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“Don’t you dare, Gibs,” Lizzie hissed, eyes narrowed, as she continued to shove at Gibsie, pushing him backwards. “Don’t you fuckingdarebring that up!”

“Guys, come away from the bank,” Claire ordered in a worried tone. “You’re going to fall into the river.”

“Why not?” Gibsie demanded, backing away from Lizzie and moving precariously close to the edge of the riverbank. “You clearly have a huge one with me, so why don’t you just get it off your chest?” he taunted. “Once and for all.”

Panicked, I looked around for Johnny but he was gone back to the car park to collect the last of our things with Hughie.

“Just stay back,” Katie whispered in my ear, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Those two are like a volcano that’s been waiting to erupt for years.” Sighing, she added, “And you don’t need to be near it when it happens, Shan.”

“Whoa,” Feely called out, sprinting out of his and Gibsie’s tent and moving toward them. “Let’s just take it back a notch, everyone—”

“You know what he did toher,” Lizzie snarled. “You know what he cost me!”

“I’m nothim!” Gibsie roared at the top of his lungs, throwing his hands up in the air. “I had nothing to do with that!”

“What the hell is going on?” Johnny and Hughie demanded in unison as they jogged through the tree line toward the camp. “Hey—stop it, the pair of ye!”

“Gibs, get away from the water—” Hughie started to call out, but his voice was drowned out by Lizzie’s high-pitched scream.

“He’s your family!” Lizzie screamed and then shoved at Gibsie’s chest. “And you’re just like him!” Like a scene from a horror movie, I watched as Lizzie shoved Gibsie again, causing him to tumble over the edge of the bank.

The moment Gibsie fell into the water, all hell broke loose.

“Oh my god, he’s drowning!”

“Get him out!”

“Gibs, hold on, lad!”

Panicked, I moved to jump in after him, but I couldn’t because I didn’t know how toswim. With my heart in my mouth, I watched as he completely froze up in the water, eyes wide and full of terror, before he started to sink like a stone. He didn’t even flail or flap around. He justfroze.

Johnny, Hughie, and Feely all ran past me then, jumping into the river after him.

“Gerard!” Claire screamed, rushing toward the bank. “Gerard!”

“I’m sorry,” Lizzie choked out, looking like she was in shock. “I didn’t mean—”

“Why would you do that to him, Lizzie?” Claire began to scream. And then she did something I never expected her to do. SheslappedLizzie across the face. “He’s afraid of water, you heartless bitch,” Claire continued to scream. “And you know he is.”

Lizzie shook her head, looking like she was in the first stage of shock. “I didn’t mean, I didn’t… I swear—”

“You’re okay, buddy,” Hughie coaxed, holding Gibsie’s pale face in between his hands and out of the water, as Johnny swam back toward the bank with Gibsie’s trembling frame slung over his shoulder. “We’ve got you,” Hughie continued to say in a soothing tone, treading water as Feely hauled himself back onto the riverbank. “We’re right here. You’re with us, okay? You’re not back there. That’s it. Good job, lad. Just keep nice and calm…”

“Have you got him?” Johnny demanded, breathing hard, as he thrust Gibsie’s limp body toward Feely who was lying on his stomach, leaning over the edge of the bank with his arms stretched out to take their friend. “Don’t let him go, Pa—”

“I have him, Cap,” Feely replied, grabbing Gibsie under the arms. “I won’t let you go, buddy.”

Gibsie looked like a frightened little boy, frozen in shock, as Feely hauled him out of the water and onto the muddy bank. He collapsed on his hands and knees at the edge, and the sounds that were coming from his throat were gut-wrenching. It was almost like the keening noise of a wounded animal.

“Good man,” Feely panted, dropping down beside Gibsie and placing a hand on his back. “Shh, you’re safe.”

Johnny hauled himself out of the water next, followed swiftly by Hugh, and then all three of the boys were kneeling beside Gibsie, whispering words I couldn’t make out.

Frozen to the spot, I watched as Gibsie scrambled away from the riverbank on his hands and knees, not stopping until his back was pressed to the trunk of a nearby tree. He was shaking violently, with his head bowed and his hands clasped loosely around his knees, clearly wrestling to get his breathing under control.

“It’s okay, Gerard,” Claire soothed as she knelt in front of him with a towel in her hand. “Shh…” With aching tenderness, she gently dabbed at his face and hair. “I’m right here with you.” Moving on to his shoulders, she gently dried him off with the towel before wrapping it around his shoulders and cupping his pale face in her hands. “Deep breaths.” Pressing her forehead to his, she stroked his cheeks and whispered, “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Is he okay?” Katie asked, sounding concerned. “Gibs?”

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