Page 42 of Finding Him
I’m a goner. That’s it. Completely underwater.
Or maybe floating to the surface for a change.
16
The Sister Trap
Molly
September, 2007
WINNING ALWAYS FEELSgreat, but it’s never felt as great as this.
I’m not sure which part is making my cheeks flush an embarrassing shade of red—the joy of winning my first official game (2–0, and I got the first goal), or the phantom feeling of Niall lifting me off the ground and spinning me in a dizzying circle.
I’m not sure what came over me when I launched myself into his arms. I mean, I’ve never been a touchy person by any means, but I didn't even have a second thought until after he set me back down on the turf.
“And then—hic—the ball is coming in, right? And Joey, he just... he becomes the Matrix! He’s bending space-time! It is beautiful, lads. I nearly weep.”
I’ve been goaded into coming to the team’s post-game celebration at Mulligan’s. None of us really should be drinking, but somehow JJ has gotten his hands on a pint or two, which is why he is alternating between recounting game highlights and recounting the plot of Finding Nemo.
“His Mam is gonna kill him,” Gerard cackles, sipping his soda through a straw. The five of us—Niall, Joey, JJ, Gerard, and I—are packed into a booth in the far corner, close to the one we eat lunch at. Finn and Maxwell go home with their mom after the game, and Niall promises he’ll drive me home if I come with them to celebrate.
Mom is out in Dublin tonight, again, and Lorraine is at a sleepover with one of her ballet friends. So I don’t really mind spending a little extra time out.
“I think we better get going,” Joey checks the time on his phone. “It’s nearly eleven already. Ger, help me get this wanker into the truck, will ya?”
“Will do,” Gerard says, grabbing JJ’s arm and hauling him upward. JJ lets out a wail of protest. “You can drop us both off at mine, I’ll text Auntie Ro.”
Niall and I follow them out to the parking lot, tearing off and going our own way to Niall’s car. Niall opens the door for me, before rounding the front and getting in. He doesn’t start the car right away.
“Is your Mam home tonight?”
I shake my head. “She’s working. And Lorraine’s at a sleepover.”
He nods, finally starting up the car and putting it into gear. “Ya up for a detour?”
??` ?? ?´?
“BEEN HERE YET?”
I shake my head, clutching the sides of the seat as Niall navigates the gravel lot. I know the water is nearby and there’s a beach part, further down the road off my house, but I haven’t explored this stretch.
The wind is whipping the tall, marram grass at the beach’s edge. The moon is only half-full, casting a silver light across the dark waves. It is beautiful in a way that feels lonely.
“There’s some small docks further down if you walk,” Niall says, before getting out of the car. I follow.
It is freezing, but Niall doesn’t seem to notice. He’s just wearing his Saints hoodie, hands stuffed in his pockets, his head tilted back as if he is trying to read something written in the stars.
We reach a small, weathered wooden dock that stretches out over the water. It looks ancient, the wood silvered by salt water and time. Niall hops onto it effortlessly, then turns, offering me his hand. I hesitate. Just for a heartbeat. My brain screams danger, but my heart... my heart is already gone. I reach out and let him pull me up. His grip is firm, but his touch is surprisingly gentle, his fingers lingering against my palm just long enough to ensure I am steady before he lets go.
“So,” I say, my voice sounding thin against the crash of the waves, “you always bring girls out to the water after games? It’s a bit serial-killer esque, if you ask me.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “No. Just sometimes—I come here when I need to think... look at the stars and stuff. Alone.”
“So I’m third-wheeling on you and your mind?” I say, sitting down on the edge of the dock, letting my feet dangle above the dark, swirling water. Niall sits beside me, close enough that our arms brush when he does.
“He drowned,” Niall says out of the blue, staring straight ahead at the water.
