Keeping 13 (Boys of Tommen, #2)

by Chloe Walsh

“You have serious fucking issues with taking things that aren’t yours. You’re like a kleptomaniac but with humans!”

“He saw, John.” She pointed a shaky finger at me. “Our son recognized it from the very beginning. He might not have understood what he was seeing, but he heard the cry for help. He heard her. And he unraveled a darkness no child should be exposed to.”

“I need to talk to you about something.” “About what?” “About sex, Shannon, love.” “Don’t do this to her,” Johnny pleaded from the stool next to mine. “Please, Ma, I’m begging you.” He turned to look at me. “Cover your ears, baby…”

According to Mrs. Kavanagh, all teenage boys were hormone-driven dogs—her son included—and I was not to let Jonathan lead me astray.

realized there was barely enough room to swing a cat. “I wanted it to be good for you and then I—and she—and I just—Fucking chicken balls!”

myself from yawning. “I’m still ready now.” “I’ve never done that before,” he admitted quietly. “Done what?” “Taken anyone’s virginity.” He exhaled a heavy sigh and the vibration from his chest rippled through me. “I was so scared of hurting you, Shan.” “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.”

“They’re not a pick and mix,” Mam continued to rant, not giving my father a chance to speak. “You don’t get to pick and choose your favorites and leave the rest in the box. There’s five of them, and broken, bent, or out of shape, I want them all!” “The Lynchs?” Awareness hit me smack in the chest and my jaw fell open. “You’re taking them?” “I’m taking them,” Mam confirmed with a determined gleam in her eye. “All of them.”

“Are you trying to tell me that I’m adopted?” Dad threw his head back and laughed. “No, Johnny, you’re one hundred percent the fruit of my loins.” “And my eggs,” Mam offered with a smirk. “You just cost a small fortune to cook up in a lab,” he added, still laughing to himself. “Worth every penny.” Mam winked. “Our little test-tube baby.” What the… “That’s a fucking horrendous thing to tell me,” I choked out, outraged. “You make it sound like they cooked me up in a microwave and sold me down a backstreet alley!”

“You want to foster Shannon?” I asked, quite frankly stunned. “Yes,” Mam replied, not missing a beat. “And Ollie, Sean, Tadhg, and Joey.” “Wh—” I shook my head, trying to figure this out. “When did you plan this?” “March,” Mam replied. “No,” Dad coaxed. “We discussed it in March.” “We applied in March,” Mam corrected. “The day after I found Shannon and Joey in our house.”

Focusing on keeping my hand steady, I slid the lone key into the lock and slowly turned it back, wincing when it clicked. 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. Keeping my eyes glued to her, I slowly pushed the handle down and swung the door inward. She coughed loudly again, drowning out the creak from the hinges as I pushed Tadhg and Ollie through the small crack in the doorway. With Sean in my hands, I turned my back to leave, but quickly swung back to face her, hovering anxiously in the doorway. “Go,” she mouthed, looking me right in the eyes. “Go now.” “What about you?” I found myself mouthing back, feeling torn and conflicted. “I’ll have a drink with you,” Mrs. Lynch said to her husband in a calm tone, eyes glued to mine. “A goodbye drink.” “Good girl,” her husband slurred, shoulders slumped. “I’ll close that door first,” she added. “We don’t want to wake them.”

“Oh, pet, come here to me—” Mam walked straight over to her and pulled her into her arms. My mother wasn’t a tall woman at five foot four, but she still dwarfed Shannon who was barely five feet. “You’re going to be okay,” I heard Mam whisper in her ear as Shannon remained rigid. “I’m going to take care of all of you.” Shuddering, Shannon slowly relaxed and hugged my mother back. “I’m so sorry.” “Don’t be sorry, love. You did everything right tonight.” Pressing a kiss to Shannon’s head, Mam pushed her hair off her face, cupped her small face between her hands, and smiled down at her. “You and your brothers are going to stay with us for the night. We’ll get everything straightened up in the morning, okay?” Shannon nodded weakly. “Thank you so much for your help.” “I’m very proud of you for calling,”

“Yes, you should definitely stop asking questions, Ollie,” Shannon choked out, red-faced, as she hurried over to her brothers and sank down on the couch between them. “Tadhg, don’t tell him anything else.” “I can’t believe you let him stick his tongue in your mouth,” Ollie accused, gaping at his sister. “What is wrong with you?” “I don’t do that,” Shannon snapped, flustered. “He’s joking. Right, Tadhg?” “She does,” Tadhg countered. “I saw them cracking on outside the house.” “Tadhg!” “They were steaming up the windows of his car.” Tadhg snickered. “Oh—and she snuck him in her bedroom on Saturday night, too. He was there all night long.” “What? I didn’t know Johnny had a sleepover,” Ollie replied, sounding puzzled. “You never said.” “That’s because she was too busy.” Tadhg chuckled. “She was all ‘Oh, Johnny, yes! Please!’” “I was not,” Shannon spluttered. “You little liar.” “‘Kiss me, touch me, hold me, love me,’” Tadhg mocked in a girlish voice. “‘Mwah, mwah, mwah. Yes, I love your rugby balls—’” “Tadhg!” “Yuck,” Ollie groaned. “That’s disgusting.”

“Do you know what you did tonight?” he asked, tightening his hold on me. “You saved four children.” “No.” I clenched my eyes shut and buried my face in his neck. “Don’t say it like that—” “They would have burned to death inside that house if you hadn’t been the crazy, reckless, brilliant man you are,” he continued. “They wouldn’t have had a chance in hell of getting out of there, son. Sean was doused in alcohol. You saved them all, Johnny. They were in their beds, son. They were terrified of him. There was no way those kids would have left their rooms if you hadn’t gone in there to get them.” Dad shuddered before adding, “And what you said about slipping on the staircase and the landing and hallway when you were inside the house? That was alcohol and petrol, Johnny. One spark of a flame and it was all over for those children—the entire place would have ignited with all of you in there—but you kept your head and you got them out.”

“You might not have understood what was happening, son, but you knew they needed to get out. Because of you, there are four children alive and breathing in this house tonight.”

When Dad, Darren, and the Gardaí went down to the sitting room to where Mam was with the younger boys to break the news, and the screaming started, I held her even tighter. Right there on the floor of my kitchen, I cradled her in my arms, feeling every one of her sobs and cries in the deepest part of my soul. “‘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.

“Mammy,” I slurred brokenly, not even recognizing my own voice now. “My mam—” “You’re my little darling,” Johnny whispered. His large hand cupped the back of my head as he held me to his chest, slowly rocking our bodies. “My little darling is safe with me.”

“She loved you,” I said, trembling now. “She did, Shannon.” “I don’t know—” “Well, I know,” I told her, tightening my hold on her. “You think I got those kids out of the house? Well, I couldn’t have done that without your ma. She helped me, Shannon.” “What do you mean?” “When I was trying to get the door open,” I explained hoarsely, my body racked with grief and guilt. “My hand was shaking so fucking bad, and the kids were so scared. I was sure your da was going to turn around and see me there. But then your ma started coughing, making enough of a distraction for me to open that door and get them out.” “Wh-what?” “Yeah.” I forced myself to continue. “Your mother did a lot of fucked-up shit, baby, and I’m not excusing any of it, but that night, when it came down to the wire, she looked me dead in the eyes and told me to save her children.

“Your skin is always so hot,” she whispered when I draped an arm around her and tucked her into my chest. “It’s nice.” Shifting around so that my other arm was under her head, she nuzzled her cheek against my arm and inhaled a deep breath. “You smell like home.” Shivering, I curled my body around hers and pressed a kiss to the curve of her jaw. “You are home.”

Darren sniffled and gripped Alex’s hand. “We just need one more.” “Gussie,” Joey said shakily, pointing to Gibsie, who was sitting in the third row with our friends. “I need a favor, lad.” “Say no more, buddy.” Gibsie rose from his pew and walked straight up to Joey. “Gussie’s here,” he said, patting him on the shoulder.

“I don’t care,” she cut him off by saying. “Now put your arms around me and hold me like you’re not going to see me for another three months.” “Jesus—” Shuddering, Joey pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t wait, do you hear me?” Sniffling, he cupped her cheeks in his trembling hands and looked into her eyes. “You live your life, okay?” “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.”

“And don’t you dare give those boys any more treats before their lunch, John.” Scowling at her husband, Mrs. Kavanagh leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his clean-shaven cheek before saying, “Or you won’t be getting your treat.” “Jesus Christ,” Johnny choked out,

“My balls are sweating so bad, I’m going to chafe my gooch!” I opened my mouth to give him a lecture about discussing his bollocks around my girlfriend, but the sound of her laughter had me holding my tongue. “What’s a gooch?” “Oh my god, you did not just ask him that, Shan,” Lizzie grumbled from where she was making a daisy chain. “Ew,” Katie groaned, joining her daisy chain to Lizzie’s one. “I hate that word.”

“Look at his boobies,” Ollie laughed from the tree house. Pointing a finger at Gibsie, he said, “He’s got earrings on them.” “Stop earwigging, Ollie,” Shannon called back. “And look! He’s got a tattoo on his—” “Ollie,” Shannon snapped. “Go and play.” “Fine,” Ollie huffed before disappearing back into the tree house. “Boobies,” Hughie snickered. “I love that kid.”

Huffing out a breath, Gibsie turned to Claire and grinned devilishly. “The gooch is the area of skin between a man’s balls and his a—” “Shut the fuck up, lad,” I hissed, tossing a bottle of water at him. “His asshole,” Gibsie finished, completely unaffected by the bottle that had just smacked off the side of his head. “Or anus, if you want to get technical.”

“The genius pierced his penis,” Lizzie explained. “Look at it—I can see it popping out through his jocks. It’s practically waving hello.” “Don’t look at it,” I barked. “None of you look at it.” Turning to Gibsie, I hissed, “You put it away.”

“No…” Claire replied, cheeks burning red now. “I…uh, just spotted it.” “You spotted it,” Hughie repeated, tone laced with disbelief. “And where did you happen to spot his pierced dick, Claire?”

“And I’ll be here when you come home. If it’s in a month, or a month and a half, or two months, or four—” Sniffling, she gave me a bright smile. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.” “You’re hurting my ladder,” Gibsie said in a sad tone of voice. “What?” Shannon and I both asked in unison as we turned to look at him. “My ladder,” Gibsie explained with a lonesome sigh. “You made it shrink with all this talk of Johnny leaving.” Sinking down on the grass beside Claire, he huffed out a breath. “Now I’m fucking depressed.” “Oh, come on. He’ll come back to you, too.” Hooking her arm through his, Claire leaned her cheek against Gibsie’s shoulder. “And you can’t be too sad, Gerard. We’re having babies together this summer, remember?”

“It’s going to cost me a small fortune.” Gibsie sighed. “And my mam says that they’re my responsibility because I brought him into her bedroom and I should have known better, but I didn’t fucking know better because I was under the assumption that he was walking around with a permanent condom on his cat dick. But no, he lied to me—lied to the vets, too. He had a sperm-filled ball all along!”

“My Onny,” Sean announced then, holding a picture of two green circles up in his hands. “Sean and my Onny.” “Wow!” Mrs. Kavanagh gushed as she stood up to inspect Sean’s picture. “This one is the best you’ve done.” Sean beamed up at her. “My Onny.” “Yes, love.” Mrs. Kavanagh chuckled, taking the picture from Sean’s sticky fingers and hanging it up on the fridge. “He’s your Johnny.”

“I love you, Shannon like the river,” he whispered, and the heat of his breath on my flesh caused a shiver of pleasure to roll through me. “And I’m coming home to you.” He was breathing hard, his heart racing almost violently in his chest as he drew in short breaths. “I promise.” A momentary flash of relief coursed through me, but it was quickly overtaken by the pleasure thrumming through my veins as my body drowned in love.

“Nice floral bra, Shan,” he added. “I love the colors—hold on a second! Are you a B cup now?” “Get the fuck out of here,” I roared. “And don’t touch her bra!” “I’m just saying that a full cup size is a big jump in one month,” Gibsie replied. “Fair play, girl. You’re blossoming—” “I’m going to rip your gooch off and feed it to you, ya bleeding pervert,” I snarled, setting Shannon down so I could climb out of the tub. Swinging the bathroom door open, I stalked towards him. “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!”

“What?” I gaped at him. “But it’s my birthday!” “That’s why it’s one hundred,” Ollie replied. “Otherwise, I’d need a trillion.” I narrowed my eyes right back at him. “What do you need a hundred quid for?” “For my Legos,” he replied. “And my business.” “Oh yeah?” I arched a brow. “And what business is that?” “My spy business,” he told me. “And you’re my number one target.” He squinted his eyes at me. “I’m watching you all the time.” Jesus Christ… Shaking my head, I pointed to my jeans. “Get my wallet.”

“You better keep quiet about this,” I warned him as I handed over two fifties. “Or else I’m going to declare war on your tree house.” “You wouldn’t dare,” he gasped. “Oh, I would,” I shot back with a nod. “Gibs and I will make an even bigger tree house, and then we’ll bomb yours with water balloons until you surrender, and then we’ll hijack it like pirates.” “Oh, I’m so fucking down for that,” Gibsie declared in an excited tone. “I have an excellent aim.”

“But this is still Cork, Cap,” Hughie grumbled. “West Cork,” Gibsie corrected, and there was a hint of warning in his voice as he took a defensive stance in front of Claire. “And fuck right off with your pessimistic attitude,” he added, tucking a slab of Heineken under his arm. “At least your sister had the imagination to think this whole trip up. We’d be sitting in Biddies downing pints and warding off clingers if it wasn’t for her.” Turning to Claire, he said, “Don’t you mind him, babe. You did a great job.” With his free hand, he tugged on her ponytail, forcing her to look up at him. “You keep that head up,” he ordered, tipping her chin with his thumb. “Don’t you dare hide that angel face from the world.” Claire’s already pink cheeks turned as red as the balloons she was clutching in her hands. “Thanks, Gerard.”

“Hughie’s right,” Lizzie said, throwing her two cents into the mix. “This is a disaster.” Claire’s eyes filled with tears and she hurried off through the woods in the direction of the camping site, mumbling something about a fly being in her eye. “Oh my fucking god!” Gibsie roared, clearly livid. “If any of you have a problem with being here, then get back in your cars and leave!” Gesturing behind him to where Claire had hurried off, he added, “Think very carefully about your next move, because if you’re coming, then you’re going to be happy. You’re going to smile, and you’re going to have a good bastard time. You’re going to eat the cake, you’re going to sing all the happy fucking birthdays, and you’re going to thank that girl for spending the last bloody month organizing this trip for your unworthy asses!” Exhaling heavily, he looked around at us. “We left our heavily pregnant cat at home for this, and Claire’s anxious enough about Cherub without all of you breathing down her neck, so if you upset her again, I will legit take leave of my senses and lose the fucking plot.”

“Are you tired? Do you want to go to bed or something? In my dick tent?” “Your what?” “My pitched tent,” he slurred. “No, I’m fine.”

“You’re my little darling,” he slurred. “My whole heart’s inside of ya.”

“And you know that I love you back, my little blue river,” he slurred. “Now, I know I’m fairly langers, but I could be a thousand percent langers and you’d still be safe with me.” Smiling loosely, he added, “And you’d still be the best thing these eyes have ever seen.” He pointed at his own eyeballs. “Yep, these ones love looking at you. Fuck, now I’m hard again.”

“Shh.” He pressed his finger against my lips. “You’re drunk.” “No,” I laughed, feeling myself loosen up with his playfulness. “You’re drunk.” “I’m horny,” he declared gruffly. “And that’s not sensible.” He shook his head. “Nope, that’s not a good plan, Shan, because I’m a Johnny with no johnnies.” “Johnny!”

“I’m a great sailor,” Johnny declared, distracting me from Gibsie’s hilarious meow noises. “Did you know that?” “No.” Smiling, I turned fully in his arms now. “You like to sail?” “I’d love to sail,” he purred, reaching down to squeeze my ass. “Down your river again.” “Oh.” Awareness dawned on me and I blushed bright red. “Well, in that case, you’re an excellent sailor.” “I know, right?” he said with a proud grin. “Years of practice.” I scrunched my nose up. “Uh, yeah…” “Oops.” He slapped a hand over his mouth. “I fucked up.” “Yeah,” I agreed. “You kind of did.” “Should I get the dick boat out?” he asked, eyes wide. “No, Johnny.” I laughed, too amused to be put out by his overshare. “Not here.” “Well, I only sail one river now,” he amended with a frown. “That’s yours—” He paused to point at me. “In case you were wondering.”

“I’m gonna make you proud when I’m gone,” he declared, wrapping his arms around me—and tipping half his bottle of beer down my hoodie in the process. “And I’m gonna keep my dick in my pants.” “Uh, thanks?” “Sure, sure,” he agreed, still slurring. “Oh shite, babe, did I make you wet?” “Uh, just a little bit,” I confirmed, wincing when the liquid trickled down my back. Slipping my hoodie off, I rolled it into a ball and threw it in the direction of our tent. “That didn’t go as far as I planned,”

“And then I’m gonna make all my big plans with you when I come home.” “Oh, you have big plans?” “Big, big ones,” he confirmed. “I like kids, do you?” “Uh, yeah, sure.” I blinked. “I like kids, Johnny.” “Then we’ll have some,” he announced. “I’ll do the rugby thing, and you’ll do the vet thing, and then we’ll settle down and cook up some babies.” He smiled. “Good talk.”

“See ya on the telly,” Tadhg said, fist-bumping me. “I don’t like rugby, but I figure since it’s you I’ll watch your games.” “Wow.” I smirked. “How generous of you.” He shrugged. “Meh, we’ll see how it goes. I might switch it off if I get bored.”

“Onny,” he sobbed, lip wobbling. “Me want Onny.” “I’ll be back,” I coaxed, feeling my heart crack in my chest. “I promise.” Tipping his chin up, I wiped a tear off his cheek and smiled. “Are you going to take care of Sookie for me?” Sniffling, he nodded. “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?’” “That’s right.”

“I’m coming home,” I told her. “Regardless of what happens.” Brushing a tear from her face, I kissed her damp cheek. “I’m coming back to you, Shannon like the river.” Heaving out another ragged breath, I stroked her nose with mine. “I promise.”

“I want you to k-kick ass, and be the b-best damn outside center this country has ever seen—” She paused to kiss me. “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.” “Hands down.” I kissed her puffy lips. “Undisputed.” “Now, I’m keeping 13,” she told me. “So come home to me when you’re done, okay?” “I will.”

“Because he’s my boyfriend,” I defended, even though I was grinning in delight. “Now back up so I can open it.” “It’s because she lets him touch her boobs.” Tadhg snickered from the doorway, where Bonnie, Sookie, and Cupcake were all nuzzling against his legs. “That’s why she gets all those presents, Ol.” “Tadhg!” I choked out. “Don’t say that.” “It’s true.” Tadhg laughed, scratching Cupcake’s ear. “Deny it.” “First you let him tongue kiss you, and now you’re showing him your boobies?” Ollie groaned, clutching his stomach. “I feel a little sick in my guts.”

“Like you and Dellie?” Ollie countered. “You love her.” “Yeah, I do,” Tadhg shot back, unblinking. “A lot.” “Yeah, me too.” Ollie sighed happily. “She’s the best.” “That food,” Tadhg added wistfully. “So much food.” “Shannon’s getting fat,” Ollie tossed out. “She loves Dellie’s food, too.” “I’m a size 8, you thug,” I choked out, offended. “I weigh seven and a half stone. I’m not fat.” “You don’t call girls fat, Ol,” Tadhg groaned. “Remember what Joey told us? They’re always skinny—even when they’re whales.” “Oh, yeah,” Ollie replied sheepishly. “But she’s up that whole stone, remember? Dellie was crying ’cause she was so happy about it? Remember? The doctors said Shannon was bones and skin and had to get the stones up or she’d get sicker.” “Skin and bones,” Tadhg corrected with a pained sigh. “And don’t worry about it, Shan. You’re still skinny as a rake.” “I was never a rake,” I huffed, feeling self-conscious. “Stop talking about it.” “We’re all getting fat,” Ollie offered with a smile. “It’s not just you, Shan.” He patted his thin stomach that was slowly filling out. “See?”

The camera zoomed in on the players one by one, and when it landed on Johnny, the sheer volume of noise in the bar went clean off the decibel scale. Old men were banging their fists against the bar in triumph, cheering on their hometown hero. The man Johnny referred to as “Fat Paddy” was literally dancing on top of a table with the owner of the bar. Feely was holding his head in his hands and staring at the screen in pure awe. Hughie was bawling his eyes out as he clapped for his friend. The rest of his teammates were going berserk. It was insane… “I’m going to be there one day,” Johnny stated, tilting his head in the direction of the telly. “One of these days that’s going to be me, Shannon.” “I know,” I replied, believing every word. Biting down on my lip, I turned to face him and said, “Don’t forget about me when you’re a rich and famous rugby player.”

“You heard what our mothers said. If you get in any more trouble this summer, you’re not allowed to go to the festival next weekend.” Releasing his jersey, she placed her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “And you’re taking me.” “Of course I’m taking you, Claire-Bear,” he purred, giving her a devilish grin. “I’ll take you right now, if you want.” “I’m serious, buddy.” Grabbing his big hand in hers, Claire spun on her heel and stalked toward the door, dragging Gibsie after her. “I’m not going to be a single mother just because you can’t stop chasing trouble and getting yourself thrown in the barracks. We have babies to raise, Gerard Gibson, and a concert to go to, so you’re going to do what you’re told. Now follow me!”