Taming 7 (Boys of Tommen, #5)

by Chloe Walsh

Moments before the pain in my lungs exploded and everything went dark, I saw it. A halo of light. An orb of pure sunshine. Her. I saw her. And that’s when I knew. That’s when I knew…

I'm about to be heartbroken…

There was a big brown one and a small white one. Hugh said that Gerard’s daddy, Joe, was in the big brown one and his sister, Bethany, was in the little white one. Because they drowned last Saturday.

Omg…

“You’re my favorite person in the whole wide world, and I would swap everyone for you. Even Hugh.”

:')

“When they said someone had been saved from the water. I prayed for it to be you.”

<3

“I think they wanted your dad to save Bethany.” “I didn’t,” I admitted honestly. “I wanted to keep you most of all.”

“What about me?” he whispered as a lone tear trickled down his cheek. “Who’ll keep me safe?” “I will, silly,” I replied, releasing his hand so that I could give him a hug. “I’ll keep you safe, Gerard.”

so cuteeee

“But your hugs feel like sunshine.” “Like sunshine?” I frowned in confusion. “How?” “Because you are sunshine, silly,”

“I mean it,” he urged, turning to look at me now. “I can’t lose another person I love.” “You love me?” He nodded sadly as another tear trickled down his check. “I love you most of all.”

<3

“You can’t be my sister, Claire.” “Why not?” “Because you can’t have the hots for your sister.” “You’ve got the hots for me?”

Lol y'all are 7…

“I don’t see anyone.” His lips tipped up in the smallest of smiles before he added, “Except for you.”

Boy had game at 7 years old… lol

Claire Biggs had a lot of things. My back. My attention. My heart. My soul. Yeah, she had all of me and that wasn’t an exaggeration.

Gibsie… :')

It couldn’t hurt when I was Gibsie, because Gibsie was my armor, and humor was my sword.

Poor baby :'(

If I could sew this girl to my skin without causing her an ounce of harm, then I would do it in a heartbeat. That’s how vital she was to my life. How essential she was to my existence. If drugs were to Joey Lynch what Claire Biggs was to me, then there was no amount of rehab that could sway me to kick the habit. Because she was the habit of my lifetime.

Damn…

Because I cared about the girl. I cared to the point where she distracted my day. I cared when her cat was sick. I cared when she cried. I cared when her mam ran out of her favorite brand of cereal, and she had to eat porridge. I cared so fucking much it was hard to find where she started and I ended. I knew her favorite song every year since August 7, 1989. I knew her secrets, her little habits, and traits that nobody else noticed. I wanted to waste my time on her. All of my time. All of the time.

From as far back as I could remember, my mind had always been very clear about three things. One: Hugh was my brother. Two: Bethany was my sister. Three: Claire was mine.

<3

After the accident, once I learned how fickle life could be, how quickly a person you loved could be snatched away, it caused the feelings I had for Claire to deepen rapidly, growing wilder and stronger with every day that passed, spreading in intricate, permanent patterns around my heart like ivy.

literally ivy by TS

her. I didn’t call over at the Biggs house for Hugh. It was always for her. I would always look after her, even if looking at her from afar was all I could do. It would be enough for me. It would have to be. Because breaking her or corrupting her wasn’t an option. Letting her down was even less of one.

wow…

I would never cause harm to Claire Biggs. She was too important to me. She was everything to me.

<3

If I knew nothing else in this world, then I knew that I loved Claire Biggs.

This man is downnnnnnnn baddddddd

The same way he hurt me.

I want to know what happened…who hurt my babyyy :'(

And there it was. His mask. The divide that separated the sensitive boy I adored from the humorous one all our other friends enjoyed. It slipped effortlessly into place. Gibsie belonged to the rest of the world. Gerard belonged just to me.

“Bella’s a… What’s the word those girls in pink use in the film, babe?” Gerard asked, twirling a finger around aimlessly. “An ugly clit?” “A fugly slut, Gerard,” I corrected with a smile. “But full marks for attempting a Mean Girls reference.”

LOL

The sky was blue outside. The birds were out. The sun was shining. It was another blissful morning. And I wanted to scream.

My baby :(

The fact that she was here wasn’t surprising. Her family had been members for years, same as ours, but it was the scar she bore that took my breath away. I’d seen similar cuts on Lizzie’s body in the past, but not for a very long time. The faint scars that adorned her inner wrists had appeared in the months that followed her sister’s passing. After her parents put her in counseling, it seemed to stop. I thought she had it under control. Apparently not.

Omg…

“It’s all good, though. Some of the best things in life aren’t meant to last forever. That’s why we cherish them when they happen. Like your favorite chocolate in a box. Or shooting stars. We don’t refuse to eat the sweet because once we do, it’ll be gone, or stop looking at the stars after one shoots by. We enjoy the moment because we know it’s worth living in.”

Okay miss Claire…period

“I’ve got you, my little darling.” “And I’ve got you, Binding 13,” she cooed, attempting and failing to ruffle his hair. “So pretty.”

My parents fr

They say it’s hard to get over your first love. Well, if I knew it to be true, like my heart was so insistent, I would never be getting over Gerard Gibson.

From Katie and Hugh to Shannon and Johnny, to Lizzie and Patrick, to me and Gerard, there was an invisible string that connected all of us.

Lol that TS song

Honestly, I knew I might be biased, but Johnny Kavanagh’s impressive eight-pack or Patrick Feely’s adorable smile didn’t hold a flame to this boy. Not in my eyes, at least. Because this boy had always been my favorite boy. My favorite friend, person, human, everything.

<3

“Hi, Gibs.” “Little Shannon.” I smiled. “How’s my second favorite girl in the world?”

Soooooo cute

I knew from the very beginning that what Johnny had with Shannon was permanent. I’d never seen a fella plagued more by his feelings than Johnny. He loved the bones of that girl and, yeah, it took him his usual amount of time to predict, ponder, panic, and finally process his feelings, but he had. Once his mind was set, it was a done deal. Shannon Lynch was his endgame, and Johnny Kavanagh was hers.

Yessssss ahhhh

You know, since the academy frowns on rapists that drive teenage girls to suicide and all that jazz.

Damn…

“Aww.” Claire continued to croon and coo at the screen of the phone. “I want one.” “You want one of those things?” I gaped at her. “Are you feeling okay?” “Me too,” Shannon admitted with a wistful sigh. “I want two.” “Two’s a good number,” Johnny agreed. “But three’s better.”

Okay Johnny…

“Hey, Baby Biggs,” another one goaded. “Want to come sit on my lap and I’ll feed you something a lot more satisfying?” “Cocktease.” “You’re a dead man, Callaghan!” Hugh snarled, shoving his chair in his rush to get out of his chair to defend my honor. The move was a sweet one but unnecessary because Gerard had beaten him to it. “The fuck did you say about my girl?” He was on his feet and lunging across the lunch table before I had a chance to register that I was no longer sitting on his lap, but the seat he had vacated. “If you ever speak about her like that again, I’ll rip your fucking guts out your asshole and smear them all over your face!”

Period

I desperately wanted to silence her with the truth. About the real reason her sister was dead. About what really happened that night. But I couldn’t because aside from the fact that I had never verbalized the truth to anyone still living on earth, Lizzie would never relent. She would never say sorry. She would never stop trying to turn our friends against me. She would never stop blaming me. Her words were poison, and if she knew my truth and used it against me, I would stop working. I knew I would. She would use my pain as a bullet and shoot right at my heart. She would find a way to blame me. They all would. That’s why she didn’t know. That’s why none of them knew. That’s what I had to remember to forget.

What…?

“Besides, you’ve just given me your entire Saturday by hanging out here and keeping me company at work.” He pocketed his wallet and car keys before moving for the light switch. “I can give you my Saturday night.” “Oh yeah?” I replied, tone flirting. “You want to give me your weekend, Gerard Gibson?” Moments later, we were bathed in complete darkness. “Gerard!” I yelped, startled by the sudden blindness even though I knew it was coming. “I’ll give you all my weekends, Claire Biggs,” His hand reached for mine, fingers entwining in that familiar way I treasured. “I’ll give you my weekdays, too.”

Swooninggggg

“Why do you do it?” “Hmm?” I mused, still nuzzling his cheek with mine. “Do what?” Gerard turning his hand over, palm up, and entwined his fingers with mine. “Waste your time on me?” “For two reasons,” I explained, feeling my heart beat harder. “First, because I happen to believe that no time is ever wasted when I’m with you.” My cheek grazed his temple as I spoke. “And second, you’re my favorite person in the whole world. There’s no one I would rather spend my time with.” “Really?” “Really, but don’t tell the girls.” “Never.” “Now, close your eyes, Gerard. Take in the feel of the water on your body and how safe you feel right now.” Resisting the urge to press a kiss to his temple, I stroked his cheek with my nose and clamped my thighs around him instead. “I want you to replace the memory of that day with this one.”

I love this entire chapter :')

It’s an act, my heart reminded me. Don’t let him trick you. All smiles and laughter. Hiding his heartbreak. Hiding his pain. I wanted to save him from his past. I wanted to love him through it all. I just wanted him.

:'(

“You’re so beautiful,” I admitted because one, I had a problem keeping my mouth shut, and second, it was the truth. I’d never seen anything like her. “I swear you shine even in the darkness.”

I want this lol :')

“You’re the only person who can hold my attention. It shifts and wanders off on just about everyone else. But not you. Never you.” “Really?” “You already know this.” “Maybe, but it’s nice to hear you say it.” I thought about her words for a long moment before saying, “I love you, Claire.” “I love you, too, Gerard.” A shiver racked through her. “A lot.”

Now kiss…lol :')

“Listen, it’s got nothing to do with who you’ve been with in the past and everything to do with what you’re doing in the present,” Feely said, steering the conversation back on track. “All we’re trying to say here is stop playing with Claire’s feelings.” “Exactly,” Hugh agreed, with a stiff nod. “No more of this leading her on bullshit.” “You either want her or you don’t,” Feely added. “And if you don’t, that’s grand, Gibs. Understandable. But if that’s the case, then step aside and let the girl have a life. Because she doesn’t have a chance of getting over you when you’re standing in her way.”

Real

“Hey…hey, look at me, Claire.” Crouching down in front of her, I pried her hands away and forced her to look at me. “Talk to me.” Her brown eyes locked on mine, hazy and unfocused for a long beat before finding traction in our stare. “Because.” “Because?” I coaxed, still cupping her face. “Because you don’t love me the right way,” she whispered, leaning into my touch. “The way I need you to love me.” She reached up and covered my hands with hers. “The way I love you.”

Ahhhhhh

“I’ll tell you what, Claire,” she shot back heatedly. “I’ll apologize to him for his sister dying when he apologizes to me for mine!”

Oh babe…that's not fair

What would be going too far is telling him that Peter Biggs saved the wrong child from the water that day. The wrong child drowned. The wrong child was saved.

Poor baby…:'(

“That asshole is nothing to me. He’s not my blood. He’s not my brother. He’s not my goddamn anything, so don’t you dare keep throwing him in my face!” “He killed my sister!” “Do you think you’re the only person to ever lose their sister?” I roared, throwing my hands up in frustration. “I lost my sister, too, Lizzie! I buried my sister and my father!” “They drowned,” she spat out. “Accidentally. It’s not the same thing. Nobody hurt them. Not like my sister or Shannon’s mam.” “Oh, I’m so fucking sorry my family didn’t die in more gruesome circumstances,” I choked out, trembling. “Shit, maybe Beth should have drifted into the motor of the boat after she drowned, at least then we’d have a little blood and gore for the sob story.” “You know I didn’t mean it like that.” “You don’t know what you mean, because you haven’t thought clearly a day since she died,” I shot back. “You’re programmed on pain and bitterness. I’ve tolerated your bullshit for years because I knew how you felt. Because I know how it feels. But you crossed the line coming in here and pushing Claire around. Now, the rest of our friends can keep handing out hall passes for your horrendous behavior, Lizzie, and I’m not taking it anymore. Do you hear me? I am not walking this line with you another day of my goddamn life!”

I'm speechless…

“He didn’t even apologize,” Lizzie strangled out, entire body heaving with shudders, as her emotions got the better of her. Collapsing in a heap, she stared aimlessly at the floor. “Mark Allen raped his girlfriend. His girlfriend who was my sister. He raped her, and then she killed herself because of it. Because she couldn’t live with what he did. And then he got to walk away and live his life while my sister’s defiled body rots in the ground.”

…

She had the horror story versed off by heart, the one that made Caoimhe the victim and him the monster, while all I had was a crumpled-up letter under my mattress and the truth.

What letter Diana?????? :'(

“You told my sister to fuck off?” Hugh’s attention immediately flicked to Damien, and I felt an immense amount of pleasure when he turned beetroot red. “In what world did you assume it was okay to speak to her like that?” “My bad, Biggs. I didn’t know she was your sister.” “It wouldn’t matter either way,” Johnny answered, appearing from the tall archway that led to the showers in a pair of black boxer shorts. “You’re new, Cleary, so I’m going to give you a hall pass this time. But for future reference, we don’t talk to our girls like that. You got that?”

"Our girls" !!!! :')

“I want you to talk to me about how you’re feeling! I want you to open up to me, dammit!” “I can’t.” Devastation washed over me like a tidal wave. “Why not?” “Because I love you too much!” he surprised me by saying. Expelling a pained breath, he dropped his head to rest on my shoulder. “Because I fucking love you, Claire Biggs.”

The yearninggggggggg

“Claire.” “No. No more excuses, Gerard!” Shaking my head, I pushed at his chest and willed him to wake the hell up. “I’m right here, okay? I’m right here for you.” “I know that.” “Then do something!”

"You're losing me" by ts :')