Redeeming 6 (Boys of Tommen, #4)

by Chloe Walsh

“I’m guessing they’ve been together since forever, am I right?” “They’re actually not together at all.” “Bullshit.” I pointed to where they had moved to the middle of the makeshift dance floor. “Look at that boy. He’s clearly besotted with her, and she’s staring at him all gooey-eyed like he hung the moon.”

“You’re honestly trying to tell me that those two aren’t in love?” “I never said they weren’t in love.” Chuckling, she added, “Only that they’re not together.”

“You’re an asshole.” “I know.” “You crushed me.” Pain. It hit me square in the chest. “I know.” “Bad boy.” Her breath was laced with alcohol and so fucking warm on my face when she whispered, “Tell me you’re sorry.” I gave in without a fight, too weary and too damn in love to fight my feelings. “I’m sorry.” “How sorry?” “Very sorry.” “Good boy.” Her tongue was on my ear then, her body pressed flushed against mine. “Now, tell me you love me.” “I love you.” The words flew off my tongue in record time. “Say it again.” “I love you.” “How much?” “A lot.”

“There’s no decision to make,” he blew my mind by saying, green eyes blazing with heat. “You already know it’s you.”

“Then let me be very clear about it,” he replied, reaching up to cup the side of my face. “It’s you, Molloy.” He tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him. “It’s you.” “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” “It’s you,” he repeated gruffly, fingers tightening on my waist. “I pick you. Every single time.”

“Hey, stud.” “Hey, queen.”

“Get up off your knees and walk out of this house with me.”

“I can’t.” She shook her head, eyes pleading. “He’ll kill me.”

“Then die,” was all I replied.

“O-ee.” Pulling on the leg of my jeans, a pair of brown eyes looked up at me. “O-ee.” That did it. Seeing Sean’s little face had my heart cracking open in my chest. This kid. He was my brother, but it was different with him. From birth, Sean had depended on me in a way the others hadn’t. I knew he wasn’t mine, but it didn’t stop my heart from beating for him in a paternal rather than brotherly way. “Hey, Seany-boo.” Sniffling back the lump in my throat, I sank to my knees in front of him. “How’s my baby?” “O-ee.” He didn’t hesitate to scramble onto my lap. “Seany loves O-ee,” he whispered in my ear as he stroked my cheeks with his chubby little hands. “O-ee make Seany happy.” “Joey loves Seany back,” I replied, wrapping him up in my arms, overwhelmed by just how well his speech had come on since the beginning of summer. “Seany makes Joey the proudest brother in the world.”

“Keep breathing,” he instructed, slipping a hand into his jeans pocket and withdrawing a mobile phone. “I can get us a spin to the hospital.” ______________________ “Yeah, I’m going to need you to let me out of this car,” Gibsie announced, dry-heaving from the front seat as he drove like a maniac toward the city. “Like right fucking now!” “You’re driving the bleeding car, ya bollox,” Johnny barked, looking equally as distressed in the passenger seat. Putting his head in his hands, he rocked his oversized body back and forth. “It’s grand, Gibs. It’s perfectly normal. We can get through this together.” “All I wanted was a burger.” “I know, Gibs.” “And maybe a curry chips. Is that too much to ask for? And now, after what we’ve just witnessed, I’ll never eat again, Johnny.” “Would you two shut the fuck up,” Joey snapped, flustered. “You’re scaring her.” “She’s scaring me!” Gibsie accused, reaching across the console to grab Johnny’s hand. “I know, lad,” Johnny choked out, clutching his hand. “Me too.” “Stop panicking!” I screamed, lunging between the seats to clatter the pair of them. “You’re making it worse.” “Calm down, boys,” my mother commanded from the other side of me. “This is all very natural.” “There’s nothing natural about the noises coming out of your daughter,” Gibsie wailed, dodging a fist to the back of the head from Joey. “I want my mam.” “When you approach the roundabout, take the third exit,” the sat nav in his car instructed in that mechanical robot voice. “A...