‘Look who it is. I was just thinking about you,’ says Roisin, standing square in the middle of the path.
‘Not now,’ I say. ‘I’m busy.’ I sidestep onto the road, intending the bypass her.
Roisin’s step matches mine and once again blocks my way.
I sigh. ‘Roisin, this is silly. We’ve nothing to say to each other.’
‘We have unfinished business,’ says Roisin, pulling herself up straight, ready to strike like a cobra.
‘Not interested,’ I reply. Again, I go to move round Roisin and again she anticipates the move.
‘I know about the baby. Your mum told me what really happened.’
And there’s the strike. Words of venom spit at me, piercing my skin, fangs spiking deep into my heart. I gasp. A physical reaction to the poison Roisin has administered. My mum knows? My mum knows about the baby and she told Roisin?
‘I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ A clichéd response, but I can’t think of anything else as I succumb to the toxic shock.
‘You had that baby,’ Roisin’s lip curls. ‘You’ve lied all these years. You and your mum have kept that secret. My brother was the father. You denied my mother the right to a grandchild. If you hadn’t convinced Niall to run away with you that night, then he would still be alive and my mother would be rejoicing at two lives instead of eternally mourning the loss of one.’
‘You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.’ My voice sounds distant. I’m aware I’m not processing any kind of thought, let alone verbalising it. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion on the TV.
‘I hold you wholly responsible for the death of my brother. Which also means, I hold you wholly responsible for the mental state of my mother. She is a broken woman because of you.’
‘Me? You hold me responsible. Your mother is responsible, not me.’ I snap out from the shock. I push the thought that my mum knows my secret from my mind. I think of the guilt I’ve had to live with all this time about what I did. How I was left with no choice. And yet, Roisin blames me when it was her mother who didn’t want me to have the child. The injustice clouds my thoughts and I hear myself snarl back at my old school friend. ‘Your mother wanted me to have an abortion. She wanted to kill her own grandchild.’
The words are out and in that moment I don’t care. To see the look on Roisin’s face is enough; a look of disbelief. For a moment the curled lip and angry eyes are gone. We stare at each other. I can hear nothing but my own breathing and blood pumping rapidly through my ears. Roisin breaks the stalemate.
‘You’re a liar, Erin Hurley, always have been and always will be.’
‘I’m telling the truth.’
‘My mother would never kill her own flesh and blood.’
‘You really don’t know her, do you? I’ve seen the real Diana Marshall and it’s not that pleasant, I can tell you.’
Roisin grabs the collar of my jacket. ‘Liar! Liar!’ she screams into my face. I struggle, trying to free myself.
‘Get off!’ I shout back.
From nowhere, two pairs of hands push between us.
‘Come on, girls. Break it up.’ It’s Kerry. Calm but strong, pulling me back whilst Joe steps between us and grapples with Roisin’s hands.
‘Much as it’s every man’s fantasy to see two women fighting, unless you can do it in bikinis and a mud bath, I’m not interested.’
Roisin continues to yell at me. ‘You’re a liar!’ She jostles with Joe in an attempt to get at me. ‘And I’m going to prove it.’
‘Get her out of here,’ says Kerry to his cousin. He turns to me, taking hold of my arm rather unceremoniously. ‘You, come with me.’
I briefly consider protesting, but taking another look at Joe still keeping Roisin under control, I decide against it. Joe throws a ‘What the fuck?’ look in Kerry’s direction.
‘Don’t ask me!’ Kerry calls over his shoulder as he practically frog-marches me down Beach Road.
Kerry thought about taking Erin back to his flat but after their little set-to earlier, he decided against it. Getting Erin anywhere near his bed would be asking for trouble, he would only want get her into it again and, at the moment, he didn’t think that was a good idea.
Instead he opted for the beach. It seemed the safest choice. Erin didn’t appear to have any objection. In fact, she was the quietest he had heard her. He was holding onto her hand now, despite her being a step behind him. He glanced at her but she kept her eyes fixed on an invisible marker ahead. He thought for a moment he could see tears gathering but she blinked hard, denying their leave.