Page 345 of Redeeming 6

Smiling.

Loving.

Warmth.

Light.

That face.

Her face.

Queen.

“No.” I managed to strangle out the words as my heart gunned in my chest. “I don’t want her to…see me like this.”

“Joey love, I’m sure Aoife is very worried.”

“No, Edel. I don’t want her coming anywhere near him.”

So, do you have a name, boy-who-can-think-for-himself?

“Darren love, that’s not your call to make. It’s your brother’s.”

You’re my favorite friend, with my favorite everything.

“Yeah, well, my brother’s not well. He doesn’t need more pressure on his shoulders. Can’t you see he’s already reached his breaking point?”

If I had a packet of Rolos right now, I’d give you my last one.

“What do you think bringing his pregnant girlfriend over will do to him? He needs to focus on himself right now. He can’t do that with her in his face.”

Don’t worry, Peter Pan. I’ll be your Wendy.

“You can’t shut her out, love. She’s having his baby.”

It’s okay. Just concentrate on us.

“Listen, I’m just trying to keep my brother alive here. If that makes me the bad guy, then so be it. I’ll take that title and all the shit that comes with it on the chin for him. Because he can’t do this, Edel. He can’t take another person sucking the life out of him.”

I love you, Joey Lynch.

“Have you ever considered that she might be the one pouring life into him?”

Ride or die, Joe.

“I know what I’m talking about. He can’t cope with her right now. He just watched our mother’s body being dragged from our childhood home! He needs to be in rehab, not playing house with a teenage girl!”

“Darren love, I know your heart is in the right place, but I have to tell you that I think you’re going about this all wrong. Keeping them apart will only backfire on you in the long run.”

“I don’t care! He’s going to rehab. He’s agreed to go, and I’m not going to stand by and allow her to put notions in his head and make him change his mind.”

“This is going to backfire on you.”

“I don’t care. Joe? It’s me, Dar. Can you hear me? I need you to sign these forms for me, okay? I can’t do it for you, buddy. You’re over eighteen. You’ll have to sign yourself in.”

Whoever was sitting to my left reached over and wrapped their arm around my shoulder, and that’s when I knew I was broken.

Because I didn’t flinch.

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