Redeeming 6 (Boys of Tommen, #4)

by Chloe Walsh

Redeeming 6 is dedicated to the boys I went to secondary school with, whose shenanigans, friendship, banter, hilarious antics, and blind loyalty inspired the characters of Johnny, Gibsie, Feely, and Hughie. Walshy, Slash, Al, and Madden: the OG Boys of Tommen. (And, yeah, I married the first one.)

“No, I’m not pregnant,” I snapped, shrugging off my coat then hanging it on the back of the kitchen chair.

Not yet...

“I’m nursing a broken heart, Mam, not your grandchild in my belly.”

“Jesus, you really love her, don’t you?” More than life.

“So, the school board got back to you with their decision?” Alec asked, tone hopeful. “Yeah, they phoned Mam the day before yesterday,” I replied, jumping up to catch the sliotar midair. “Apparently, I’m on the last of my nine lives.” “So, you’re not getting expelled?” I grinned. “Not this week.”

“I accept all three of those reasons as being fair and true,” the big fella replied. “And I honestly would oblige you by clearing off, but I really need those drugs for my captain.” “Your captain.” “Yeah, my captain.” He nodded eagerly. “He’s having a hard time right now—a really fucking hard time. He had this procedure before Christmas, you see, and the poor bastard is as stiff as a poker from it. All I’m looking for is something to help relax him.”

“Best of all, it’s a Tommen party, so you don’t have to worry about bumping into anyone from BCS,” she quickly continued, ignoring my wishes entirely. “And by anyone, I mean that good-for-nothing asshole.”

Yeah right! Hagag

The fact that my sister was supposed to start school with these people on Monday morning didn’t exactly sit well with me. Especially the big blond fucker with a penchant for dope, debauchery, and his friend’s baby sister.

“I told you not to call me that in public,” she protested with a huff. “And I told you not to wear that pink dress,” the big lad shot back with a wolfish grin as he set the cat down on the couch and prowled toward her. “But I’m so fucking thrilled that you didn’t listen to me.”

Cannot wait to read their book

“Are you mental? Look at me. I make a beautiful Ken.” “Beautifully deranged, more like. Nobody else is dressed up, lad.” “My lover is.” “Your lover? Are you well? She’s my sister, not your lover, asshole.”

He reached up and slapped my chest. “If you get tempted to score, just think about the girl whose name you’ve got tattooed over your heart…”

AOIFEEEEEE

“Because he’s only using you,” I heard someone say, and I turned my attention to where Hughie was in a heated discussion with another familiar blond. This one wasn’t his sister Claire. No, this girl was Shannon’s other little friend.

CANT WAIT FOR THIS ONE TOO

Either way, she was standing near the doorway, with her arms folded across her chest glaring up at Hughie Biggs, who was glaring back at her, while he flailed his arms around in obvious exasperation. “You can’t seriously be considering going upstairs with him.” “Like you give a shit,” she said. “At least Pierce doesn’t act like I’m invisible when he’s with his friends.” “You know I give a shit,” he was quick to counter. “If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t—” “You wouldn’t what, Hugh?” she cut him off by hissing. “You wouldn’t treat me like an afterthought? Because, news flash, asshole, that’s exactly what you’ve been doing.”

Omg

“You know, I used to have an epic crush on you when I was younger.” She didn’t blush or blanch when she said it either. Girl had an impressive pair of balls on her. “Most of the girls in our class had. You even overtook Leo DiCaprio for a bit—and that was during his Titanic superstardom stage.” Shaking her head, she released another sigh before adding, “Which only proves that I’ve always been attracted to the worst kind of wrong for me.”

Danggg

“I’m here for Claire.” “Bullshit,” I corrected with a snort. “You’re here for her brother.” Her eyes widened. “What are you—” “Let me guess,” I interrupted, amused. “You’re fucking Biggs, and he won’t commit, so you’ve gone off with one of the lads on his team to get back at him?”

Im so.lost but so excited

“Oh god. Please don’t say anything, Joey.” Swallowing nervously, she pressed a hand to her brow and groaned. “He has a girlfriend, and I have a…” “I’ll tell you what, Lilly.” “It’s Lizzie.”

OH MY GOD

“What else is there to say?” I replied with a shrug. “The way I see it, you’re not the first to get tangled up like this, and you won’t be the last. Either way, I’m no priest, so no need to offer your confession up to me. Not when I’ve done plenty worse than you.” She arched a brow, reluctantly intrigued. “When you say worse…” I smirked. “You’d need a bishop to take my confession.”

“Wait a minute. I think I know that guy she’s talking to.” “Everybody knows Gerard Gibson.” Katie chuckled. “He offered Joey a condom in Biddies once.”

“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.”

Mhmmmmm

“Oh no, guys, that’s only Lizzie,” Katie was quick to point out. “She’s in third year at Tommen. She’s best friends with Claire.” “Maybe for now,” Casey corrected hotly. “Soon, she’ll just be known as the girl I went to prison for killing.”

“Apparently, Bella’s been sleeping with Cormac since before Christmas, even though she’s meant to be with Johnny Kavanagh, but he’s out on injury.” “Oh, the scandal,” I replied flatly. “What life-changing information I have been given about three people I couldn’t give one single fuck about. How will I ever contain my excitement?”

Tjis is scratching ever itch ive ever had

“You lost your mind the minute you decided to break my best friend’s heart,” she snapped. “Aoife Molloy is the single best thing that’s ever happened to you, Joey Lynch, and everyone knows it. She loves you, asshole, despite your reputation and all of the horrible things you’ve done in your past, and instead of treating her with the love and respect she deserves, you trample all over her with your bullshit.”

“Molloy?” “Not right now, Joe.” My heart bucked wildly in protest. “Molloy.” “No,” she choked out, before hurrying out of the kitchen with Casey draped around her. “I can’t do this right now, okay?”

“Are you going to look at me?” “Not right now.” “Why not?” “Because it hurts too much.” My heart constricted in my chest. “Baby.”

“So, Katie is with Hugh.” “Yeah, they’ve been together for a while now.” “Well, shit.” My thoughts reverted back to the conversation I had with Lizzie, and a pang of sympathy hit me

“Are you serious?” I took a step back, feeling like she had just knifed me in the gut. “You think I’m not hurting?” “I don’t know how you feel anymore.” “In love,” I bit out. “With you.”

“You don’t love me, Joey.” Eyelids fluttering, she leaned into my touch and sniffled. “You don’t know how to love anyone.” “Maybe I do it badly,” I choked out, as my heart splintered apart. “But I do love you.”

To be fair, it didn’t take a genius to figure out why the girls from his school were looking. The boy was built like a brick shithouse, with both nipples pierced and more muscles on his body than he had common sense in his head.

While the rest of his friends had long since abandoned their girlfriends and dates, Gibsie hadn’t taken more than three steps away from Claire all night.

Shut up

Our eyes met, green on green, and he winked at me from across the room. And just like that, I was ruined.

“Exactly.” She smiled. “So, go on over there and claim that incredibly sexy and incredibly scary boyfriend of yours before any more girls try to snatch him up.” “Damn straight I will.”

Narrowing my eyes, I turned on my heel and marched straight for the beautiful pothead himself, only to swing back at the last minute and grab Katie’s hand. “But you’d better take your own advice and come with me because that moody-looking pal of Shannon’s is looking like she wants to eat that posh boy of yours up.”

Uh oh

“You can’t tell me what to do, Joe,” I growled, feeling a combination of drunk and dizzy. “You don’t own me.” “Well, that’s bad fucking luck on my account, because you sure as shit own me!” Drunk or not, his words hit me like a wrecking ball to the chest. Feeling the air whoosh from my lungs, I glared up at him, feeling a torrent of emotions crashing through me. “Why would you say that to me?” “Because it’s the truth.” “Since when?” “Since I was twelve.”

My life was unpredictable, and my future was bleak, but I had no doubts that wherever I ended up, this girl would forever have a hold over me.

Because every part of me loved every part of her. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

“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.”

“You’re all I want, Molloy.” “Then prove it,” she whispered, fingers gliding over my skin. “Because you can’t keep me hanging in limbo like this.”

“Stop trying to protect me and start making me happy,” she countered, eyes locked on mine. “Because it’s time to pick your poison, Joey Lynch.”

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

“It’s you,” he repeated gruffly, fingers tightening on my waist. “I pick you. Every single time.”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“I’ll love you the right way this time,” he whispered, and his breath fanned my cheek. “If you’ll show me how.”

Sobbing

“What I did at Christmas? How far I went? It scared the shit out of me, and all I could think about was if I didn’t get you away from me, I would end up destroying my world, because that’s what you are to me, Aoife. You’re my whole goddamn world wrapped up in one girl. So, yeah, maybe I’ve gone about it entirely the wrong way, but all I’ve ever tried to do is protect you.”

“I’m not your mother or your sister. I’m not another girl who needs something from you. I’m the girl who wholeheartedly wants you. I’m the girl who wholeheartedly loves you. The hurler. The mechanic. The boy. The protector. The asshole. The lover. The addict.”

This book is trying to kill me

“Oh, please. You’ve been in love with me since forever. It’s so obvious,” she replied without a hint of self-doubt or shyness, and I fucking loved it. “But I was never sure if you could ever truly open yourself up in that way to anyone.” “Not anyone, Molloy,” I told her. “Just you.”

“Ride or die, Joe.” Fuck me… A shiver rolled through me, and I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing her ass and dragging her body roughly against mine. “Ride or die, Molloy.”

“I love your legs,” Joey agreed, hair all mussed up and sexy, as he looked up at me from his perch. “But if you don’t start remembering to keep them open when my head is between them, then they’re going to be responsible for my death.”

“This is my world. It’s fucking horrible, but I’m willing to show you, if you’re willing to stay.” “Always, Joe,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Always.” ______________________

“I’m yours,” I whispered, giving myself entirely to him. “You can have me anytime, anyplace, anywhere because you own me.” “Jesus.” “Every inch of me,” I breathed, chest heaving against his as our bodies collided. “So, take what’s yours.”

Back to Bullshit…I Mean BCS

“I’m so fucking proud of you,” I said instead, struggling to keep my emotions in check. “You don’t even realize how brave you are.” It was the truth. Where she saw weakness, I saw strength. Where she saw fear, I saw resilience.