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“I’ll kiss you later in our tent,” she called out, blowing a kiss at me before legging it down the hallway. “Love you!”

“Yeah,” I muttered, flopping back onto my mattress. “Love you back.”

76

Camping and Carnage

Shannon

“Cork, Claire?” Hughie scoffed, leaning against the side of his car. “Of all the places in the country we could have gone camping, you choseCork?”

Winking, Johnny gave me a knowing smirk and continued to haul bags out of the boot of his brand-spanking new Audi A4—courtesy of his parents—and pass them to Feely. Hughie had been complaining about our camping destination ever since we left the Kavanagh’s house three hours ago, and I was grateful that I got to ride shotgun in Johnny’s car with him and Feely, and not with the others. Katie was in a mood, Gibsie looked mutinous, and Lizzie was her usual raging self. Hughie and Claire had been fighting since they walked through the door this morning.

The only person who seemed to be himself right now was Feely, and I could never take his measure anyway because he was always so quiet. Something was going on—something that had nothing to do with where we were staying tonight—and it was depressing, because today was Johnny’s birthday. He was leaving on Friday. We had two days left together and our friends were fighting.

“It’s a lovely place,” Claire said with a heavy sigh. “It has a river and it’s surrounded by a woodland.” Grabbing a selection of green, white, and gold rugby-ball-shaped balloons out of the back of Johnny’s car, she shrugged. “It’s absolutely beautiful here, and I promise we’ll have fun.” Reaching into the back seat, she pulled out two huge red balloons, shaped as the numbersoneandeight. “Just try to be positive.”

“Well, I think it’s great, Claire,” Johnny interjected in a calm tone. “I really appreciate all the effort you went to, so thanks a million.”

“You’re welcome, Johnny,” Claire replied, sounding relieved.

“I agree,” I offered. “This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in my life.”

“You’ve only been out of Cork once,” Lizzie drawled. “For the Dublin match.”

“Twice,” I mumbled, red-faced. “I went to Kerry once when I was small.”

“But you’ve still only been in three places, Shan—”

“For now,” Johnny shot back, giving Lizzie a warning look.

“But this is stillCork, Cap,” Hughie grumbled.

“WestCork,” Gibsie corrected, and there was a hint of warning in his voice as he took a defensive stance in front of Claire. “And fuck right off with your pessimistic attitude,” he added, tucking a slab of Heineken under his arm. “At least your sister had the imagination to think this whole trip up. We’d be sitting in Biddies downing pints and warding off clingers if it wasn’t for her.” Turning to Claire, he said, “Don’t you mind him, babe. You did a great job.” With his free hand, he tugged on her ponytail, forcing her to look up at him. “You keep that head up,” he ordered, tipping her chin with his thumb. “Don’t you dare hide that angel face from the world.”

Claire’s already pink cheeks turned as red as the balloons she was clutching in her hands. “Thanks, Gerard.”

“But we could have goneanywhere,” Hughie complained. “And we’re still in Cork.”

“Say it one more time and I’ll beat the crap out of you,” Gibsie snarled, glaring at Hughie. “You think I’m messing? Keep upsetting her and see what fucking happens—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Feely interjected, stepping between the boys. “None of that shit on Cap’s birthday.” Turning to Gibsie, he added, “Tone down the testosterone. You’re peaking on the crazy with the death threats, Gibs.”

“Hughie’s right,” Lizzie said, throwing her two cents into the mix. “This is a disaster.”

Claire’s eyes filled with tears and she hurried off through the woods in the direction of the camping site, mumbling something about a fly being in her eye.

“Oh my fucking god!” Gibsie roared, clearly livid. “If any of you have a problem with being here, then get back in your cars andleave!” Gesturing behind him to where Claire had hurried off, he added, “Think very carefully about your next move, because if you’re coming, then you’re going to behappy. You’re going tosmile,and you’re going to have a good bastardtime. You’re going to eat the cake, you’re going to sing all the happy fucking birthdays, and you’re going tothankthat girl for spending the last bloody month organizing this trip for your unworthy asses!”

Exhaling heavily, he looked around at us. “We left our heavily pregnant cat at home for this, and Claire’s anxious enough about Cherub without all of you breathing down her neck, so if you upset her again, I will legit take leave of my senses and lose the fucking plot.” Eyes bulging, he added, “Don’t push me, because I’m already halfway there!”

“Alright, lad,” Hughie coaxed, holding his hands up, eyeing Gibsie warily. “You won’t hear any more complaints from me.”

Gibsie nodded stiffly before turning his glare on Lizzie. “Andyou?”

“For Claire’s sake, I’ll suck it up,” Lizzie bit out.

“Good.” Readjusting the slab of beer in his hands, Gibsie said, “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I need to go and find somewhere to take a shit because I’ve been holding one in since we left Ballylaggin—and I had a curry last night, so you can only imagine the pressure I’m under right now.”

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