Keeping 13 (Boys of Tommen, #2)

by Chloe Walsh

I thought about his words for a moment. “Hey, Joe?” “Yeah, Shan?” “What are you going to say if someone asks you?” “I’m going to tell them to fuck off and mind their business.” I sighed. “I wish I could do that.” “Do what?” “Be brave,” I whispered, feeling wistful. “You already are.” He turned to look at me then, green eyes full of pain. “So fucking brave.” “Don’t feel like it,” I mumbled with a shaky breath. “I just feel like running.” “Do you want to?” His tone was hopeful and a little desperate. “We could get on a bus right now and just go.” My heart skipped a beat in my chest and I had to fight down the surge of unease rising up inside of me. “When you say go…” I kept my eyes on his, gauging his reaction. “You mean for the day, right?” Joey didn’t reply right away. Instead, he just sat there, staring back at me. “Joe?” I whispered, heart racing hard now. “That’s what you meant, right?” He forced a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. I hadn’t seen one of those in a very long time. “Of course.” “Don’t leave me,” I choked out, clutching his school jumper in my hand. “You can’t go away again.” “I’m here, aren’t I?” he replied, tone strained.