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“Better safe than sorry, lad,”
“If you finish that sentence, I will rip your head off,” I seethed. “Fair warning.”
“You’re so pretty,” I whispered, biting down on my lip as I sagged against him. “You don’t need to diet.” He paused midkiss and pulled back to stare at me. “Did you just call me pretty?” “Yes.” I smiled. “What’s wrong with calling you pretty?” “Everything,” he replied, looking appalled. “Shan, you can’t call me pretty.” “But you are pretty,”
“You have pretty eyes, and pretty hair, and a pretty smile.” Johnny gaped at me. “I’m offended.” I laughed at his horrified expression. “You are a pretty boy.”
“I take it back!” I squealed, twisting and turning. “You’re not pretty—ahhhhh, Johnny, I can’t—you’re sexy! You’re sexy, okay? Ah, ah, mercy. I scream mercy!” “I show no mercy,”
don’t want you to see me fall apart all the time.” “Well, you don’t have a choice,” he replied, turning me around and pulling me into his arms. “Because I’m not leaving you.” Shaking my head, I kept my eyes closed and whispered, “Johnny, I can’t—” “I’m not going anywhere,”
“I’m with you. All of you. Every part. Good and bad. I’m staying. So don’t hide this part from me.”
I didn’t want to have a conversation. I just
“Shan?” “Hi, Johnny,” came her hushed voice on the other line. “Did I wake you?” “No, I was awake,” I replied, exhaling a shaky breath. “Are you okay?” “I’m okay,” she whispered and I felt my shoulders sag in relief. “I just…” “You just what, Shan?” “I wanted to hear your voice,”
“I thought you might be going to the gym,” she whispered. “I was… Well, I was going to ask you if I could come and just wait in the car?” A trickle of unease crept up my spine. “What’s happening, baby?” “Nothing.” “Shan…” She blew out a harsh breath. “I’m scared.”
“Of course,” I managed to say instead, keeping my tone gentle. Settling under my duvet, I whispered, “I’m right here, baby.”
The kisses weren’t enough. The hand-holding wasn’t enough.
“God, you’re so adorable.” “Adorable?” I grimaced. “Sookie’s adorable, Johnny. I’m supposed to be—” “Be what?” he teased, dipping his face closer to mine. “What are you supposed to be, baby?”
“More than adorable,” I murmured, losing focus now that his lips were so close to mine. “Cute?” he purred, trailing his fingers under the hem of my school skirt. “Pretty?” Smirking, he leaned closer and brushed his nose against mine. “Sexy?”
“You’re so fucking sexy.” His voice was deep and husky and his words took my breath away. “You drive me crazy, Shannon like the river,” he whispered against my lips, rocking my hips against his. “I want you so badly I can’t think straight anymore.” A
“I love you, Shannon like the river,” he said, breaking through my depressing thoughts. “Only you.” Leaning back so that I had no choice but to lift my face and look at him, he smirked. “Like, a crazy fucking amount.” “I love you, too,”
“I’m shaking.” Smirking, he added, “You really do shake all over just before you—”
“Shannon Maud Lynch, open the fucking door or I’m going to kick it down!” Darren bellowed. Johnny arched a brow. “Your middle name is Maud?” Cringing, I nodded. “My parents hate me.” He grimaced in sympathy. “Ouch.” “I’m knocking this door down in five, four, three, two—” “Okay, okay, I’m coming!”
“Bye, Johnny,” I croaked out. “Don’t let me catch you in my sister’s room again, Kavanagh,” Darren called after him. “Yeah, yeah,” Johnny shot back, not missing a beat. “I’ll call you later, babe.” “Yeah,” I breathed, staring after him as he disappeared down the staircase. “Okay.”
sigh. “Shannon?” Darren pressed, leaning in my bedroom doorway. “Are you even listening to me?” “No,” I replied softly. “I’m really not.” “Jesus,” he muttered to himself. “You’re in trouble, girl.” Don’t I know it…
“And no more naked Shannon in your room,” she added, giving me a scathing look as she tossed the
bra on my lap. “For clothes changing or anything else.”
hate this sport.” “You’re so cute.” Claire laughed softly. “So, how’d you get out of the house?”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Claire asked in a low tone, hooking her arm through mine. “But you can’t tell anyone.” “Of course,” I replied, turning to face her. “And I would never tell.” “Something happened with Gerard.”
“Claire-Bear,” he purred with a devilish grin. “I have something for you.” Claire’s brows rose in surprise. “You do?” “Uh-huh.” Nodding, Gibsie leaned against the barrier that separated the pitch from the stands and crooked his finger. “Come here and I’ll show you.” Clambering over her seat, Claire approached him warily. “You better not be planning on—Oh my god, Gerard, don’t!” she screamed when he dragged her clean over the barrier and tossed her over his shoulder. “Put me down!”
“The fucking dog shed would be better than staying here with the two of you,” he snarled. “Don’t be so dramatic, Johnny.” Mr. Kavanagh laughed. “You’re overreacting.”
And I won’t wear a condom. I’ll get her pregnant. How about some grandchildren? Sound good? Shannon and I will become another statistic, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourselves for traumatizing me!” “Oh, you’re so grounded,” Mrs. Kavanagh told him, still smiling, still half-naked. “Did you not hear me?” Johnny demanded. “I’m about to go out to the garage and impregnate Shannon. Think about that.” “You’re too smart to be stupid, Jonathan,” his father shot back.
“Come on, Shan. Let’s go make some bleeding babies.”
“Let me die, baby,” Johnny choked out, dropping his head in my lap. “Seriously, just kill me now.” “Shh.” I stifled another laugh as I trailed my fingers through his hair. “You’ll be better before you’re married twice.”
“Your father’s a legend.” “Fuck right off,” Johnny growled. “Aww,” Claire gushed, holding a newspaper up for me to see. “Look at the two of you.”
Johnny narrowed his eyes. “You’re so fucking dead.” “It’s a long story, girls,” Gibsie snickered, diving for the door. “I’ll tell you all about it in the car.”
“I love you, Johnny Kavanagh,” I choked out, clenching my eyes shut as I grabbed his arm and held it to my chest. “Most in the world.” “I love you back, Shannon Lynch,” he said quietly in my ear and I felt the connection I had to him in the deepest part of my soul. “Most in the world.” “For keeps?” I breathed. He kissed my shoulder. “For keeps.”
“He took us to McDonald’s,” Ollie blurted out. “Two times.” “Twice,” Tadhg corrected with a heavy sigh. “Say twice, Ollie.” “And the playground,”
“Dessert?” “Whoa,” Ollie gasped, moving straight for her, all fears of my father forgotten now that there was cake involved. “We’re allowed to have some, Dellie?” “Edel,” Tadhg muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Not Dellie.”
“Sorry, Mammy K,” Gibsie replied with a sheepish grin before stabbing into his cake with relish. “Mmm.”
“So, I’m your first first?” I asked sleepily. “You’re my everything.” Whoa. “Night, Shan,” he whispered.
I closed my eyes and grinned. “Night, Johnny.”
“Oh yeah?” He grinned. “Are you going to share a tent with me?” “That depends,” I teased, grinning back at him. “Can you pitch a tent?” Johnny gave me a knowing smirk and my face flamed in embarrassment. “Not that kind of tent,” I quickly amended, blushing.
“You’re so cute.”
“You look perfect as you are,” he argued. “Better than perfect.” Grinning, he hooked an arm around my waist and dragged me flush against him. “In fact, you look like dinner.” I sagged against
“Je veux lécher la chatte de ma copine.”
Johnny grinned devilishly. “I said, je veux être à l’intérieur de toi.” I scrunched
“I’m counting on it.” He laughed as he sauntered off. “See you tonight, baby.” Grinning like an idiot,
“The little whore without her guard dogs.”
“I didn’t steal your boyfriend,” I shot back, shaking from head to toe. “Because Johnny was never yours.”
“Then you should know that he’s only with you for one thing,” she spat out, looking furious. “An easy fucking lay.” “That’s all he was with you for,”
“Let me out,” I repeated, making a point of staring at the door. “Now.”
“Enough!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet. “Don’t touch me!” Tears were pooling in my eyes
“Don’t you ever fucking touch me again!”
“You fucking bitch,” Bella snarled as she knocked me onto the bathroom floor and climbed on top of me. “Who do you think you are?” she screamed as she scratched and tore at my hair and face with her nails. “Little fucking scumbag.”
