Read The Harder They Fall Online
Authors: Debbie McGowan
The Harder They Fall (57 page)
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(Hiding Behind The Couch Books Four and Five)
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“Just what is going on, Sean?”
“Fun, isn’t it?” Sean grinned at him.
Josh breathed out of his nose, hard. “Whatever ‘it’ is, you’re turning it into a bloody circus. Now, if you don’t start talking, and soon, I will start walking.”
“No you won’t.”
“Watch me.” Josh pushed down on the door handle, keeping eye contact with Sean.
“OK, OK,” he said. “I’ll tell you this much.” He paused, trying to decide on the least exciting aspect he could so as to not spoil his great reveal. Josh watched on impatiently. Sean’s lip twitched. Josh opened the door an inch. That was enough.
“Kevin Callaghan, in my learned opinion…” Sean paused again. Josh snarled.
“Security cameras or not, so help me, in a minute I’m going to…”
“Didn’t kill Campion,” Sean finished off quickly.
* * * * *
Andy:
So tomorrow’s the big day!
Charlie:
Yeah.
Andy:
You excited?
Charlie:
A little.
Andy:
Only a little?
Charlie:
A lot. Can’t wait.
00:03
Charlie:
It’s been an awesome two weeks.
Andy:
Agreed! Hope I haven’t been too miserable.
Charlie:
Of course not!
Andy:
I have, haven’t I? Sorry.
Charlie:
Don’t be. You’ve been fun! How are you feeling?
00:08
Charlie:
Andy?
00:09
Charlie:
Still there?
Andy:
Yeah.
Charlie:
OK.
00:11
Charlie:
I shouldn’t have asked.
Andy:
It’s fine.
00:15
Andy:
Don’t want to do it.
Charlie:
I know.
Andy:
Just got to get on with it.
Charlie:
Yeah.
Andy:
Still don’t want to do it.
Charlie:
You crying?
Andy:
My words getting wet?
Charlie:
Wish I could…
Andy:
I know.
00:17
Charlie:
But we’ve had fun, haven’t we?
Andy:
Yeah. My knees are too old for this!
Charlie:
Mine too!
Andy:
Still, gave the old snowboard a good airing.
Charlie:
True. Dry slopes totally suck.
Andy:
Ha. Yeah.
Charlie:
And if you need to talk, ever, you know where I am.
Andy:
Yeah. Thanks.
Charlie:
Promise?
Andy:
Promise.
Charlie:
OK.
00:25
Charlie:
Got to go. It’s late.
Andy:
No worries.
Charlie:
Got to be up in five hours.
Andy:
OK.
00:27
Andy:
Thanks Charlie. Take care.
Charlie:
You too. Night night. Sleep tight. x
Andy:
Night. x
Sometimes I wish I'd known you the way I know your brother, although the fact that I didn’t kind of makes me glad - for myself, at least - for I only have to watch the consequences of what you did from afar.
Many would say that you were a coward; still others would say it was an act of sheer stupidity; your mum says it took courage. I don’t know if it’s any of these things, but I did know once.
If only I could say this to you, in person, now. Would what I say make any difference? To be standing there with you, as you gather the strength to see it through. I'd have to try. I'd have to tell you this:
What you are thinking of doing? It will destroy the people you love, the people who love you. Their lives will NOT go on with or without you. They will NEVER be the same again.
I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just begging you not to do it right now, even though I understand that the only thing you believe right at this moment is that this will make the pain stop, make it go away. But you haven't really thought it through. I bet you only reached the conclusion that this is what you needed to do a few hours ago, yet now you believe you've felt like this forever, that there is no way out, but this. It's not true.
You might feel like this tomorrow, and the next day, and the one after. It might feel like this for the next ten years. But it won't feel like this forever, I promise.
So please don't do it. Don't take you life, because it isn't just yours, don't you see? Part of you lives on, in your mum and your brother, and in all the other people who love you. If you do this - if you ‘succeed’ - those pieces of you will stay with them.
And you will take part of them with you. Sounds comforting, you might think. Not so. Now you are gone, your mum is torn between this world and yours, between the past and the present; between her two sons.
So please, just stay. Just for now.
c
Gowan
Champagne
‘Time to Go’ in
Story Salon Big Book of Stories
And The Walls Came Tumbling Down
No Dice
Double Six
Checking Him Out
*
Sugar and Sawdust
*
*Part of the Love's Landscapes Anthology
(Don't Read in the Closet 2014)
MMRomanceGroup.com
Hiding Behind The Couch Series
The story of ‘The Circle’…
Nine friends from high school;
Nine friends for life.
The Story So Far…
Beginnings (Short Story)
Hiding Behind The Couch (Book One)
No Time Like The Present (Book Two)
The Harder They Fall (Book Three)
First Christmas (Short Story)
In The Stars Part I: Capricorn–Gemini (Book Four)
Breaking Waves (Short Story)
In The Stars Part II: Cancer–Sagittarius (Book Five)
A Midnight Clear (Short Story - December 2014)
Red Hot Christas (Short Story - December 2014)
Two By Two (Season Six - 2015)
www.hidingbehindthecouch.com
All available from
Beaten Track Publishing
.
Chapter One: Leaving On A Jet Plane
Chapter Two: Dressed To Kill
Chapter Three: News Flash
Chapter Four: The Long Wait
Chapter Five: Tailing A Monsoon
Chapter Six: A Case In Point
Chapter Seven: Into The Mountains
Chapter Eight: Unexpected
Chapter Nine: The Return Leg
Chapter Ten: A Visitor
Chapter Eleven: Going Viral
Chapter Twelve: Emergency Preparations
Chapter Thirteen: The News Arrives
Chapter Fourteen: Backseat Fireworks
Chapter Fifteen: Familiar Feeling
Chapter Sixteen: Getting Home
Chapter Seventeen: Breaking News
Chapter Eighteen: Bumpy Smooth Ride
Chapter Nineteen: The Edge Of Truth
Chapter Twenty: Losing Reason
Chapter Twenty-One: Here And Now
Chapter Twenty-Two: Cluck Clique
Chapter Twenty-Three: Objectivity
Chapter Twenty-Four: A Beautiful Day
Chapter Twenty-Five: She Upstairs
Chapter Twenty-Six: Lights, Camera
Chapter Twenty-Seven: To The Hills
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Cabin Fever
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Tubload Of Fun
Chapter Thirty: Negotiation
Chapter Thirty-One: Last And First
Chapter Thirty-Two: 1 Back To Reality
Chapter Thirty-Three: Five Acts
Chapter Thirty-Four: Three For Two
Chapter Thirty-Five: The Atrium