Binding 13 (Boys of Tommen, #1)

by Chloe Walsh

In a weird way, I kind of felt like one of those baby ducklings who imprint and attach themselves to the first person they see upon being born.

I was trying really hard to just stand back, take a moment, and read situations and scenarios with clear, rational thoughts rather than the terror-induced paranoia that seemed to control me.

I hated humans. They were such a disappointment.

Knowing that I would listen to whatever she had to say, whenever she wanted to say it, regardless of time or inconvenience, was a frightening concept.

I just know that my gut is telling me not to leave you right now.

"I have an all or nothing attitude," he replied. "I'm either all in with something or I'm not wasting my time. There's no point doing something half-arsed."

working my body to the bone, desperate to erase the god-awful feeling of despair that was threatening to take ahold of me.

Standing in the pouring rain, I watched him take her away from me.

She was like a tornado I never saw coming. The one problem I didn’t foresee when making my plans. The one person who could fracture all my hard work. And the most nerve-wrecking thing about it all was that I liked it. I liked the fact that she was turning my life on its axis and encouraging never seen before notions and feelings inside of me, and then I hated that I liked it.

she was addictive. And I was obsessed.

Before her, I had never been uncertain about a thing. I knew exactly who I was, where I had come from, and where I was going.

I pondered the thought. Could I be Shannon's friend? Could I just be her friend?

I only knew that something inside of me demanded I protect her.

She had her arms wrapped protectively around herself, with her long, brown hair drenched from the rain and sticking in wet clumps to her face, and in my whole life, I'd never seen anything so beautiful.

And then I took her hand in mine and led her up the staircase, knowing this was a terrible fucking idea, but resigned to doing it anyway. I was so completely fucked.

"You can't avoid this." I had every intention of avoiding him for the rest of my life.

I clenched my eyes shut, and prayed for time to speed up.

"And you're the one who told me to be her friend," I accused. "Well, I was wrong," he chimed. "You can't do it. It'll never work. Give up now." "Yes, it will," I hissed. "It has to." "Why does it have to work?" he asked. "Because I need her–" I shook my head and expelled another frustrated breath. "Because I want to keep her in my life."

I was exhausted from running away, and somewhere deep inside the back of my mind, I wondered if this boy was the one to anchor me.

Whatever she needed from me, I was more than willing to provide.

"You would do that for me?" she asked, voice soft. I would do pretty much anything for you.

I had to be really fucking careful with my choices because once I made a decision, once I set my mind on something, or worse, my heart, it was in my nature to follow it through with an obsessive hunger.

I was well aware that I possessed an obsessive personality.

Well, I love you, Johnny Kavanagh! Even though you're leaving. Even though you don’t feel the same. Even though loving you is going to break my heart. I love you with everything I have. And I probably always will.

The sheer depth of my feelings for him was unhealthy. The adoration, the lust, the downright infatuation I had for him…it was insanity. I had never felt this much. I had never felt so consumed.

I wanted to fight all her battles. I wanted to give her all her smiles and make her laugh and snatch her away from the rest of the world and keep her all to myself.