Haunted

p r o m i s e

✫ ༒ Joey ༒ ✫

It was past nine in the morning when I was finally released from the Garda station. They had given me several warnings of what was to come at the end of the month. I'd be eighteen and I'd be charged as an adult.

I walked through the station, thankful to be getting the fuck out of here, but I stopped in my tracks once I was outside, because my eyes landed on a familiar brunette.

"Gabriella?" I felt myself swell with concern, "Did you stay here all night?"

She sprung up from the stone steps and wrapped her arms around my neck,  "No, are you insane? I got here at half seven. Now shut up and hold me."

I pulled her against me and let my hands rest on her hips.

"You've got some explaining to do, Joey Lynch," She mumbled into my shoulder, "I've been worried sick."

"Everything's fine," I slung my arm around her shoulders and led her away from the station,  "Stop worrying."

"Stop worrying? Seriously, Joe? You just got arrested for something that you shouldn't have been arrested for!" She huffed angrily, "Tell me what happened."

I could just feed her the same lies I told the Gards but there was something about her—the respect and feelings I had for her—that made me give her the truth.

"He walked out on Mam a couple of weeks ago for some barmaid from town that she caught him messing around with," I explained, feeling afraid of how easy it was to be truthful with her.

I was never truthful with anyone.

Only her.

"Mam was a mess when he left and took to her bed," I grimaced, "That was the family shit I told you I was dealing with." I shrugged and added, "I couldn't leave Sean on his own with her. Not when I couldn't be sure that she would feed him. So I took a few days off to hold the fort at home, while my mam processed whatever the hell it was that she needed to process."

"What about last night?"

"Last night, Dad decided he'd had enough of his barmaid and came back, laying down the law and stinking of whiskey," I felt myself stiffen at the memory, "And it got messy."

"How so?"

Messy like mam had finally gotten out of bed that day and made the near-fatal mistake of telling him to turn around and leave.

"He beat my mother," I forced out, "So I beat him."

"Oh my god, Joe," She grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.

Back to the hand holding.

It was weird because I liked when she did it, and that was nothing like me.

"I didn't even know he'd come back. I was upstairs in my room when I heard her screaming my name, so I came running. I was halfway down the staircase when I saw him slap my sister across the face for trying to pull him off our mother. You've seen how small she is. Shan went down like a sack of spuds. So I lost my head, went for him..." Shrugging I added, "And here we are."

"Oh, Joey," Her other hand went to my face, "Your face, it's all smashed up."

"I didn't come out the worst," I assured her.

And it was the truth. It was the one good thing about this fucked up mess. For once in my life I had gotten the better of him. He was lucky the neighbors called the Gards or else I'd be facing murder charges.

"What did the Gards say?" Gabby asked.

"Just the usual slap on the wrist and a warning. They called in an emergency social worker and the youth liaison officer. You know, the usual bullshit."

"So, you won't be going to jail?" She confirmed, her eyes a mix of concern and relief.

"No, it's grand. I'm used to the social workers coming around."

"You told them what happened? Right, Joe?" She asked, "Because this can't keep happening."

I didn't answer, because my answer wasn't the one she wanted to hear.

"Joey! Oh my god, you didn't tell them?!" She shouted, stepping away from me.

No, Because I can't!

"This is none of your business, Gray!"

"It is! You are my business, you eejit!"

"It's okay," I tried to calm her, "It's going to be fine. They'll write up the usual reports, send the usual people around for a home check, and Mam will feed them the usual drivel. Then in a few weeks, it will all be brushed under the table."

"How? How can this just be brushed under the table? Your father broke your nose. He hit your sister and your Mam! You can't just brush it under the table," She was sobbing, "this isn't normal, Joe. You don't deserve this. So how will it be fine?"

"Just trust me," I snapped, "Fuck."

"No, because it's not okay, and it's not fine," She shouted, taking a step towards the station, "You can't cover for him. Your parents are using you, they know you won't say anything but you have to. Joey, you have to tell! You didn't start this and I won't let the Gards think you did!"

"Gabriella," My walls closed around me, "If you tell, I swear I will never speak to you again."

"I'm trying to do the right thing," She yelled, "That's not a crime."

"You said you wouldn't tell!" I reminded her, "You can't break that promise."

"Well, you've got the wrong girl if you think I'm just going to sit back and watch you get the life beaten out of you," She sniffled, "I don't want you or any of your siblings getting hurt."

"Just don't fucking tell, Gray," I hissed.

"Fine!" She yelled, "I won't, I'll be a bystander in this fucked up shit."

"This fucked up shit is my life," I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest.

She sucked in a breath and nodded, "Joey, I'm really sorry. I won't tell, but just know I'm terrified. What if one day, I show up to your house and you aren't breathing? How will I live knowing I could've stopped it."

"That won't happen," I shook my head, "Just please, you promised me."

"Yeah, I did," She nodded, swallowing hard. She pressed a kiss to my lips and walked backwards towards the road, "I'm going to go now. I'll see you around, Joe."

"See ya, Gray," I frowned, ignoring the coldness that washed over me at the sight of her leaving.

Without Gabriella, I had nothing.

No one cared about me like she did.

So, when I pulled out my phone and texted Shane, it made me feel even worse.

Because Gabriella was going to be dragged down with me.