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My heart plummeted.
“He’s in bad shape,” she added, and I tightened my hold on the small boy on my lap, feeling like I had a connection to my boyfriend for the first time in days. “He’s hardly spoken a word since the night of the fire.”
“Jesus,” my father muttered, scrubbing his face with his oil-stained hand. “Poor lad.”
“He hasn’t eaten a single bite either,” she offered, concern evident in both her voice and her features. “To be honest with you, I’m not sure he’s even slept. When he’s not vomiting, he’s staring lifelessly at the wall.”
“I need to see him,” I told her slowly, emphatically, fucking desperately, willing this woman to do the right thing for my boyfriend. “You don’t get it. Darren thinks he knows everything, but he doesn’t have a clue. He doesn’t know a damn thing about his brother, but I do. I know Joey. I can help him. I can get through to him, if you just give me a chance.”
“I agree,” she surprised me by saying. “That’s why I’m here, love.”
My brows shot up in surprise. “You agree?”
Edel nodded. “I wanted to have you over that night. I thought it would be good for Joey to have you with him, but Darren had just lost his mother, too, and I didn’t have the heart to fight with him. He genuinely believed that he was doing the right thing for his brother. He was so adamant that he knew what was best.” She took a sip of coffee before setting the mug back down and saying, “But I have a feeling that the best thing for Joey is sitting in this kitchen.”
Her words.
God, her words meant so much to me in this moment.
They curled around my heart like a warm hug.
“You’ll take me to him?”
She offered me a sad smile and nodded. “You should have never been kept apart in the first place, love. It was an error of judgment on my part, and it will never happen again.”
I was on my feet before she finished her sentence. “I’m ready now.”
“No,” Dad blurted out. “I don’t want her to go.”
“Tony,” Mam sighed. “Please just—”
“I’m sorry, I know the lad’s in a bad way,” Dad argued, sounding genuinely torn. “And I would share half my heart with him to make him better, I swear I would, but not at the expense of my daughter’s welfare.”
“Tony.”
“Aoife’s over five months pregnant. She needs to be here where she’s safe and not stressed out.”
“I’m going, Dad.”
“Aoife, no, please. Would you just think of yourself for a minute?”
“I’m going, Dad,” I repeated, setting Sean down on his feet. “And there’s nothing you, Darren, or anyone else can say to stop me.”
113
Back to Me, Back to You
AOIFE
Edel Kavanagh’s house was packed to the rafters with people when I stepped over the threshold an hour later with her and Sean.
Armed with an overnight bag filled with prenatal vitamins, spare clothes, and snacks, I followed after the woman who had taken mercy on my poor frazzled emotions, smiling and nodding at anyone who stopped to greet me. It wasn’t until we reached the sitting room and were greeted by Darren that I felt my hackles rise. He was sitting on the couch, tucked under the arm of who I presumed was his boyfriend, Alex, as they spoke quietly to each other.
The minute his eyes landed on me, I felt the shift in the air.
The unwelcome feeling.
“Aoife.”
