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I stared across the tree house at him for a long moment before a reluctant smile pulled at my lips. “You’d be a fucking terrible counselor, Gibs.”

“You’re smiling, aren’t ya?” he shot back, giving me a lopsided grin.

“Very true,” Feely mused from the ground, hammer in hand. “Do you need this?”

“That depends,” Gibsie replied, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “Am I going to have to hammer some sense into you, Johnny?”

I shook my head in defeat. “No, you already did that, lad.”

“Good.” Gibsie nodded in approval. “And here’s another thing that’s going to happen.” Swinging down from a branch, he landed on his feet and stretched before turning back to look up at me. “We’re going to finish this tree house. We’re going to make it the best fucking revamp imaginable and put a smile back on those boys’ faces. And then we’re going to train, becauseyouare going to be ready for those Irish coaches tomorrow morning.”

“Gibs.” I shook my head. “I can’t go now—”

“You are fucking going, Johnny Kavanagh,” he said, cutting me off, “if I have to strap you to my back and take you there myself! This is your future, and you’re not throwing it away. No goddamn way in hell am I letting that happen.”

“Jesus,” I muttered, rubbing my jaw. “When did you get so bossy?”

Gibsie shrugged. “Sometimes Robin has to take the lead.”

“Robin?” Hughie laughed. “Did you seriously just refer to yourself as Robin?”

“So, Cap’s Batman and you’re Robin?” Feely mused. “Hmm. Makes sense.”

“You’re so fucked in the head,” Hughie snickered.

“Could be worse,” Gibsie shot back with a grin. “We could be like you two.”

“Oh yeah?” Hughie taunted. “And how’s that?”

“Yeah,” Gibsie agreed, smirking. “Bebop and Rocksteady.”

“I’m not BeboporRocksteady!” Hughie huffed, looking offended. “If I’m anything, I’m Robin!”

“Uh-huh.” Gibsie snickered. “And you say I’m fucked in the head? Yeah,okay, Bebop.”

“That makes no sense,” Hughie argued. “They’re from two completely different cartoons.”

“Exactly,” Gibsie drawled. “Just like we’re on two completely different levels.” Grinning, he held his hand over his head and said, “I’m up here with your sister, and you’re”—he dropped his hand to his waist—“all the way down here…”

“Feely, give me the hammer,” Hughie snarled as he stalked toward Gibsie. “I’m going to bury this fucker, once and for all.”

70

I See You

Shannon

“Nanny is downstairs with Darren,” I whispered, sitting on the edge of Joey’s bed, stroking his clammy forehead. “Do you want to go down and see her?”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he just continued to tremble and clutch the pillow he had pressed to his stomach. At least he wasn’t vomiting anymore. To be honest, I didn’t think there was anything left inside of him to throw up. His eyes were vacant, hollow green orbs in his head. Nothing seemed to be happening.

“Joe?”

Silence.

“Please talk to me,” I begged, brushing his blond hair out of his eyes.

Nothing.

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