Keeping 13 (Boys of Tommen, #2)

by Chloe Walsh

Promises made, promises broken—the Lynch family motto.

I felt so sad, like I had been robbed. Maybe in another life things could have been different. I could have been happy.

“Maybe she was a victim the first time he put his hands on her. Hell, maybe the first ten. I’ll give her that. She was young and thick. But twenty-four years?” He shook his head. “No, she did this to us, Darren. She had a hand in this.”

Gibsie grinned and pressed the phone to his ear. “Only if I get caught. Hey, how’s it going, babe? I need you to be outside in five…yeah, five minutes. Why? Because I’m picking you up, that’s why. Yeah, don’t waste time asking questions. Just put your coat on and meet me at the bottom of your driveway. It’s cold outside so wear the red one.” He grinned, clearly getting a mouthful down the line before saying, “I know you’re at home because I saw you watching me from my bedroom window earlier. Yeah, I know you stalk me, too. Yeah, you hate me. I know. I’ve heard it all before, babe. I love you, too.”

The words were at the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down, deciding on battling the social demon for now. I could worry myself to sleep with the insecure demon tonight.

“I’m wasting my life,” he said. “I’m letting all the opportunities slip through my fingers.”

“I don’t want to feel this way anymore,” she told me, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. “I don’t want this version of life. I don’t want to be this version of me.” “I love this version of you,” I told her, unsure of what else there was to say. I couldn’t tell her not to feel the way she did. All I could do was reassure her. “I love all your versions.” “I’m just so tired,” she whispered, ignoring my words, drowning us both in her pain.

“Je veux lécher la chatte de ma copine.” I frowned. “What?” Johnny grinned devilishly. “I said, je veux être à l’intérieur de toi.”

“No.” He shook his head and I watched as a tear trickled down his cheek. “It was my job to keep her safe.”

“Then why does it feel all wrong?” I choked out. “It’s not wrong, Johnny,” she whispered. “It’s right and that’s what’s scary.”