Keeping 13 (Boys of Tommen, #2)

by Chloe Walsh

I felt so sad, like I had been robbed. Maybe in another life things could have been different. I could have been happy. “I think I need you for keeps…”

“Don’t look so scared. I won’t hurt you…” “Shannon! Shannon! Jesus Christ, do something!” “Tell me who put their hands on you and I’ll make it better…” “Look what you’ve done!” I heard my mother scream. “I’ll look after you…” “Call an ambulance.” “You’re safe with me…” “She’s dying. He killed my sister. And you’re doing nothing!” “I won’t let you fall… It’s okay, I’ve got you…” “Call a fucking ambulance!” “Stay with me…” I could feel the warmth of two hands against my face and reveled in the gentle touch. “Can you hear me?” Joey’s voice filled my ears. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay?” “Just keep kissing me…” “Shannon, can you hear me?” “I love you, Shannon like the river…”

she handed me the paper. “You’re a sweet boy.” Smiling, she stroked my cheek with her hand before turning back for the door. “I’m proud of you,” Mam added before closing my bedroom door behind her. Confused, I unfolded the piece of paper and stared down, feeling a swell of emotion hit me straight in the chest. Shannon like the river, will you please be my friend?

“Who wants to know?” “Me.” He arched a brow. “And who is me?” “I’m her—” “He’s her Johnny,” Claire blurted out. “Nice,” Gibsie chuckled, tucking her under his arm.

“I’m going nowhere,” I hissed for the fiftieth fucking time, keeping my eyes locked on Darren. “Not until I see her.”

“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,”

“I’ve spent days waiting for this,” he quickly hurried on, his words coming fast, his accent thickening as he spoke. “To get time with you. To just be with you, and now I have you here?” His hand snaked out and entwined with mine. “Where I know you’re safe? All I want to do is just…” Shaking his head, he pulled me closer. “Keep you right here with me and never give you back.”

“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.”

“Fuck off, ya creepy bastard,” Joey groaned, shaking from head to toe. “Normally, I would take offense at that,” Gibsie huffed. “But considering we’re in a shower together and your naked ass is pressed to my dick, I’m going to let that comment slide because I, too, find this situation slightly creepy.”

“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.

“I was definitely high that night,” he agreed, twisting around to face me. “And I definitely meant it that night.” My heart galloped wildly. “You did?” “I love you,” he went right ahead and rocked my world by saying again.

“I love you back,” I blurted out, feeling a flood of heat rush through my body. “Like, a crazy fucking amount,”

“And going back to your earlier question, I like you because you’re you, Shannon. I’ve never met another girl like you.” I scrunched my nose up. “You mean another girl as screwed up as me.” “No, I mean a girl as kind, and caring, and trustworthy, and loyal as you,” he countered gruffly. “And beautiful. Jesus Christ, you are so fucking beautiful that it’s painful to look at you. I’ve never seen anything like you in my life.”

“You promise?” There she went asking for promises I wasn’t sure I could keep, and there I went making them anyway. “Yeah, Shan,” I croaked out. “I promise.”

My eyes immediately sought out and landed on Joey, who was leaning against the utility room door, looking cornered and feral, and yet he was watching my mother with an almost reluctant curiosity. He was clearly all fucked up, coming down from whatever he’d taken, and there my mother was, heating up bleeding scones and talking to him about god knows what.

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: talk and meddle. The woman was gifted with her speech and could make conversation out of anything. I had no fucking clue where I went wrong or why that particular gene skipped over me, but as I watched my mother make small talk with the both of them, I was grateful. Grateful that she was here. Grateful she wasn’t losing her shit with me for having a girl sleep over. Grateful that she was my ma.

Her tears rained down on me, drowning me right along with her, and that was the exact moment I felt the shift, the switch from this being something sweet and innocent to something deeply complicated with the hint of forever.

Shaking my head, I swallowed down a million fuck-you’s and turned to look at Shannon who was hugging Joey. “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 Johnny’s,” I whispered, staring down at the expensive piece of equipment in my hands. “He gave it to me.” I looked at my brother. “It’s a message from his mother.” “Read it.” “What?” I gaped at him. “I can’t.” Joey rolled his eyes. “It’s obviously him.” “Really?” Joey gave me a knowing look. “Read the fucking message, Shannon.” Heart fluttering wildly, I clicked into the message. A crazy fucking amount. X

“No, she’s overbearing,” I shot back. “You’re just plain whipped for going along with her.” “She’s my wife,” he mused. “Your mother can whip me in whatever way she wants—”

I’m not going anywhere. And I meant it. I promise. X Just text me when you wake up, let me know you’re okay. X I miss you. X Can you call me? Can I call you? Are you free to talk? X

“Good morning to you, too,” Darren grumbled. “I’ll see ya later, Shan,” Joey called back as he disappeared inside his bedroom, returning a moment later with his schoolbag slung over his shoulder and his helmet and hurley in his hand. “Chin up, kid.” “Joey,” Darren began to say. “Can we not do the wounded boy act today and just be civilized—” “Eat shit,” Joey sneered, holding his middle finger up as he thundered down the staircase.

wanted to roar, but held it back. “She’s grand.” “He hasn’t seen her since Mammy K went to town on her mother,” Gibsie said, laughing. Feely’s brows shot up. “They had a fight?” “She went for her.” Gibsie chuckled. “Kav had to drag her away.” “Christ.” Hughie blew out a breath, sounding impressed. “Go, Mammy K.”

Bella as she barreled past him, Pierce, and half the team. “What’s her hurry?” “She needs to get home before the sun comes up,” Gibsie said loudly. “You know how vampires tend to burst into ash at the first sign of daylight.” “Fuck you, Gerard Gibson!” Bella screamed over her shoulder. “Not on your life, princess,” Gibsie roared after her. “I wouldn’t touch you with McGarry’s dick!” “Stop,” I groaned, holding a hand up toward Gibs. “Just let it go, lad.” “You’re a bad bastard.” Feely chuckled. “That was savage, Gibs.” Gibsie shrugged. “Sometimes you have to be a bad bastard when you’re dealing with a bad bitch.”

“But I am a bad idea for you, Johnny,” I replied shakily, needing him to hear me, giving him the out that, if he had sense, he would take. “I’m a lot of trouble.” “I like your trouble,” he countered, stepping closer. “My life is complicated.” “I want your complications.” My breath escaped in a rush. “You do?” He nodded slowly. “You asked me what I wanted? There’s a lot of things, but in a nutshell, I just want you.” Shrugging, he added, “And I’m kind of hoping that you’re going to say that you want me, too.” He laughed nervously. “Or else I’ve just made a complete spanner of myself in the middle of the school hall—” “I do back,” I blurted out and then cringed. “You, as well.” Shaking my head, I blew out a breath and tried again. “I want you, too.”

“It’s yours,” he said. “So just put it in your pocket and don’t try and send me home with a pink phone.” Smirking, he added, “Gibs would never let me hear the end of it.” “But you didn’t have to do this for me—” “I’m going to do a lot of things for you, Shannon.” Taking the phone from my hand, Johnny reached into my jumper and slid the phone into my shirt pocket. His fingers grazed my chest and I shivered. “And I’m going to buy you a lot of stuff.” He took a step back, never taking his eyes off me, and shrugged unapologetically.

“I can’t give you anything back,” I choked out, telling him the same thing I told him last week, praying he would hear me. “I have nothing to give you in return.” “You can give me a call.” “A call?” He smirked. “And you can text me.” “Be serious,” I begged. “I am.” He stepped closer. “I am so fucking serious about you.”

didn’t believe that, not one word, but I refrained from telling him. Instead, I mumbled a half-hearted, “They’re good people.” “You’re good people,” Johnny shot back, blue eyes scorching me. “You, Shannon, you’re good, and my parents and everyone else knows that. Especially me. So don’t be letting that head of yours tell you any different.”

“Don’t look at his nipples, baby,” Hughie huffed. “Look at my fucking nipples.”

Smiling against my lips, Johnny stooped down to hook an arm around my back and then I was… Oh god, I was being lifted off my feet as he drew himself back up to his full height.

“Aww,” Claire gushed, clutching her chest with both hands. “I love them together.” She feigned swooning before adding, “It’s like a Great Dane and a Chihuahua trying to mate, but they somehow make it work.”

“This is Shannon—my girlfriend. She’s going to be sitting here from now on, so get used to seeing her around the place.” He moved to sit down, but quickly stopped himself and straightened back up. “Oh, and fuck with her and I’ll bury you all—” He cast a meaningful look around the table before adding, “Are we clear?”

It was strange considering I never felt more off-balance than I did when I was with him, but it was a good type of off-balance—an excited, sick-to-my-stomach, about to keel over at any moment but don’t stop touching me because my heart’s going to burst in my chest and I need to feel you everywhere or I’ll explode kind of off-balance.

door with white knuckles, he hissed, “Now, Shannon.” “Back off, buddy,” Claire warned, coming to stand beside me. “I have a weapon—” She pointed over Darren’s shoulder. “He’s right over there and I’m not afraid to call him.”

“She doesn’t want to go with you!” Claire screamed at the top of her lungs. “She said no!” Stunned, I looked back at my friend, wondering why she had suddenly raised her voice. Darren hadn’t hurt me—not physically, at least. But when I spotted Johnny, Gibsie, Hughie, and Feely all watching us with thunderous expressions on their faces, I quickly realized why. She was calling for reinforcements. Oh god… “Don’t do it,” Gibsie was shouting. “Don’t fucking do it, Cap—” “Hey, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Johnny demanded as he shoved past his friends, limp forgotten. “Get your fucking hands off her!” he roared. “Now.”

“You’re fucking insane,” I choked out. “Deranged, even. And you’ve scarred me for life.” “I’ve scarred you for life? Yeah. Sure,” he scoffed. “I showed you a piece of body art, lad. You showed me your gangrened ball sac.”

“Keep that beast away from me,” he choked out, eyeing Brian warily. “I don’t trust him, Mam.” “Ah, he’s harmless.” Mrs. Allen laughed. “You wouldn’t hurt a fly, would you, Brian?” “No, the flies are grand because his issue is with me,” Gibsie grumbled. “Isn’t it, Brian?” The cat hissed and Gibsie leapt behind me. “You’re going to have to do something about his behavior,” he warned his mother. “I don’t feel safe in my home anymore.”

“I will keep my head,” I grumbled. “I mean it,” he shot back. “No talking shit about her brother.” “I don’t do that,” I snapped, flustered. “But I swear to god, lad, if I have to look at her with one more bruise, I’m the one who’s going to be in Cork prison, not her da. He’ll be in a fucking graveyard with his son beside him if either of them puts their hands on her again.”

“Shh—” She held a hand up and pointed to her bedroom door. “Just wait for it.” Ding-dong. She grinned. “Looks like they’ve come to play with the teddies.” “Bananas in Pyjamas references?” I laughed, unable to stop myself. “Really?” “Hey—” Claire shrugged, grinning. “If the shoe fits.”

Feeling at a loss, I grabbed the huge white polar bear from the top of her bed and held it out to him. “Gibsie bought this one for her thirteenth birthday and demanded she name it after him,” I said. “She compromised and called it Gerry.” “I remember.” Johnny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Bleeding thing cost him eighty quid. He was cutting grass for the entire summer to pay for it.” My eyes widened. “Eighty euro for a teddy bear?” Johnny shrugged. “That’s the one she wanted.”

“I want to,” he quickly corrected. “Believe me, I want to. I promise. But I just can’t.” “Oh.” My gaze flicked to the tent he was pitching in his gray school trousers. “Because you’re still sore?” “No, baby,” he choked out, throwing a hand up. “Because you’re not ready.”

I just craved some sort of connection with something or someone other than rugby. But it never happened for me.” Straightening back up, he rested a hand on the mattress and turned to face me. “I just couldn’t, you know? I’ve never been able to connect with anyone like that.” He shrugged helplessly, blue eyes locked on mine. “Until one day I looked up from my life and there you were. All blue eyes and full of secrets.”

“That from the very first day you walked into my life, you changed me. That very first time I saw you? You sparked to life something inside of me.” Releasing a heavy sigh, he shrugged again, eyes locked on mine. “And I haven’t been the same since.” My heart galloped wildly in my chest. “Really?” He nodded slowly as a small smile crept across his face. “Boom.” I blew out a shaky breath. “Boom.”

“You make me happy,” he whispered. “I want to stick with that. I want to stick with you.”

“I like where we are, Shan.” His words curled around my heart like a comfort blanket. “We’ll get there when we get there,” he added after a contented pause of silence. “I’m not in any hurry.” I felt his lips brush the top of my head. “Not with you.”

“Fuck off, Gibs,” I grumbled, closing my eyes. “I’m tired.” “Yeah, you’re tired from pulling your balls,” he shot back. “That’s why you won’t get up and train me.” “Go without me this morning,” I mumbled. “I’ll go with you tomorrow… I promise.” “Fuck that,” he pressed. “I’m never up this early—” “Shh,” I coaxed, keeping my eyes closed. “Sleep.” “Jonathan.” “Gerard.” “You fucked yourself into a state of exhaustion, didn’t ya?” he accused. “Jesus!” “I’m not talking about this with you.” “Did you use the bottle of lube I got you?” “Fuck off and let me sleep.”

“It was satisfying,” I told him. “But fair warning—you’re lying on the wet patch, lad.” “Jesus Christ, Johnny!” Gibsie hissed as he catapulted off the mattress. “Ever hear of a posh wank? I gave you a fucking heap of rubbers.” “I’m not posh,” I snickered. “And I just got it working again. I’m not suffocating the poor bastard.” “Look at my ass!” Gibsie howled, and I had to press the pillow I was holding to my face to bury my laughter. “Look at what you did to me!” he screamed, pointing to the tissue clinging to the back of his trousers. “Take it off,” he instructed. “Take your fucking sperm off my ass right this instant!”

“You came on my fucking ass!” he roared. “Your cum is touching my body.” “Stop or I’m going to bust my stitches from laughing at ya!” “Get up,” he demanded, outraged. “Get off your hole and help me!” “I can’t. I’m weak.” “Yeah, you’re weak,” Gibsie snarled as he began to strip off his uniform. “Because you shot half your fucking body weight onto the bloody mattress.”

“I think your actual living sperm on my ass trumps my puke on your sheets, fucker!” he roared, shuddering from head to toe. “Sperm dies off once it’s released, Gibs.” “Not for seventy-two hours,” he shot back with a shudder. “I was listening to the sex nurses yesterday.” “They weren’t sex nurses,” I offered, still laughing. “And at least you can’t get pregnant.” “Pregnant?” he seethed, voice rising in outrage. “I am fucking pregnant! I’m pregnant with despair, Johnny! I have a belly full of fucking disgust right now.”