AOIFE
TEARS.
I couldn’t stop them from falling.
It was ridiculous because I’d always thought of myself as a strong girl, but lately, all I seemed to do was cry.
And lie.
Oh yeah, I seemed to be doing a whole heap of lying these days.
When I arrived at the maternity hospital earlier, I’d lied through my teeth and told the admissions nurse in the A&E that a car had backed into mine and I needed to get checked out.
I mean, seriously?
Too worked up to think straight, I’d sat in the waiting room all alone bawling my eyes out while I waited to be called in for an ultrasound. The one that assured me what Joey had; everything was fine with the baby.
Knowing that I couldn’t go home in my current state, I somehow made it to Casey’s flat feeling overwhelmed with regret and disappointment in myself. The minute she opened the flat door, I barreled into my best friend’s arms, crying hard and ugly. “They arrested him.”
The text message I’d received from Shannon had confirmed it.
“Oh shit, what did he do this time?” Casey spluttered in surprise, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me inside. “Wait –we are talking about Joey here, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, Case,” I choked out, chest heaving. “Obviously.”
“Obviously,” she agreed, walking us over to the couch. “Okay, you sit and start explaining, and I’ll boil the kettle.”
“I don’t want you to make tea,” I cried, dropping my head in my hands. “I want you to help me get him out.”
“Of jail?” Her brows shot up. “How?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t just leave him there.”
“How about you explain why he’s there in the first place and then we can make a plan.”
Sucking in a shuddering breath, word for word I delved right into the day’s events at Tommen, leaving no stone unturned.
“Come on, Aoif, this is Joey we’re talking about,” Casey tried to coax once I was finished regaling her with my tale of woe. “He’s like a cat with nine lives. He’ll get a slap on the wrist and be out in no time.”
“No.” Sniffling, I shook my head. “You don’t get it. He’s over eighteen now.”
“Shit, you’re right,” my best friend agreed, flopping down on the couch beside me. “The Gards in this town have been dreaming about this day. They’re going to throw the book at him.”
“Not helping.”
“Yeah, sorry, I just heard myself out loud.” Slapping her forehead, she twisted sideways on the couch and offered me a supportive hug. ”Listen, I know it’s really fucking scary, but you need to listen to what Joe said.” She squeezed me tighter. “You need to look after that baby.”
“And who’s going to look after Joey?”
