“Hey!” I roared, jumping into the mix. “Don’t even think about calling her names, you fucking asshole!”
“Hugh!” My father grabbed the back of my jacket and yanked me away from the fray. “That’s enough.”
Meanwhile, my mother rushed to tend to Catherine, who was slumped over on the chair.
“She’s fucking nuts, Hugh,” Mark continued to roar, turning his attention to me. “Evenyouknow that.”
“What I know is you’re a sanctimonious bully who lies through his teeth,” I roared back. “And if you call her crazy one more time, I’m going to show you the true meaning of the word.”
“Hugh!” I felt my father place his hand on my shoulder and I roughly shrugged him off. He could fuck right off. I didn’t need his support. I didn’t need a damn thing from him.
“Tell them, please tell them,” Lizzie cried out, staggering toward Gibsie of all people. “You know.” She dropped to her knees in front of him and grabbed his hands. “I know you know, Gibs. I helped you. I did. I helped you, and now you have to helpme.”
“I…” Looking deathly pale, Gibsie shook his head. “Ican’t.”
“Yes, you can!” Lizzie screamed, banging her fist on his chest. “You know! You do, you do!”
I moved to go to Liz, but my dad dragged me back, and this time, he wouldn’t let go.
“Leave my son out of your lies,” Sadhbh screamed, grabbing ahold of her son and dragging him away from both Lizzie and my sister. “Don’t you dare try to fill his head with your poison, you wicked, evil, little girl.”
“Don’t cry.” Dropping to her knees, Claire threw her arms around Lizzie and hugged her tight. “Shh, please stop screaming.”
I didn’t think Lizcouldstop.
The feral screams escaping her were the result of seven days of grief, pain, and anger finally bursting to the surface.
“What’s going on here?” a Garda demanded, while three more arrived on the scene, along with the paramedics. The grown-upsimmediately jumped into action, fighting and arguing to have the first word.
“I thought you were my friend,” Lizzie cried, looking more broken in this moment than I’d ever seen her as she stared at Gibsie, who was standing with his family. “You’re supposed to be myfriend.”
“Iamyour friend.” Gibsie was crying as his mother ushered him back to where Mark and Keith were standing. “I am, Liz, I promise.”
“Thentellthem what you told my sister,” she begged, still on her hands and knees whilemysister held her. “Tell them he killed my sister!”
“He can’t because Ididn’tdo anything to your sister!” Mark roared, clamping a hand down on Gibsie’s shoulder. “I’m innocent and my brother knows that. Don’t you, Gibs?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Gibsie sobbed, crying as hard as Lizzie now. “I’m sorry, Liz, I wasn’t there.”
Lizzie released one more gut-wrenching sob before looking Gibs right in the eyes and saying, “Don’teverspeak to me again.”
It was at that exact moment I came to the sudden realization that nothing would ever be the same.
PART 15
The Great Divide
FLASHBACKS AND FLEETING MEMORIES
Lizzie
MAY 2, 2000
“GET AWAY FROM ME!”
“You’re not leaving!”
“No, because you’re the one leaving. Get out of my house!”
