AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Because it didn’t hurt.
Because I didn’t care.
“Give me a pen,” I managed to say, using every ounce of strength I had left inside of me to lift my head off the table. “I’ll sign.”
“Thank Jesus.”
“You’re doing the right thing, son.”
“Promise me something,” I mumbled.
“Anything, Joey love.”
“I’m so proud of you, Joe.”
Scrawling my name across the page, I released the pen and dropped my head in my hands, feeling like I didn’t have an ounce of life left inside of me. “Promise me you’ll keep her safe from me.”
“Who, Joey love?”
“Molloy.”
112
You Can’t Stop Me
AOIFE
“It’s not right, Tony,” Mam said, setting a fresh mug of hot chocolate down in front of me on Friday evening. “It’s been four days. The girl has a right to see him.”
“Listen, Trish, I’m not arguing with you here. I don’t think it’s right either,” Dad replied, sinking down at the kitchen table beside me. “But he’s their brother. He’s the eldest. Their parents are dead. We have to respect his wishes. Darren’s doing the best he can under the circumstances to keep the family together.”
Four long days had passed since the fire.
Four days in which I had zero contact with Joey.
Four days since my world had fallen apart when I read the words on what could only be described as my boyfriend’s suicide note.
My mind was still reeling.
My heart was in tattered shreds.
All of this I could have handled, if they would just let me see him.
But no, apparently, I wasn’t what Joey needed right now.
According to Darren, I needed to keep my distance and give his brother time to grieve.
Like hell.
Joe wasn’t just grieving.
If they had him holed up in a room somewhere, then he was going through withdrawals.
He was suffering and the fact that I couldn’t get to him made me physically sick.
“Darren is not the patriarch of the Lynch family,” I spat out, feeling my stomach twist up in knots. “He’s a piss-poor substitute for the only parent those children ever had.”
“Their mother—”
