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“My answer is yes!”
Because he had a crush on me, too. Hugh Biggs liked me back. “Come back for me,” I called out, jumping back into the water and kicking my legs.
The more pain I felt, the calmer my mind grew.
“You’ll always be safe with me.”
“He’s always asking me questions about her.”
Kneeling at my bedside, I blessed myself and quickly recited my prayers before climbing into bed.
I couldn’t explain why I felt so uncomfortable or why the hairs on the back of my neck shot up whenever I laid eyes on him. But it always happened.
“Don’t touch my sister again,” I warned, standing in front of her. “Not ever again.”
In fact, I wanted to see his face all the time. Every day.
while I remained rooted to the spot, attention riveted on the only boy I ever wanted to look at.
“Do you think you might ask me to marry you?”
“If I asked you, would you say yes?”
“That’s good to know.”
used to think it would fade once I got used to seeing her, but having seen her almost every day for the past six months, it was safe to assume that it wasn’t going to.
She came over with her sister when Caoimhe babysat, and she slept over most weekends, but it still wasn’t enough because when she had to leave, I didn’t
“No, I can feel you,” I squeezed out, trying to make him understand. “I can feel me when I feel you.”
“You can sleep in my bed…” I knew what that meant. But it was okay. Because I loved Hugh Biggs. My heart was sure I did. And Hugh would never hurt me like he did.
It would be okay. Because he was kind. He wouldn’t make me cry. He wouldn’t make me bleed.
Climbing onto the mattress, I rolled onto my back and settled into the familiar position, arms at my sides and legs open, waiting for this boy to do what Mark told me all boys did. Except he didn’t.
I was feeling. I could feel again. I didn’t have to scream to make the lady go away, either. She disappeared when he found me in the tub. She was afraid of Hugh. Because he was good. Because he was brave.
Mark didn’t fix me this time. Hugh did. And he didn’t have to hurt me to do it…
But if the ocean wanted Gerard Gibson, then it was going to have to take my arms with him because I would never let go of him.
Because she was here, on this boat, with her heart beating. “I love you, Claire,” I heard myself cry, holding her so tight, I was sure I was hurting her skinny, little body, but I didn’t care. She was alive and I had to feel that in this moment. After holding Gibsie’s lifeless body, I had to touch something alive. “I love you. I love you. I love you!” “I loves you, too,” Claire sobbed, clinging to me just as tightly, smothering my face with her wild curls. “Don’t ever go away, Hughie.”
In that moment, I vowed to never sit back and do nothing. I would never be a statue like Mark or incapable like Sadhbh and Keith. For the rest of my life, I would help. I would save people. I would bring them back to life.
Exhaling heavily, I reached up and pressed my hand to his cheek, feeling the wetness from where his tears had dripped.
Sniffling, he reached up and covered my hand with his, never saying a word.
That was the thing about me and Hugh: sometimes we never needed to speak at all.
“I love you.”
“You do?”
“I just thought you should know.”
“In case anything happens and I don’t get to tell you.”
“I know what tomorrow will bring, Hugh,”
“You and me. Same as yesterday and same as today. Being best friends forever.”
“No matter...
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“No matter...
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He was using his special powers. That scared me because it meant my sister was sick like me.
They didn’t have any clothes on and he was giving her the special medicine. The one that he made me take, even when I didn’t want to. My heart sank. She was sick.
He used his special powers to fix her. It was good. This is good. I clenched my eyes shut when I felt the tears trickling down my cheeks.
If boys only did that to girls they loved, did that mean Mark loved me? Because I didn’t want Mark to love me. I wanted Hugh to love me.
“Just because you can’t see your father’s illness, doesn’t mean that it’s any less deserving of empathy,”
“What about my heart?”
“Your heart works just fine.”
“But what if it ...
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“That won’t h...
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“Because I won’t break it.”
“But what if someone else breaks it?” “Not going to happen.” “How come?” “Because I’ve got it locked away safe and sound.”
“I know someone with superpowers.” “What kind of superpowers?”
I wanted to tell him, but I was scared of what would happen if I did. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want him to hurt me. He said he would if I told anyone about the special powers.
“Don’t worry. I know how to fix that thing.” I reached for the waistband of his shorts and tried to pull them down. “I’m good at it.” “What? Wait! Liz, no!” Jerking away from me, Hugh bolted to the opposite side of the treehouse. “What are you doing?” “I know how to fix it,” I explained, crawling back over to him. “I can make you feel better.” “No, Liz!” He held out his hand to stop me. “You can’t.”
Hugh said so. And Hugh would never lie to me. I trusted him most in the world.
