Binding 13 (Boys of Tommen, #1)

by Chloe Walsh

She was nice to think about. She was fucking beautiful. Her voice. Her hair. Her smell. The way she spoke. Every single part of her.

“Why me?” I groaned. “Because we’re your babies,” Hughie announced, leaning his weight on me. “My babies?” I slurred. “How the fuck are you three anyone’s babies?” “You’re our captain,” Hughie slurred. “We’re kind of your responsibility.” “On the pitch, ya gobshite.”

“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.

>:)

“Keep looking out for her, Cap,” he said, squeezing my shoulder. “God knows someone needs to.”

It sounded funny hearing Claire call him Gerard when everyone else around us was cheering the name Gibsie. Literally, no one called him Gerard except for Claire.

Special girls hate nicknames

“They’re trying to murder him,” I screamed, unable to believe what I was witnessing. “Holy shit.” Clutching both girls’ arms, I squeezed tightly. “Is that illegal?” “Don’t ask me about it,” Lizzie replied with a shrug. Disengaging her arm from my hand, she returned to flicking through her magazine. “I could think of a million better things I could be doing with my time than sitting here pretending to cheer on a sport I couldn’t care less about.” At least she was honest.

Okay......i kinda love Lizzie's idgaf vibe

“They are clearly targeting him,” I growled, watching as the referee blew his whistle and jogged over to the now pileup of boys. “Of course they’re targeting him,” Claire chimed in, squeezing my hand back. “Johnny is Tommen’s best player. Take him out and the game is freed up,” she continued to say. “They’d be fools not to try.” I wanted to scream, Leave him alone! at the top of my lungs but I settled for, “That’s horrible,” instead, as an overwhelming amount of concern for him filled my chest.

“That’s rugby,” Claire agreed. “I hate rugby,” Lizzie offered up.

“No one cares about what you hate, Little Miss Pessimist,” Claire shot back. “Go ...

Johnny’s attention wasn’t on the medic or the referee shouting commands in his ear. He was too busy looking at me.

“It’s going good,” Johnny replied with a smile that deepened the two tiny dimples in his cheeks. It was my first time seeing those dimples and my memory soaked them in like a sponge.

“You remember who I am, right?” he asked, still smiling, although he looked a little nervous now, probably because I was staring at him like a creeper. “Shannon like the river.” Oh god.

“I remember you.” Unsure of what else to say or do, I stupidly raised a hand and waved. “Hi, Johnny.” What was wrong with me? Seriously? Did I just wave at him? While I was talking to him? God…

The smile he was sporting grew into a full, perfectly straight pearly-white smile. “Hi, Shannon.” Oh crackers…

“Well, I’m good,” I said, tone a little strained. “And you’re good. So, it’s all…good.” “That’s good,” he replied, lips twitching. “Yeah, it’s all good,” I answered, cringing at m...

“Your friends are calling you,” I hurried to say, knowing that I needed to get away from this boy before I did something incredibly stupid like accept his invitation. Because I wanted to. I really, really wanted to. And if I stayed here and kept looking at him, I knew I would.

The sound of boys laughing and snickering behind me filled my ears, but I didn’t dare look back. Instead, I did the sensible thing and removed myself from temptation with Claire’s words ringing in my ears. “Boys with pretty eyes and big muscles mess everything up for girls.” How right she was.

Claire sighed heavily. “Shan…” “Don’t,” I pleaded quietly. “Please don’t say anything.” There was a long pause before she whispered, “I won’t.” I sagged in relief. “Thank you.” “I’m here for you,” was all Claire replied in a sad tone of voice. “Forever.”

Claire seems like a really good friend