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Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Tadhg move for the cupboard. Yanking open one of the drawers, he withdrew a knife, and without a hint of hesitation, he lunged. Do it. I sent a silent plea to the heavens above to give my brother the courage to just do it. “Get off my brother!” Tadhg screamed as he held the tip of the knife to our father’s throat, hand steady as a rock, eyes locked on our father.
Gibsie arched a brow. “Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining.”
“Think he’ll represent me, too?” Gibsie asked. Shrugging, he added, “When you’re embarking on hell, it’s always good to have a buddy.”
“Hey, kid,” he said, voice familiar and warm like Christmas morning. “It’s been a while.”
Do you hear me? I’m here, I’m in, I care, and I’m not going the fuck away.”
“Hi, Johnny,” she whispered, tumbling off the door step as she clung to me. “You came back.” “Hi, Shannon.” My crutches fell to the ground as I wrapped my arms around her body, holding her in place. “I promised I would,”
“You love his sister, and I love his sister’s best friend,” Gibsie replied, scrubbing Joey down with a sponge. “It’s safe to say that pussy got us into this, Kav.”
“I’m going to buy you dinner, Shannon.” Closing the space between us, he lowered himself down on the couch and turned to face me. “Sometimes we’ll eat here and sometimes we’ll go out, but it’s going to be a regular occurrence, so don’t overthink it, okay?”
“I don’t just like you. I fucking—” Shaking his head, Johnny rubbed his jaw before looking back at me. “Shannon, I love you.” I stopped breathing. “You love me?” He nodded slowly, blue eyes locked on mine. “Like, a crazy fucking amount.” “Really?” “Really,” he confirmed.
Relief flickered in my mother’s eyes as she observed the Lynches devouring the scones from behind the rim of her coffee mug. Her tear-filled eyes shifted to me and I gave her an “I know” look. With a small shake of her head, Mam slapped on a bright smile and began to do what she did best:
“Shannon Lynch?” I called out, ignoring the rest of her fucked-up family. “I love you back.” Sniffling, she lifted her chin from Joey’s chest and looked at me all red-eyed and blotchy. “S-still?” “Still.” I nodded in confirmation. “Like, a crazy fucking amount.”
“It’s like a Great Dane and a Chihuahua trying to mate, but they somehow make it work.”
“I’m here for Johnny the boy,” I told him, cupping his face with my trembling hands. “Not Johnny the rugby player.” Exhaling a shaky breath, I leaned closer and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before pulling back to look in his eyes. “I’ll stay for both, but I’m only in love with one.”
“I’m not in your corner, Shannon,” Johnny replied in a gruff tone. “I’m standing right beside you.”
“Come on, baby.” Joey panted breathlessly, as he dragged his girlfriend off Bella. “Come on. She’s not worth it. You can’t be fighting in—”
“Joey, please!” Desperate to stop him, I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to a stop. “What about me?” “What about me?” he roared back in my face, green eyes filled with tears. A huge sob tore through him and his voice cracked. “What about me, Shannon?” Tossing his bag over his shoulder, he sniffled and wiped his eyes roughly with the back of his hand before shoving past me. “What about me?”
A loud cough from the kitchen muffled the noise, and I jerked my head back to see Shannon’s mother staring right back at me. Holy shit. My heart stopped in my chest and for a few terrifying moments I waited to see what she would do. She nodded ever so slightly. I hesitated. She nodded again.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, moving for her. “Shan, I’m so—” “No!” she repeated, backing up until her back hit the wall behind her. “No!” Covering her face with her hands, she slid down the wall. “Mammy, no, no, no! Not my mam…not my mam.”
When my eyes landed on the silver Ford Focus parking up outside, and the familiar blond head climbing out, I felt my body give out beneath me. “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.
Clearly taken aback, Johnny sank back in his seat. “Are you sure?” His uncertain blue eyes flicked from me to Joey before settling on Darren. “You want me?” “There would be four more coffins up here if you hadn’t done what you did,” Darren replied, gesturing to our brothers and me. “We want you, and she would want you, too.”
“No! The worms… It’s too dark! Stop! Mammy…Mammy, no!” Ollie started to scream so loudly that I jerked away from Johnny with the intention of cuddling him, but he pushed his way through the crowd and ran straight for Mr. Kavanagh. Crouching down, Johnny’s father lifted Ollie into his arms and quickly walked him away from the grave and back toward the gates to where Mrs. Kavanagh was standing with Sean.
“Good lad,” I told him, ruffling his hair. “Now, no more crying because I’m going to phone you up, okay? I’m going to call the house and say ‘Dellie, is my Seany there?’” He smiled. “And me say, ‘my Onny there?’”
