They rolled around on the floor. Eamonn kept pushing Heath off him, but his friend wouldn’t letgo.
“I’msupposed to be the puffhere!”
“I can’t take watching you act like a prize fucking idiot.” Heath sneezed. He let go of Eamonn to cover anotherone.
Eamonn was going to say something, but sneezed also. The pepper was all over the floor, and they’d rolled around init.
“So what if I want a job that allows me to support myself andachoohelp out my mum andsisters?”
“There are loads of jobs that do that, ones you could like. Rafe redid your C.V. and looked for jobs for you, but you did nothing.Achoo!And I don’t think your family wants you being miserable on their behalf. You’re not a martyr. So get off your cross and shove it up yourachoo!”
Heath elbowed Eamonn in the stomach. He sank to the floor and crouched into a fetal position. Heath went to stand up, but Eamonn grabbed his foot and dragged him backdown.
“Oy!” The bartender swatted at them with his broom until theyseparated.
Eamonn punched Heath in the back, the only place where his fist couldconnect.
“You punched me in the fucking kidney, youtwat!”
“You fucking deservedit!”
Pub patrons pulled the friends apart. Heath glared at Eamonn so sharply it could cut glass. Heath was not one to get angry, and never atEamonn.
“What the hell has gotten into you?” Eamonnasked.
“I can’t stand watching your life turn to day-old shit. Rafe was the best thing that ever happened to you, and you just let himgo!”
“I didn’t let him go! He left. He was always going to leave.” Eamonn tried to squirm free. Another patron came over to restrainhim.
“Rafe busted his arse to find a way to stay in England. He wanted to stay foryoubecause for some reason, he fucking cares about you and believes you’re capable of more than settling for a future you don’t want and never wanted. And what did you do? Nothing! You just sat back, too scared to make a real effort, because at least this way, you could blame someoneelse.”
“What was I supposed todo?”
“There are loads of American companies that sponsor employee visas. Maybe if you’d come to one of those job fairs with me, you would knowthat.”
“I can’t dothat.”
“Why?” Heath held up his hand before Eamonn could remind him that he had a fucking family he couldn’t just abandon. “And don’t use your family as anexcuse.”
“It’s not an excuse.” Eamonn kicked pepper at Heath’s shoes. “I’m not going to walk out on them like my daddid.”
“This is not the same thing! But as long as it keeps you from having to make a fucking choice, you’re happy to use it as anexcuse.”
Heath signaled for the patrons to let him go, that he was no longer a threat. They did the same for Eamonn. Heath grabbed his jacket from the coatrack.
“You’re just walking away?” Eamonn asked, itching for anotherfight.
Heath got right in his face, and his intensity hit Eamonn at his core. “I’veneverseen you so happy as you were with Rafe. Fuck, it was like I got my old mate back. Hemadeyou come alive, and you just gave that all up. You didn’t try to hold ontoit.”
“The last time I tried, I got my heartbroken.”
“Yeah, it’s a good thing you didn’t try this time around. Youdefinitelydidn’t get your heart broken.” Heath put on his jacket and threw a few extra quid on the bar. “HappyChristmas.”
