AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Have you thought of… Oh I don’t know… Just apologising?” I suggested.
Sinéad looked at me in disdain. “So what, I’m just meant to go back through there, say, ‘Hi Finn, sorry for bein’ a complete cunt,’ and that’ll fix everything, yeah?”
Now it was my turn to shrug. “Definitely worth a shot I’d say, as long as you understand that the apology is only the start of the process and not the end; it has to be where you lay your marker for the beginning of the change in your actions.”
“Yeah, but what if he doesn’t want to forgive me?” Sinéad asked.
“Your brother is the most magnanimous individual that I’ve ever met,” I replied. “My guess is that he won’t even consider that there’s anything to forgive. He’s particularly sickening like that.”
“Yeah, but what if you’re wrong?”
“In that unlikely scenario,” I said, “We regroup and try another tactic. It might take a little longer, but whatever happens, we get you somewhere safe to work it all out.”
Sinéad shook her head. “Jesus, don’t you ever give up?”
I met her gaze. “No, absolutely not. And also, thank you for upholding your part of the bargain.”
Sinéad frowned. “What?”
“Our agreement. I’m finished. Here, this is yours.” I pushed the ragged piece of paper across the table to her and she picked it up as indifferently as she could possibly manage.
However, as I’d hoped the second she caught sight of her portrait, all traces of Sinéad’s nonchalance vanished. “Oh! Oh wow. That’s, I mean - fuck - do I really look like that?”
“Pretty much, yes,” I said. “One of the reasons I’ve become sickeningly rich is that I’m very good indeed at seeing someone’s best self. It’s amazing what happens when you take away the grief, anger and bad bleach job, isn’t it?”
“Ah come on!” Sinéad subconsciously touched the dry ends of her hair. “It’s not that bad,” she muttered.
“Oh hell, yes it is. It’s actually appalling,” I countered. “What on earth did you use?”
Sinéad blushed. “My mate Ellie did it with her mam’s Domestos,” she confessed.
“Yeah, that would do it,” I said, trying – and failing – to suppress my laughter.
For a second Sinéad glared at me and I wondered if perhaps I’d just pushed her too far, but then she too gave a spluttering laugh despite herself. “Aw fuck right off! We don’t all have the odd million to throw into our personal grooming fund, you know?”
“That much is obvious,” I agreed. “Fortunately I have an excellent hairdresser in Santa Marita who just loves a challenge.”
“Jesus but you’re fuckin’ ruthless, lady,” Sinéad said, shaking her head, but I noticed the care with which she rolled up her portrait. To my relief I had a feeling it would never see an auction site.
I checked my watch. “Well, as much as I’d like to keep chatting, the Rossmont’s car will be here any moment.”
Sinéad stared at me in panic. “God, I don’t know what to do!” she half-sobbed, and all trace of the furious, ballsy teenager I’d first met vanished to leave the fragile and terrified child that she truly was.
“Oh yes you do,” I said.
Finn
From the moment Lilith took Sinéad into the lounge I had started to run every possible outcome of their talk and none of them had been good, so I wasn’t surprised when the bar-room door swung open with such force that the handle slammed into the wall and gouged out a chunk of plaster which fell to the ground in a little cloud of dust.
“Oops shit! Too hard!” Sinéad turned to the glowering barman. “Sorry about your wall, mister,” she said over her shoulder, then as he was about to say something to her she added, “Jesus, I mean it’s not like you’d notice the damage in this shit-pit.though, is it?” Then she hurtled towards me and I braced for whatever fresh outburst was on its way. Instead, she threw herself into my arms, and began to sob as if her heart were about to break.
I instinctively pulled her into a hug and held her tight, still half-expecting her to deck me any second, but to my joy she hugged me back even harder. “You left us, Finn! You fucked off without saying anything to me, not even goodbye, and we didn’t even know if you were alive for months! Do you know how fuckin’ scary that was?”
“I know, sweetheart, and I’m so sorry-” I began, but Sinéad pulled back a little so she could punch me in the arm hard enough to make me wince.
“Why are you saying sorry? You don’t need to say sorry, you massive tool! I’m apologising to you, for fuck’s sake, you bellend!” She glared at me with utter fury. “And why have you stopped hugging me?”
I decided it was wisest not to attempt another apology and just let her nestle back under my arm whilst I gently patted her back as I’d done countless times when she was tiny, but that just made her cry harder.
