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“Everyone,” Claire repeated, voice rising.
“Jesus.” Scrubbing his face with his hands, Hugh leaned against the wall at his back and exhaled a shaky breath. “If you’re talking about me here, Claire, then yeah, I know how this looks,” he told his sister. “But you need to trust me.”
“Trust you?” Claire sneered. “Oh, please. There’s nothing trustworthy about skulking around in dark rooms with your ex, Hugh.” Turning her attention back to Lizzie, she narrowed her eyes in warning. “I don’t care what you do with Pierce, or my brother, or Patrick, or any other boy in this town, but you keep my boy’s name out of your mouth.” She raised a trembling finger in warning. “I mean it, Liz. If you have ever valued me as a friend, you will stop with this tirade of abuse, because I’m not fucking around anymore. I’ve had enough of it!”
“Cut the bullshit, Claire,” Lizzie snapped, unwilling to back down or even bend slightly. “You were never my friend.”
“Yes, I was,” Claire replied in a deathly cold tone. “Once upon a time.”
“Once upon a time.” Lizzie shrugged. “Past tense?”
“That’s right,” Claire surprised the hell out of me by saying. “Past tense, Liz.”
“So, you’re finally admitting that you’re picking him over me?”
“Absolutely,” Claire replied with a hint of hesitation.
Whoa.
“Did someone change the venue without telling the rest of us?” Feely asked when he strolled into the room moments later with the rest of the gang in tow. “Thanks a bunch for deserting us, lads,” he added, oblivious to the drama unfolding around him. “Really appreciate it.”
“Jesus, I’m starving,” Joey stated, making a beeline for the kitchen area.
“Me, too, Stud,” Aoife agreed, arms linked with Katie. “I’d do terrible things for a toasted sandwich right about now.”
“Is everyone okay?” Shannon asked, casting a nervous glance in Claire’s direction. “Claire?” She took a step toward her friend. “Are you okay?”
“No, Shannon,” my girlfriend bit out, attention still riveted on Lizzie. “I’m not okay. I’m not okay at all, and if she doesn’t stop talking shit about my boyfriend, I am going to lose my fucking mind!”
Double whoa.
Claire rarely used the serious bad words.
It just wasn’t in her nature.
“Why are you trying to pick a fight with me, Claire?” Lizzie argued, voice cracking. “What have I ever done to you?”
“To me or for me, Liz?” Claire shot back. “Because from where I’ve been standing this past year, it’s been a whole lot of the former and not much of the latter.”
“You know I can’t be around you when you’re with him,” she choked out, holding a hand up. “I told you that months ago, but you still decided to be with him.”
“Because I’m in love with him!” Claire declared hotly. “Because he’s been my best friend since forever!”
“And what have I been,” Lizzie strangled out. “Dog shit?”
“You were a good friend for a long time,” Claire admitted without a hint of hesitation. “But you haven’t been a good friend since Caoimhe died.”
“Since Caoimhe died?” Lizzie repeated, turning a deep shade of red. “You mean since his piece-of-shit brother drove her to suicide? Gee, Claire, I’m so sorry if you’ve been feeling neglected, but some of us have actual problems to deal with. Real ones that are a lot more serious than chasing butterflies or playing house with a litter of kittens!”
“None of what happened to your sister is Gerard’s fault,” Claire erupted. “And I am done sitting back and letting you throw shit at him. Do you hear me? I am done. So, if that means picking sides and losing friends, then I will gladly pick his side and I will gladly lose your friendship.”
“It’s all his fault,” she screamed. “His brother killed my sister.”
“Your sister killed herself!”
“Whoa!”
“Girls, just pull back a second and breathe, yeah?”
