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“Did you ever talk to Shannon Lynch after that day on the pitch?” I turned my bleary gaze on him, too drunk to mask my curiosity. “My Shannon?” Hughie laughed. “She’s your Shannon now?” I shrugged, too drunk to defend or deny.
“Come on,” he said in a coaxing tone as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, tucked me into his side, and led me out of school. “I’ll take care of you.”
“Can we go now?” I whispered, heart beating rapidly as I resisted the urge to burrow into his side. “Please?” “We’ll go when we’re ready to go,” he said in a voice so low and soft that it was barely audible. “Put your head up, Shannon like the river.” Moments later, he draped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me in to his side. “No one’s going to hurt you.”
This girl is different, my stupid fucking brain chanted. This one is for keeps.
“Come on,” he ordered. “I’ll look after you.”
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.
She was shivering like crazy, and there was a small puddle forming around her from the water dripping from her clothes. Christ… “Come on, it’s okay,” I coaxed, retracing my steps. “I’ll look after you.”
She was so fucking beautiful it was painful, with those big blue eyes staring back at me all innocent and full of uncertainty. I didn’t need the temptation that came with being this close to her. Problem was, every time she ran, I found myself chasing right after her, desperate to just be with her.
“You would do that for me?” she asked, voice soft. I would do pretty much anything for you.
“I should go,” I continued to tell her as I buried my face in her gorgeous neck and prayed for divine intervention to stop me before I took something from her that I couldn’t give back.
“There’s no point,” he replied with a nonchalant shrug. “I am what I am and I make no apologies for it.” He lightly tapped the pen against my nose. “Now, concentrate.”
“Shannon?” Johnny called after me. Pausing at the door, I swung back to look at him. “Yeah?” His blue eyes burned holes inside of me when he said, “Thanks.” “For what?” I whispered. Johnny smiled. “For being nothing like the rest of them.”
was starving for her and everything she was. Every part of her. Inside and out. 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. I just wanted her. For keeps.
“I wanna see her, Ma,” he groaned. “I can’t see her.” My heart leaped in my chest. “Me?” I squeaked. “Always you,” Johnny groaned.
“Johnny, I know, but I have to go,” I whispered, flustered. “It’s family only.” “She’s my wife,” he announced then, blowing my mind clean open.
“I don’t care,” he slurred groggily. “I got what I wanted.” “And what was that?” I asked. “To embarrass your mother?” “You,” he slurred. “I got you.”
I shook my head. “No, you must be thinking about someone else.” “I’m only ever thinking about you,” he replied. “Only you.”
