More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
It had been so long since I’d laid eyes on him that I’d almost forgotten about the feeling of terror he could evoke in me. Almost.
“I called you to come help me and you didn’t pick up. And then I knew.” Sniffling, I threw my hands up, feeling helpless and alone. “I said to myself, That’s why. That’s how I turned out like this.” Narrowing my eyes at the woman who gave me life, I spat out, “Because you broke me!”
“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!”
They will all let you down.” Anyone with the Lynch last name, at least. “And you?” my baby sister asked, looking up at me like I could somehow fix her world when I couldn’t even fix my own. “Does that include you?” “Especially me,” I forced myself to tell her, though it almost killed me to say it.
“You were going to leave without telling me?” Her tear-filled eyes flicked to the bag thrown over my shoulder, and devastation and fury encompassed her features. “I’m not even worth a fucking goodbye!”
Please don’t go, Joey. Joey! I love you!” I love you too. More than this life.
Something had changed in Joey. I saw it in his eyes. He was resigned. He was finished. For him, the fight was over.
That could be me. I could just disappear. I will disappear. It’s the best thing for everyone. Especially her. Because she’ll never stop fighting for me while my heart’s still beating. And I’ll never stop dragging her down.
“It’s not the way out.”
“They’ll never accept it, Joey. It will haunt them forever. It haunts me forever.”
“You know this is the same bridge, right?” she sobbed, holding onto my body for dear life. “The same fucking spot, Joey!”
“Hey, whatever keeps your heart ticking,”
“Sounds like it’s coming from your neck of the woods.” “Yeah,” I muttered, feeling a wave of unease creep over me as I watched in the distance the stream of fire engines, ambulances, and squad cars speeding toward Elk’s Terrace. “I think you might be right.”
I need to set you free.
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
“No,” I mumbled drowsily as I felt the last strand of my sanity snap. “It was my job to keep her safe.”
The only face I’d been able to see since I was twelve. Blond hair. Green eyes. Smiling. Loving. Warmth. Light. That face. Her face. Queen.
“Promise me you’ll keep her safe from me.” “Who, Joey love?” “Molloy.”
“Aoife, no, please. Would you just think of yourself for a minute?” “I’m going, Dad,” I repeated, setting Sean down on his feet. “And there’s nothing you, Darren, or anyone else can say to stop me.”
“Shannon has Johnny, and you have Alex,” Edel explained calmly, reaching out a hand to stroke my back reassuringly. “Joey has Aoife.”
“I’ll show you something not good for you if you don’t shut up,”
Yes ma'am
“You can’t hide from me,” I cleared the lump in my throat and declared. I felt bad for ignoring Shannon, but in that moment her brother was my number one priority. “And you can’t give up, either.”
“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.”
“You’re in there, aren’t you?” He twitched again, hands balling into fists. That’s it. “I see you, Joey Lynch,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his cracked and peeling lips. “You can’t hide from me.”
“That’s it,” I coaxed, gently lifting his head onto my lap. “Come back to me, baby.”
“You can’t scare me away,” I promised, holding him closer when his hands knotted in my hoodie. “You’re mine, remember?”
“Queen.” My heart soared to new heights. There he is. He’s still here. “Hey, stud,”
“You’re going to make it, Joe. I swear it.” “Okay, Molloy.” Another tear trickled down his cheek. “Whatever you say.”
saving 6.”
you guys are going to fall head over heels in love with him.” She smiled softly. “We already are, love, we already are.”
“Don’t be here.” He leaned in and kissed me hard. “Be somewhere better.” “I don’t take orders from you,” I breathed, lips moving against his. “You should know that by now.”
“Now, you get your sexy ass better and come home to me. Because I’m going to need you healthy, okay?”
It was never about me replacing you. It was about me replacing me.”
“I’ll be seeing ya, Molloy.”
“I’ll come back for you. For both of you.”
Her picture in my pillowcase was the only thing I had from back home. She was the only one I brought with me. The only one I prayed would be there when I got out of here.
All I could see was her. The girl from the wall.
I’ll be seeing ya, Molloy.
if you don’t want to do it for yourself, then do it for the baby.” That stung. Everything I was doing was for the baby.
“A-oi-eef…” “Aoife,” I corrected, knees bopping anxiously now. “It’s pronounced ‘E-fa.’” Shrugging, I added, “It’s basically Eva in Irish.”
Me before I read the name pronunciations 😭
“I’ve never not spoken to her this long,” I admitted, feeling pissed off, but knowing that this woman was relentless. She wouldn’t bend. God knows, I’d tried enough times. “Please, Doc. She’s my best friend.”
little hurler,”
“Tell me about the first time you had sex.” “Why?” I glared at her. “Are you looking for tips?”
Um, what the shite
“We were just friends back then. She had a fella. I told you this before.” “Ah, yes,” she mused, flicking through her notes. “Paul the prick, if I recall correctly.”
“If your sister came to you with the same scenario, some random boy from her class at school had taken her virginity in the same way yours was taken, how would you react?” I stiffened. “Don’t.” “How would you feel about that, Joey?” “Murderous.” “Because?” “Because it wouldn’t be right, dammit!” “But it’s okay that it happened to you because you’re a male?” I opened my mouth to answer her, but nothing came out. Fuck.
what happened to you was not acceptable and a serious breach of trust and consent.”
