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Shh, little darling…’” “You’re s-singing.” Sniffling, she clung to my chest. “‘Here Comes the Sun.’” I was singing. I was doing whatever I could to make this better for her. “That’s m-my Granda Murphy’s s-song,” she hiccupped. “You remember me t-telling you t-that?” “Yeah.” I remembered her telling me about her grandfather singing this song to her when she was frightened, and it was all I could do in this moment.
“I’ve got you, Johnny,” Gibsie said, wrapping his arms around me just before I collapsed in a heap. “I’m right here, lad,” he whispered, lowering us both to the ground. “Let it out.” So I did.
“Just like we’re on two completely different levels.” Grinning, he held his hand over his head and said, “I’m up here with your sister, and you’re”—he dropped his hand to his waist—“all the way down here…” “Feely, give me the hammer,” Hughie snarled as he stalked toward Gibsie. “I’m going to bury this fucker, once and for all.”
“I see you, Joey Lynch.” She stroked her nose against his and whispered, “You can’t hide from me.”
“Because we were feeling generous,” Gibsie drawled, climbing down the ladder. “And I expect free access whenever I want.” “It must be sturdy,” Tadhg mused, casting a sideways glance at Gibsie. “To hold your weight.”
Tadhg is a menace
“You’re supposed to be a sweet child, not a little monster.” “If I was sweet, you might try and eat me,” Tadhg shot back. “And you’ve clearly eaten enough.” “For the last time, I am not fat,” Gibsie growled. “I’m big-boned. There’s a huge difference.” “Huge,” Tadhg scoffed, clearly enjoying the banter. “You’ve got that right.”
“Johnny, you don’t smother Gerard with your bloodied T-shirt and trip him up. You know he gets squeamish around bodily fluids.” “My bloodied T-shirt,” Gibsie corrected, narrowing his eyes at me. “It was my bloodied T-shirt to match my broken chin.” “You didn’t break your chin,” I scoffed. “You grazed it.” His mouth fell open. “I have a gaping hole in my face!” “Yeah.” I glared back at him. “To match the gaping hole in my head!” “I have four stitches,” he growled, pointing to his bandaged chin. I pointed to my bandaged head. “I have six!”
“I like your trouble,” I told her. “I want your trouble and your complications and everything else that comes with you.” Leaning closer, I stroked my nose against hers. “I want you.”
“I love you,” Shannon whispered, still holding my face in her hands. “For keeps.” Exhaling a ragged breath, I kissed her swollen lips. “Most in the world.”
“You smell like home.” Shivering, I curled my body around hers and pressed a kiss to the curve of her jaw. “You are home.”
“You shut up, Joey Lynch,” she sobbed, gripping his sides. “I love you.” “You shut up, Aoife Molloy,” he shot back gruffly and pressed a kiss to her brow. “I love you, too.”
“I’m not an incredible anything, Johnny,” I croaked out. “I’m just trying to keep my head above water and not drown.” “You won’t drown. You’re a survivor,” he told me. “I’m not a good swimmer,” I admitted. “Then I’ll throw you a life jacket and swim out to get you,” he shot back, tucking me into his side. “Because I’m an excellent swimmer.”
“If you take your jocks off in front of my sister and my girlfriend, you won’t have a gooch left,” Hughie snarled, glaring at Gibsie who had his suit pants and shoes kicked off and was reaching for the waistband of his white boxers. “Or a heartbeat,” I warned, pulling myself up on my elbows to glare at him. “Don’t even think about it, fucker.”
gibsie bro time and place
Because somewhere along the way, without my brain or heart’s permission, my dreams and goals for my future had shifted. I didn’t even notice the shift happening. I didn’t feel the full force of my apprehension until this exact moment in time as I was hit with the sudden realization that I didn’t want any of this without her.
I was frightened of the unknown, unsure of the future, and desperately in love with him. The only true thing I knew in this moment was that I trusted this boy. I trusted him with every inch of my body, and with my eyes I willed him to never break my heart.
“And how the fuck would you know what size bra my girlfriend wears?” “Because I have eyes,” he laughed and then flung Shannon’s bra at me before diving across the bed to get away. “You know when people say they’re a great judge of character? Well, I’m a great judge of tit size–” “I hope you enjoyed your last meal, Gerard,” I snarled, leaping onto my bed stark naked. “Because you’re going to die today.” “You keep that beast away from me!” he choked out, making the sign of the cross with his index fingers. “The power of Christ compels you!”
bed. “Oh—and happy birthday,” he said, giving me a quick hug. “I love you.” With that, he scampered out of my room with my cash in his hands. “That kid is slick,” Gibsie said in a tone laced with admiration for the young hustler. “Little Lynch has more of Joey the hurler in him than I thought.”
“Yeah, I really need you to not do that,” I choked out, feeling everything inside of me crack clean open at the sight of her midnight-blue eyes filling up with tears. “Otherwise, I’m walking right out of here and coming home with you.”
aww.
“But don’t forget that you’ll always be my 13.” She sniffled and wiped my cheek with her fingers. “My binding 13.” I choked out a pained laugh, thinking about that stupid bet. “You heard about that?” “Yeah.” Half sobbing, half laughing, Shannon smiled and nodded. “I won.”
full circle moment
“Now, I’m keeping 13,” she told me. “So come home to me when you’re done, okay?” “I will.”
🥹🥹🥹
I ripped open the box and grinned when I saw the green jersey with the number 13 etched on the back. Pulling it out, I held it to my chest, breathing in the smell of him.
“My little Tadhg is growing up.” Waggling my brows, I asked, “Should we have the talk?” “About Johnny sneaking in and out of your room every night of the week when he was here? Naked,” he shot back, not missing a beat. “That talk? Sure. Do you want to have it here, or down in the kitchen with his mother?” I swiftly snapped my mouth shut. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he answered himself, giving me a knowing smirk.
menace
A single tear rolled down my cheek as I watched the boy who had saved my life on countless occasions finally reap the rewards he so justly deserved.
“I’d like to thank my girlfriend for her unconditional love and support. It’s been a roller coaster of a ride getting back from injury, and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be here today without her fierce encouragement.” Clutching his medal in his hand, he looked into the camera and gave the medal a little shake before saying, “Shannon, I love you, and I’ll be home soon.”
Today was the proudest moment of my career. Wearing this beloved green jersey and number 13. I gave everything I had to my teammates, I left it all on the pitch, and at the end of the eighty minutes of the last game of the tour, we were victorious against Fiji.
“You liked the game?” I asked him, ignoring the group of women trying to pull at me. “Yeah?” “You’re my favorite,” he replied, smiling up at me. “I want to be like you when I grow up.”
AWW
Your future is yours, Jonathan. It belongs to you, not the coaches. You’re still only eighteen years old.
I wanted to drop to my knees and worship whatever version of puberty that had paid a visit to my girlfriend. It was like waking up on Christmas morning and preparing to find the bicycle you’d asked Santa for under the tree, only to tear off the wrapping paper and find a top-of-the-range BMX instead. Fucking winning.…
LMFAO JOHNNY
“Can we go for a walk?” Shannon asked, slipping her hand in mine, blue eyes dancing with excitement. “Just us?” Fuck yeah. “You can’t take him yet, Shan,” Hughie objected. “We need to talk rugby.” “She can take me wherever she wants,” I shot back, trailing after my girlfriend. “You’re whipped, Cap,” he called after me. “In the worst kind of way.”
“I am so proud of you,” she told me, tears trickling down her cheeks. “You’re the best person I’ve ever known, and I want this for you.” Stroking her thumb over my cheekbone, she whispered, “You warned me a long time ago about this and I accepted it then. I accept it now. This is your future, Johnny, and you are going to chase it.” She kissed me hard before continuing, “And I’m going to stand by you and support you, no matter what, for as long as you want me.”
“Good,” I replied gruffly, tightening my hold on her small frame. “Because when it comes to you, Shannon Lynch, I’m all in.” “Me too.” “Where you go, I go.” “Promise?” “I promise.”
He was shirtless, with his T-shirt hanging out of the back of his shorts, and had a baseball cap slung on backwards, as he chanted the lyrics back at the band with me on his shoulders.
hello handsome
“This won’t break us,” I croaked, touching my brow to his. “Nothing can break us,” he whispered. “I promise.”
I wasn’t the same girl from nine months ago. I was a completely different person, with a new home and a new family. All because I made the reckless decision to take a shortcut through a rugby pitch and crash into the boy who had changed my life. The boy who had saved my life.
🥹🥹🥹
“Hey, blondie!” Tadhg called out from down the corridor, causing all of us to turn and look at him. “Nice legs.” Turning to Gibsie, he smirked. “You better up your game, lad. Because it’s on.”
“You better keep your prepubescent eyes off my baby mama, fucker. Or you won’t have balls to drop!” “I have bigger balls than you, fatty,” Tadhg called back, laughing his ass off. “Just ask your mother.” “I’m not fat!” Gibsie roared. “And you leave my mother out of this!” “I’m coming for your girl, Gibs,” Tadhg continued to taunt, thoroughly enjoying driving Gibsie crazy. “Fair warning.” “I’m going to kick you all the way back to primary school,” Gibsie snarled. “Fair warning.”
“Hello?” “Shannon like the river,” Johnny’s familiar voice purred down the line, setting my pulse racing. “How’s my girl?”
His white shirt was untucked, his red tie was hanging loosely. His blond hair was ruffled, and his expression was one of fuck the world and everyone in it. He looked thinner, darker, more haunted, but his green eyes were sharp and focused again. “Oh my god,” Claire choked out, running up to us, clutching her chest. “Is that—” “Joey,” I filled in with a small nod. “Yep.”
YEAHHHH
“Who is that?” Shelly squealed, joining us once more. “Sweet baby Jesus, I’m in love.” “He’s the new sixth year,” Helen explained with a dreamy sigh. “The new boy of Tommen.” “Well, shit,” Gibsie mused, coming to join us. “This year is going to be eventful.” “It’s going to be something, alright,” Johnny replied. “Yeah,” Gibsie laughed. “Let the madness begin.”
FUCK YEAH!!!
