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“Yes, really,” I snapped. “I really and truly despise the guy.”
For leaving me on my own in this.
For dropping the burden of responsibility on my shoulders when we should be sharing the load.
For snatching my future away from me when he walked out the door.
“I don’t.” She eyed me nervously. “Hate Darren, that is. I’m still hurt that he left and never came back—"
“He didn’t just not come back,” I interrupted, feeling my temper rise at the memory. “He didn’t pick up the phone, either. Not once in half a decade.”
“But I still don’t hate him. I could never hate any of my brothers.” She nudged my knee with her foot before adding, “And especially not my favorite brother.”
I rolled my eyes. “Kiss ass.”
“It was a good month though, huh?” she said with a small smile. “When Dad left that Christmas – I mean, aside from Mam’s broken arm, and your broken nose, that is.”
“You can chalk that down,” I shot back. “It was the first Christmas we had with Mam that I can remember her actually beingpresent.”
“Me too,” Shannon agreed. “She was so alive that Christmas.” Her eyes lit up as she thought back. “Remember how much fun we had when she took us out singing The Wren on St. Stephen’s Day?” Giggling, she added, “She brought us around from door to door, and pub to pub, singing our hearts out. We made so much money, Joe, remember?”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Only because I persuaded her to swallow her pride and let us do it.”
“You did?”
“Yeah,” I replied flatly. “Dad had fucked off with all of our money, she wasn’t getting paid for another fortnight, and her precious Darren was too busy studying for his exams to get a job.” Shrugging, I added, “We needed something to get us by. Ollie needed nappies, and there wasn’t a scrap of food in the press when he left.”
“Really?” Shannon squeezed out. “So, that’s why you got that job with Tony Molloy that Christmas? Because we didn’t have any money?”
I shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“Wow.” She blew out a breath. “I never knew that.”
“There’s a lot you never knew, Shan,” I muttered, taking another sip of tea. “Be glad.”
“I am,” she hurried to assure me. “I am glad, Joe – and grateful. Darren might have been the academic son, but you’re the survivor.” She reached across the couch and squeezed my shoulder with her small hand. “Which is how Iknowthat you are going to be okay.” She gave me a meaningful look and whispered the words, “I promise.”
A small knock sounded on the front door then, and I quickly sprang to my feet, thankful for the break in conversation.
It was getting too deep, and I couldn’t handle heavy right now.
“Who is it?” Shannon called after me, when I had barely made it to the hallway.
“Maybe if you give me a chance to answer it, I can tell you,” I replied dryly, as I turned the key in the lock and swung the door inwards.
The minute my eyes landed on her face, I felt like the air that been knocked clean out of my lungs.
Fuck.
With her arms wrapped around herself protectively, Molloy stood at my front door, looking more broken and more beautiful than I’d ever seen her look in the six years I’d known her.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi.” Ignoring my sister as she called out from the sitting room, I managed to string enough words together to ask, “Are you okay?”
The dark circles under her puffy eyes assured me that she wasn’t.
With her teeth chattering, I watched as she started to nod before abruptly stopping and shaking her head instead. “Can we talk?”
