Redeeming 6 (Boys of Tommen, #4)

by Chloe Walsh

“I still love you.” I heard her sudden intake of breath, but she didn’t say anything for a long beat. “Don’t.” “I fucking love you, Aoife Molloy,” I repeated, focusing on an oil stain on the back wall of the garage. “I always will.”

“You didn’t call.” The accusation was there in her voice. “Not once.” “I couldn’t.” Grimacing in what felt like physical pain, I forced myself to give her my truth. “I only got my phone back this morning.” “From who?” “From Tadhg.” There was a pause. “Why did Tadhg have your phone?” “Because I needed to not have it.” “Because?” I grimaced. “You know why.” “Joe.” She breathed heavily into the phone, and I didn’t have to be there to know there was a tremor running through her body. I knew because the same tremor was running through mine. “You’re really clean?” “Yeah, Molloy.” For you. “I really am.”

“Put her down right this instant, Gerard Gibson,” Shannon’s curly-haired pal, Claire Biggs, instructed as she stood on the last step of their impressive staircase, dressed up as the blond from the Spice Girls, and pointed a finger at the big bollox attempting to waltz to the Vengaboys’ “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!” with a pampered-looking cat. “Don’t you dare hurt my—” “Pussy?” he offered and then made a ridiculous purring noise with his tongue. “You know that I would never hurt your pussy, Claire-Bear.” Yeah, he was a few crayons short of a full box. “I told you not to call me that in public,” she protested with a huff.

“Pretty sure his mam made him take Irish dancing lessons in primary school.” Katie giggled. “There’s a bunch of medals on display in the cabinet in Hugh’s front room from feis competitions that they competed in.” “Who? Gibsie and Claire?” She nodded. “Aw, they danced together?” “Uh-huh.” Katie laughed. “Until he hung his dancing shoes up for rugby boots.” “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.”

Common sense or not, the big man certainly seemed to have his priorities in order, placing his curly-haired queen in a firm first-place position. 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. “Honestly, they’re not doing it,” Katie offered, seeming to read my thoughts as she rolled her eyes. “They’re always like this. Like two weird little unicorn magnets drawn to each other.”

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

“Molloy!” “Lynchy, just relax.” “She’s only having a bit of craic, lad.” “I said no,” he snapped, snatching the joint out of my hand and handing it off to the stranger standing behind him. “I said no, Aoife.” “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.”

Molloy played her ace card tonight, though, and in doing so had forced me to fold, with nothing but hearts on display for everyone around us to see. “Nicely done, baby.” Blowing out a frustrated breath, I clamped a hand on her hip and pulled her close. “You win this round.”

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

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.” “Hmm.” Taking my hand in hers, she led me onto the dance floor, and like the habit of a lifetime, I followed after her, knowing that this girl was by far my greatest addiction.

“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.”

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

“See, that’s a huge part of our problem right there, Joe, because I’ve never needed your protection,” I croaked out. “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.” Sniffling, I added, “All of your versions.

“So, I’m sort of freezing out here,” I told him, gesturing around us. “Shit, yeah,” he muttered, reaching for the hem of his hoodie, only to realize that this was one of the rare occasions when he wasn’t wearing one. “Do you have a coat?” he asked, pulling me in close and splaying his big hand across my bare back. “No, but I don’t need one,” I replied, just about done with all of the heavy. “Because I have an unlimited supply of free alcohol to warm my belly and this asshole guy I’m sort of in love with to warm everywhere else.” He smirked. “Is that so?” “Uh-huh. Come on, Tony Soprano.” Wrapping my arm around his waist, I slid my hand into his back pocket and leaned in to his warm side. “This time, you can look after me.”

Snaking one hand up to cover the tattoo on my chest, she used the other to move the hand I’d been resting on her hip to her tattooed ass cheek. Leaning back, she looked me right in the eyes and whispered the words, “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.” Her lips crashed against mine, and it was in this very moment that I knew I would never be able to untangle myself from this girl. Not in this lifetime.