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“I swear you shine even in the darkness.”
This wasn’t an everyday conversation that I was listening to. This orphan child was asking for reassurance that his heroin-addicted brother was still clean. From the girl who’d given birth to said brother’s baby only a few short weeks ago.
It was only then I noticed the small boy clung to Johnny’s legs.
“Claire’s silly, isn’t she?” Johnny coaxed, scooping him up in his arms. “Because we’re not supposed to cry when we’re happy, are we? Hmm? Tell her that she’s supposed to laugh.” “Laugh,” Sean replied solemnly, and then he did the most adorable thing ever. He reached up and pulled at Johnny’s cheeks to make him smile. “See?”
Johnny replied, watching the preschooler like a hawk until he disappeared inside the manor. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“And then it hit me that Joe’s never going to be fully better, is he? Because there’s no cure for his disease!” Sniffling, I added, “He’ll always be an addict, with no promise of anything beyond today.”
“Why do bad things happen to good people?” “I don’t know, Claire,” he replied, patting my shoulder. “I really don’t.”
he fight to the death for, but that he also wants to live for. So, fuck guarantees and don’t bet against him. He’ll forge an epic future for Aoife and AJ, just like he forged a future for his siblings.”
“In case it skipped your attention, lad, that witch hates my guts.” “Come on, Gibs,” he tried to reason. “Don’t call her that. She was your friend once.” “Yeah, and look where it got me,” I shot back defensively. “Directly in the firing line of her poisonous tongue.”
“She’s not a bad person,” he called after me when I stood up and moved for the door. “She’s just hurt.”
What Johnny and Shannon had was permanent.
Joey and Aoife were another couple that I knew in my heart were endgame,
They had a volatile hue to their love that wasn’t present in Johnny and Shannon’s relationship,
that’s what true love was, though. It wasn’t perfect. It didn’t come in the perfect gift-wrapped box. It was messy and raw and pushed you to your absolute limits.
“Definitely not one on his own.” His brows furrowed. “Wouldn’t want them to be lonely.”
“Nah, it’s grand,” Feely replied, tapping a few lines of a text out before sliding his phone back in his pocket. “It’s just Casey.” “Casey?” Johnny frowned. “Who’s Casey?” “Jesus, Cap, for such a smart fella, you have the worst observational skills.” Hugh chuckled. “She’s Aoife’s friend.”
“I know because you were always missing out on training when we were younger to go chasing after her.” “Wrong girl, Cap,”
Shannon’s birthday is in March,”
Aoife had become something of a revered, seductive goddess to the rest of us girls, doling out wisdom and knowledge that blew our minds.
placing my purring queen on top of his back. “Which is why I must add that this ripped version of Gerard Gibson”—I paused to trail a finger over the fabric that concealed his recently renewed abdominal muscles before climbing off the bed—“is pretty, but I like the old version best.” “You miss my love handles,” he purred, carefully rolling onto his back and then setting Cherub back down on his stomach. “You prefer a little extra Gibs to keep you warm at night, don’t you?”
“Okay then.” He nodded stiffly. “Are we still fighting, or can we hug it out?” “Hug it out,” I replied, bolting straight for him. “Definitely hug it out.” “Thank Jesus,” Gerard replied, wrapping me up in a bear hug. “Worst ten minutes of my life.” “What am I going to do with the two of you?” Mam laughed from her perch on my bed. “You’re like an old married couple.”
Your father is in the office upstairs if you need him.
“Are we going as Motley Crue?” “No, silly, Danny and Sandy,”
Joey and Aoife, I was thinking Joker and Harley Quinn.”
then for you guys, I was thinking Edward and Vivian from Pretty Woman.”
Johnny and Shan, it’s a no-brainer.” Katie smiled. “Romeo and Juliet?”
for Liz and Patrick, I was thinking something a little edgier like Morticia and Gomez Addams—you know, to match Lizzie’s personality.” “Oh my god, I love it,” Katie laughed, clapping. “Claire, you’re a genius.” “I don’t see it,” Hugh tossed out. “First off, she’s blond. Second, she doesn’t do fancy dress, and third, if she does show up, she’ll be with Pierce.”
“She’s been blowing hot and cold for years. Isn’t that right, Hugh?” “Gibs.” My brother’s entire frame went rigid. “Don’t.” “What did I say?” “Nothing,” Hugh deadpanned. “Keep it that way.” “Sorry, lad. Didn’t mean to hit a nerve.” “You didn’t.” “First love stings like a bitch, though, doesn’t it?”
Lizzie broke the fundamental law of friendship in fourth class when she agreed to be my brother’s girlfriend.
resulted in us not speaking for three whole weeks.
“Never have I ever gotten caught kissing my girlfriend in the tree house by my mam?” When Hugh raised his glass to his lips, Katie shook her head in confusion. “Sinead never caught us in the tree house, Hugh.”
“Because you don’t love me the right way,”
“The way I need you to love me.” She reached up and covered my hands with hers. “The way I love you.”
“I can’t wait forever, Gerard,” she whispered, her tone laced with sadness as she slowly withdrew. “It hurts too much.” Pain. It was everywhere in this moment.
know,” I forced myself to say, while my heart screamed at her heart to hold on just a little bit longer.
families produce hurlers.” “And some produce swimmers,” she filled in with a smile. “It’s because of what happened when they were kids,” Lizzie said, eyes locked on the rim of her mug. “Because of what happened to him.” “Gibsie and his family?” Shannon asked in a soft tone.
I’ve been writing to the board of education about this since fourth class, but I’ve never gotten a decent response,” I added, scrunching
He was all dark hair, shy smiles, sun-kissed skin, and soulful blue eyes. The perfect recipe for teenage heartbreak. “Hey, Shan. Liz.”
“No,” Lizzie countered heatedly. “What would be going too far is telling him that Peter Biggs saved the wrong child from the wat—”
“I don’t need to say it,” Lizzie finally replied, eyes locked on Gerard. “From the look on your face, you already know it’s true.”
“Difference is I had nothing to do with his sister’s death and he had everything to do with mine!” “How?” Shannon urged. “He was just a little boy when Caoimhe died, Liz. A little kid like the rest of us.” “Ask his brother.” “Stepbrother,” Feely interjected calmly.
“Fine,” Lizzie seethed, teeth grinding. “Ask his stepbrother.” “Mark?” “And while you’re at it, ask why that monster was involved with my sister in the first place!” Nostrils flaring, she spat out, “Ask whose fault was that.”
It was, by far, the worst day of my life because I knew that I was responsible. I was responsible for my sister falling overboard. I was responsible for my father exhausting himself in the water trying to keep two children afloat. I was the one who slipped out of his arms, causing him to let go of Bethany. Me. I missed my dad to the point where it was hard to breathe sometimes, and I often felt like I was still in the water with him.
“It’s okay to not be okay.”
when Joey Lynch walked in, deep in conversation with two of his siblings—one
one of whom he was physically steering into the room by the scruff of the neck. “What did I tell ya, kid?” he was growling. “Steer clear from Twomey.” “Exactly,” Shannon added, hurrying along beside her brothers. “Don’t give him another reason to suspend you.” “Listen, it’s not my fault that prick’s on our radar, Joe.” Looking like an incensed baby lion cub in the clutches of his alpha father, Tadhg broke free of his big brother’s hold and scowled up at him.
“Isn’t he the most beautiful creation your eyes have ever seen?” “Definitely,” I agreed eagerly. “He clearly gets it from his mam,” Lizzie drawled. “Clearly.” A faint smile teased Joey’s lips, but it was almost impossible to see because he had the ultimate poker face.
he seemed to have a strange camaraderie with our angsty friend. They probably bonded over their mutual hatred of all things human.
“Johnny, oh Johnny, yes,” he mimicked his sister’s voice. “I love it when you rub your big oval rugby balls all over my face.” “Tadhg!”
opinion, it’s a lot easier to believe in God when you haven’t been faced with a reason not to.”
