shannon.” “Do what?” “Turn her into me.” “I don’t need this shit,” I choked out, voice breaking midsentence, making me sound like my fucking sister. “Do ya hear me? I don’t want anyone to save me!” “I don’t care what you want,” she screamed back at me. “I care about what you need!” “Let go.” “No!” “Lizzie.” “It won’t fix anything,” she strangled out, burying her face in the back of my hoodie. “You think it’s the answer to all your
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I'm crying at work bro
“You don’t get it.” I shook my head, trembling. “I’m not good for her.” “Then get good for her, dammit,”
Period
the sound of fire engine sirens filled the air.
OMG OMG OMG
I know what you’re thinking: that I’m bailing, but I’m not, Molloy. I’m trying to make sure that kid doesn’t end up like its father.
You are bailing…be honest bro
I love you so fucking much I don’t even know how to put it into words. But I just… I need to set you free. Yours always, Joey x
Tell them I was sorry. Tell them I loved them. Tell my son that I loved him. Tell yourself that I loved you most. I’ll be seeing ya, Molloy. xx
Heartbrek
“What do you think bringing his pregnant girlfriend over will do to him? He needs to focus on himself right now. He can’t do that with her in his face.”
HELLLLLLL to the noooo
“I’ll show you something not good for you if you don’t shut up,” a little old lady ordered from her perch on an armchair by the fire. “The cheek of ya, laying down the law in this kind woman’s house.” “But Nanny—” “Don’t you ‘but Nanny’ me,” she chastised, holding up a wrinkly finger. “You’re not too big for a clip around the ear, young man.”
Clock it. Thank yewwwww
“You should take her to him and watch her work her magic,” Nanny said then, turning to Edel. “Return my grandson’s heart to him, and he’ll start living again.”
<3
“Come back to me.” With trembling hands, I stroked his cheek and brushed his hair out of his eyes, before leaning in close to nuzzle him. “Because I’m not giving you up.”
<3
“I see you, Joey Lynch,”
<3
“That’s my job, remember?” I joked through my tears. “I’m the one saving 6.”
Period
“Because he’s going to get better, I can promise you that, and then your family is going to meet the real Joey. And I promise, you guys are going to fall head over heels in love with him.” She smiled softly. “We already are, love, we already are.”
“All those years back when we were in first year.” His lips brushed mine once, twice. “I’ve loved you since then.” Another kiss. “From the first time I laid eyes on you, sitting on the wall with your blond hair blowing around your face.” His tongue snaked out, teasing mine. “I just didn’t know it then.”
:')
My flag was still stitched to his broken mast.
Wordssss
My eyes landed on a picture taken the night of my eighteenth birthday. I stared down at the two fresh-faced teenagers smiling back at me. It felt like a million years ago, but I remembered the moment, the feelings I had in my heart at that exact time. “This is Daddy,” I said, stroking my ever-expanding belly
Awww Daddy…:')
“Let’s talk about intimacy.” “Let’s not.”
Lol
“First you said two minutes,” I grumbled, plopping down on the seat opposite his. “Now you’re saying five. I’ll give you three and a half.”
Lol
“There was a huge drug bust in Ballylaggin last night,” he blew my mind by saying. “According to my father, they’ve had eyes on the Holland brothers for a long time now.”
Wow! Paul does something useful for once!
“Maybe before they moved on, someone wanted to make sure his first love had a fighting chance with her first love.”
*GASP*
Hello, Brother
It's giving Damon lol
“When your back was to the ropes just now, what was your first thought? Your immediate inclination?” “My immediate inclination was to put my fist through my brother’s head,” I repeated in a flat tone. “And the wall. But his head more.” The doctor smiled. “Then you passed.” “What?” Her smile widened. “You were thrust into confrontation with a person who triggers you like few can, and your immediate urge wasn’t to use.” “I wanted to physically harm him,” I said, brow furrowed in confusion. “How does that mean I passed anything?” “Did you harm him?” “In my head.” “In your head is acceptable.” She
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Period lol
“Aoife.” There was a pause and then his words came in a flurry. “Christ, Aoife, I’m so sorry, baby. For all of it. For leaving you. For the letter. Jesus, I can’t into put into words how bad I feel for everything I put you through these past few months. When I came here, I wasn’t myself. The truth is, I haven’t been myself in a very long time. I’m not sure if you’ve ever met the real me or if you’ll even like him, but I’m trying. I’m trying so fucking hard to get back to you—”
:')
“Just come home,” I whispered, feeling a shiver roll through me. “Get better and come home to us.” “I am.” “Wow.” “Wow, what?” “You said ‘I am.’” I clenched my eyes shut as a wave of hopeful warmth washed over my heart. “Not ‘I will.’” Sniffling, I added, “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you say the words ‘I am.’” “About time, huh?” “Just a tad overdue.”
:')
“Joe,” I squeezed out, clutching the phone with a death grip. “I can’t do this on my own.” “You won’t have to,” he vowed. “I’m coming home to you, Molloy. I promise.”
<3
“You know I’d be dead without her, right?” I declared hoarsely. “This entire conversation wouldn’t be happening because I wouldn’t be here to argue about if it wasn’t for Aoife Molloy.” “Jesus.” My brother winced like my words caused him physical pain. “Don’t say that, Joe.” “It’s the truth, Dar,” I retorted hoarsely. “I wouldn’t have made it to eighteen without her. Hell, I probably wouldn’t have made it to fifteen without her. You weren’t there. You didn’t see. I was a piece of shit. Sincerely. I was fucking terrible. To myself. To her. My behavior toward her was horrendous. I was the worst
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Ayyyyyyyy
“I was trying to help you,” Darren tried to explain. “You’re too young to be a father.” “I’ve always been a father!” I roared back, chest heaving. “And I’ve done a pretty fucking good job with the four I’ve raised. And yeah, I’m a mess, and yeah, I’m an addict, but I’m a good father! I’m a good fucking parent, Darren. I kept them alive. I kept them fed, and loved, and nurtured, and goddamn educated. I did that. Not you. Not him. Not Mam. Me. So, call me a junkie and whatever the hell else you want to call me, but don’t say that I’m too young to be a father!”
My heart :')
“Well, it doesn’t matter what you want, Dar, because this right here is my life,” I shot back, shaking. “It’s mine to live, and I plan on living it side by side with her. Because news flash, asshole, that girl is my life. Her and our baby. And if she wants a ring, she’ll get it. And a house, she’ll get that, too. And if the time comes where she wants more kids, then I’ll give them to her. Whatever she wants. Because we’re mirrors. Her and me. We’re aligned. That’s my future, Darren, and if you keep meddling in it, then you won’t be a part of it.”
:')
“You left me, Darren. You fucking left me with them. I loved you most. I looked up to you. I worshipped the goddamn ground you walked on, and you just disappeared from my life.” “I know,” he choked out. “Jesus, I know.” “I was twelve.” My voice was strangled and my chest heaving as I spilled my pain. “Twelve, Darren. When you were twelve, you had me. When I was twelve, I had nobody.” “I’m so sorry, Joe.” “Saying you’re sorry doesn’t fix it,” I choked out. “It’s a word. I know you mean it, I know you’re sorry, but it’s a fucking word, Darren. It doesn’t fix the hole you left in me.”
Oh Joey…I'm so proud of you <3
“What hurts the most isn’t the fact that you left,” I admitted, wiping a tear from my cheek. “I know you had to go. You were dying in that house. I get it. I understand that. What hurts the most is the fact that I stayed, and she still loved you more! And I’m jealous of that. I’m jealous and I’m resentful and I’m so fucking hurt that nothing I ever did was enough for her!
BREAKTHROUGH
