AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nothing.
I couldn’t change what I’d done.
I also couldn’t change the fact that every word he was speaking was the absolute truth.
I did spiral out of control, I did lose myself, and I did take his daughter down with me.
“You dropped off the face of the planet for months. You left her on her own to clean up your bloody mess, Joey. Yours. And now you’re back? For how long?”
“For good,” I offered, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “I’m staying.”
“You’re staying,” he repeated, tone laced with pain. “Can you do that, Joey? Can you stay?”
“Yeah, Tony, I can stay,” I replied, full of emotion. “I won’t leave her again.”
“I hear you’re heading to that fancy private school?” He sounded utterly disgusted. “Isn’t it nice for some? To get such a prestigious second chance. Meanwhile, my daughter loses everything.”
Again, I absorbed his anger, knowing full well that I had a huge role in his daughter failing her leaving cert. “I accepted the place at Tommen so I could get back to her,” I heard myself say. “I’d gladly give it up if it meant that she could take my place instead, Tony. You have to know that.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore,” he snapped, rubbing his jaw. “Right now, all I’m thinking is that I wished you’d never come back here.”
“Well, I am back.”
“You don’t realize what you did to her,” he tossed out. “How badly you hurt my daughter. If you did, you’d leave her alone and let me take care of my family.”
“I can’t do that,” I replied, desperately trying to keep the head. “Because your family is my family, too.”
“She’s my child.”
“And she’s the mother of my child,” I countered hotly. “I can’t walk away from her, Tony. That’s my baby she’s carrying.”
“That’s my grandchild, and I’ll be damned if I stand back and let you hurt either one of them again.”
“You can try to keep me from your child, but you won’t be keeping me from mine.”
I moved to leave then, but he reached out a hand and fisted the front of my hoodie. I stood my ground, hands at my sides, and waited for his fist to crush my face. It didn’t come.
“Prove me wrong, Joey.” His voice was thick with emotion as he roughly pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. “Prove me wrong, son.”
“Don’t worry, Tony.” Swallowing harshly I hugged him back just as tightly. “I will.”
______________________
An hour later, and still furious with the world and everyone in it, I folded my arms behind my head and lay on the ground beside the small wooden crucifix, staring up at a cloudless summer’s sky. “Are you up there?” I asked and then mentally kicked myself. “Fuck, what am I saying? You’re probably with him.”
Death was all around me, peaceful and still, and I was momentarily jealous.
The sun shone bright, and it felt like I was seeing it clearly for the first time in years.
What now?
What the fuck was I supposed to do now?
Go back and argue some more with Tony?
Drop to my knees and apologize?
Snatch Molloy up and steal her away?
