“Don’t touch her!” Screaming and snarling, Caoimhe flung herself at him, scratching and tearing at him. “You fucking monster.”
“I’m broken,” he sobbed, trying to pull her body close to his. “I need help, baby, I’m sick.”
“What did you do to her?” she continued to scream, knocking him to the floor. “How long has this been going on?”
“She wanted it, I swear,” he tried to plead, pinning my sister down. “She was always jealous of us. What I have with you.She’s a fucking whore, baby. Your sister led me on. You have no idea what she’s capable of.”
“She’s a child!” Caoimhe snarled, bucking her hips to knock him off her chest. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“You can’t tell anyone, Caoimhe,” he cried, pinning her hands above her head. “Please, baby, please. I’ll kill myself. You don’t want that, do you? Do you want me to die, baby? Because that’s what’ll happen…”
The Gardaí didn’t believe me.
Neither did the grown-ups.
Nobody believed me.
Except Hugh, my mind encouraged,the brave knight believes his lady.
Everyone else thought I was disturbed.
Maybe I was.
They were so sure that I was mistaken that it jarred me.
It shook my resolve.
It made me doubt myself.
DON’T BE HIS FRIEND ANYMORE
Lizzie
MAY 24, 2000
AS THE DAYS TURNED INTO WEEKS, MY SISTER’S MEMORY BEGAN TO SLOWLY DWINDLE. The steady flow of trays of baked goods and home-cooked casseroles that had been delivered daily by our neighbors had come to a stop. As had the arrival of well-wishers at the front door.
Today was her one-month anniversary and nobody had bothered to turn up to the house. In a way, I was relieved because I didn’t think I could shake another stranger’s hand without losing what was left of my sanity—and I really didn’t have much to spare at this point in time.
The only consistent figure that continued to visit was the boy whose hand was holding mine.
Hugh was the only person who kept coming, and to me, his presence meant more than the entire community of Ballylaggin. The whole town could stay away forever if it meant I got to keep him.
If it meant this boy stayed.
“Where’s your dad?” Hugh asked, distracting me from my thoughts. “I didn’t see his car outside.”
“Oh, I think he went to work,” I mumbled, tucking my hair behind my ears as I watched him move around my bedroom, folding clothes and tidying up. “Yeah, I think that’s what he told me.”
“When did he leave?”
“This morning.”I think. “Mam’s in her room.” Like he needed me to tell him that. We could both hear the crying coming from downstairs.
“Can I take you out today?”
I shook my head, recoiling against the pillows at my back at the thought. “Not today.”
He turned to look at me, brown eyes warm and full of understanding. “Don’t panic, Liz. I’m never going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
