Binding 13 (Boys of Tommen, #1)

by Chloe Walsh

Moments later, I felt a hand on my back as someone knelt down beside me and pulled my hair back from my face. “It’s okay.” Johnny’s voice filled my ears as he rubbed soothing circles over my spine with his big hand. “Shh, you’re okay.” Oh god, no. Why did he do that? Why did he follow me? He wasn’t supposed to talk to me. That was the plan. I dry heaved for a solid two minutes longer before my stomach finally settled, and all the while he knelt beside me, holding my hair out of my vomit and rubbing my back. “Are you okay?” Johnny asked when I was breathing again and not gawking. I nodded weakly and then felt his hand still on my back. I coiled tight on instinct. “What’s this?” I heard him ask moments before his fingertips grazed my neck, right above the collar of my school shirt. “Your neck is bruised.” Panic seized my heart as I felt him shift more of my hair aside and touch my neck again. “Shannon?” Johnny repeated. “How’d you get this?” “It’s old,” I croaked out, still gasping for air. “Doesn’t look old,” he replied, touching my neck. “Well, it is,” I strangled out, shaking off his touch. Thankfully, he complied and shifted away from me. Weak and mortified, I remained exactly where I was on my hands and knees, just staring at the floor as a wave of utter humiliation washed through me. “Shannon?” he said in a soft tone, hand on my back once more. “Are you okay?” Nodding weakly, I pulled back to a kneeling position, hands on my lap, gaze cast downward. “Wait here, okay?” ...