“No, you don’t know, lad. You have no fucking clue what I’ve been through with that girl. I have loved with every fucking beat of heart. I’ve spent my life completely devoted to her.” A hoarse cry ripped from my chest. “How could she do this to me, Gibs?”
“I don’t know, Hugh,” he replied quietly, remaining faithfully by my side. “Maybe she was drunk?”
“Fuck drunk,” I snapped, chest heaving. “I’m drunk, and you don’t see me fucking other girls.”
Gibs was quiet for a long beat before saying, “Maybe she was having some trouble,” he said carefully. “You know, like the trouble she used to have after Caoimhe died?”
“That doesn’t excuse shit,” I cried, feeling truly broken inside. “Because she had a choice, Gibs, and she chose to ruin us.”
PLEASE JUST TAKE HER
Lizzie
NOVEMBER 2, 2003
ICOULDN’T REMEMBER FALLING ASLEEP, BUT CLEARLYIDID, BECAUSE WHENIOPENEDmy eyes, it was Sunday morning and I was alone in Hugh’s bed.
I fell out of bed fully clothed and hurried downstairs and out the front door with only one thing on my mind.
Trembling violently when I crossed the street, I forced my feet up the driveway and knocked on Thor’s door. Prickling with anger, I resisted the urge to kick and slap the timber frame while I waited impatiently for them to answer.
When Thor opened the door, he didn’t speak. Instead, he turned around and disappeared into his front room.
A few moments later, Hugh appeared in the doorway.
“Hi,” I squeezed out, unable to remain still. “Can we talk?”
Hugh looked me directly in the eyes, holding my gaze for a second or two before swiftly shaking his head. “No. We have nothing to discuss when you’re like this.”
“When I’m like what?” I demanded, throwing my hands up. “What am I doing wrong now?”
“When you’re manic, Liz,” he replied. “If you want to talk to me, go and get better first.”
“Hugh, please.” Feeling desperate and irritated, I reached for his hand only to be rejected. “If you just give me five minutes to explain.”
“I don’t need your explanation.” Folding his arms across his chest, he looked down at me with an empty expression. “Like I said: go home and get better.”
“I don’t know why I did it,” I heard myself admit, knowing that I had a whole lot more I needed to say if I had any chance of fixing this but struggling to get my pride to lower. “It was…crazy.” Shaking my head, I reached for him again and then blanched when he stepped away. “I don’t even like Pierce.”
The laugh that escaped my lips was all wrong, wrong, wrong.
I needed to show him how sorry I was, and instead I was laughing.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
Jesus.
“Just go home,” he told me, moving to close the door.
“Hey!” Feeling irrationally furious that he wasn’t letting me explain, I slammed my hand on the door to block him. “I’m not leaving until we talk.”
“You’re not leaving until we talk,” he repeated in a cold tone. “Okay, Liz.” Hugh stepped outside and closed the door after him. I followed him across the street to his house. “Let’s talk.”
Following him inside, I watched as he pulled his phone out, tapped a few buttons, and pressed it to his ear. “Yeah, it’s Hugh. Listen, I have somewhere to be, and I need you to pick Liz up as soon as you can.” He kept his back to me as he spoke. “You can be here in fifteen minutes? Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks, Catherine. Yeah, bye.”
“I’m not leaving,” I strangled out when he turned around to face me. “I’m not, Hugh.” Tears filled my eyes. “Please!”
“You’re not staying,” he told me flatly. “Your mam will be here in fifteen minutes, so get whatever you need to say off your chest.”
