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“Both?”
“Hmm.” Johnny seemed to mull that over before asking, “Do you want to be my best friend?” He shrugged. “Looks like I’m not getting out of this town anytime soon, so I might as well put down some roots.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
“You want me to be your best friend?”
He nodded again, and I could tell from just one interaction with him that he was sharp. This lad was nobody’s fool. He had clearly taken everyone’s measure and, for some strange reason, had decided that I was the best of a bad bunch.
“So, what’s it going to be, Gibs?”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “I’m in.”
“Nice one,” he chuckled. “Now, the first thing we’re going to work on is this phobia of blood.” Smirking, he nudged my shoulder with his. “Because I’ve a feeling there’s an unmerciful beast of a flanker inside you just waiting to come out…”
“Gibs.”
“Come on, Gibs, lad, it’s me.”
“Come back, Gibs. Come on back to me.”
My best friend’s familiar voice filled my ears, and I whipped around to find him standing in the middle of my bedroom with his hands in the air. “Johnny?”
“The one and only.” His tone was soft, coaxing, and laced with approval. “See? I knew you could hear me, fucker.”
Feeling panicked, like I had just been chewed up by one of my night terrors and then spat back out into the real world, I said, “Johnny?”
“It’s me, Gibs.” He took a step closer, hands still raised. “I’m right here, lad.”
I looked around my room, feeling the familiar swell of hysteria rise up as my eyes took in the carnage. I did that. I knew it had to be me. Everything was trashed. My bed. My furniture. My walls? The curtain? “Jesus Christ!”
And my mother? I cast a panicked glance in the direction of my mother. She was standing in my bedroom doorway with her head in her hands. Keith was standing behind her, looking as pale as a ghost.
“That’s it,” Johnny continued to coax but when his voice cracked, I noticed the tears trickling down his cheeks. “Just stay with me, Gibs.”
Why was he saying that?
Why was he crying?
“Why the fuck was I crying?”
“Gerard!” Claire’s voice cut through all of the bullshit and haze, and I turned just in time to find her being held up by her brother.
“What the fucking happening?” I demanded, feeling panicked as everyone stared at me. “What did I do?”
“Nothing, Gibs,” Johnny was the one to answer me, taking another step toward me. “I just…” Pausing, he licked his lips and glanced at my hand before quickly retraining his attention on my face. “Can you hear me?”
“Of course I can hear you!” I snapped. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I hear you?”
His attention shifted to my hand again and that’s when I looked down. “Oh Jesus Christ.”
Blood.
Thick crimson blood was flowing freely from my hand, dripping steadily onto the carpet. The massive shard of broken mirror I was clutching was no doubt the culprit of my bleeding. “Jesus,” I strangled out, immediately tossing the shard away from my body and then heaving when I noticed just how badly drenched in blood my dress shirt was. “I didn’t… I wasn’t…” Shaking my head, I staggered backward, feeling weak from the sight of my head. “I would never hurt any of you.”
“Everyone here knows that, lad,” Johnny agreed, closing the space between us. “You’re a good man. You wouldn’t hurt a fly. So, don’t you worry about that, alright? Because it’s not any of us that we’re worried you’ll hurt, Gibs.”
