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I squealed, feeling safer in this boy’s arms than anywhere else on earth. “Please don’t let go.” “Never,” he vowed. “Not in a million years.”
“Oh god, but my heart loves you most of all.” “Right back at you, Shannon like the river.” “You’re really for keeps, aren’t you?”
“And I’ve got you, Binding 13,”
“I’m best man,” Hugh tossed out. “Like hell you are,” Patrick shot back. “Fuck you both,” Gerard interjected. “That’s my job.”
“I know words,” Gerard huffed, tone defensive. “Says the fella who tried to convince the whole of fourth class that tyrant was a breed of dinosaur.” “Hey! That was an easy mistake, and you know it.” Gerard shrugged noncommittally. “Could have happened to anyone.”
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.
Because Gerard had the best arms. They were delicious.
His brown nipples were pierced and adorned with itty-bitty silver hoops, and he had a tattoo on his left rib cage with the word Resilience in italic font that was decorated with a feather in black, and then a tiny Care Bear on his right hipbone.
“I love you, Gerard.” “I love you, too.”
“Do I smell sausages?” Clambering out of my tent, Gerard sniffed the air like a deranged Doberman.
He was built and broad, with gloriously sun-kissed skin and the most amazing pearly-white smile. His eyes were like pools of gray marble you could fall into, and he was just so downright snuggly.
Because this boy had always been my favorite boy. My favorite friend, person, human, everything.
“Well, don’t… Hey, back up. I’m serious, Gibs. Don’t stand over an open flame like that. You’re going to get your dick splattered with grease, you eejit.” “Aw,” I cooed, grinning at the pair of them. “Look at you being all chivalrous protecting your best friend’s willy.”
“Yeah, because stick and stones will break my bones and words will make me starve myself to death.” Lizzie narrowed her eyes. “Isn’t that how the saying goes?” “Huh? What are you talking about?” I argued, brows creased in confusion. “It’s ‘words will never hurt me.’” Without a word, Katie stood up and walked away from the circle, and then, with a devastated look on his face, Hugh stood up and hurried after her.
“I hear what you’re saying, Shan,” Johnny added. “But for me, I find it really hard to tolerate Lizzie’s behavior when I’ve seen how you carry yourself.” Shifting around in the back seat, he draped a protective arm around her shoulder. “You’ve been hurt more than anyone I’ve ever known, and still you spread kindness. You wouldn’t harm a fly—and certainly not intentionally.” Shan blushed bright red and ducked her face. “That’s not always true.” “Yeah, it is,” he countered, tipping her chin up so she looked at him. “Baby, I’ve watched you get stung by a bee and not retaliate.” “Because we need
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line.” “Gibs, slow the bleeding car down!” Johnny barked as he placed a protective hand over Shan’s middle. “If you kill me, I swear to Christ, I’ll come back and kill you!” “How can you come back to kill me if you’re already dead?” “Where there’s a will there’s a relative,” Johnny shot back, draping a protective arm over his girlfriend. “Trust me, Gibs, I’d find a way.”
Shannon Lynch was his endgame, and Johnny Kavanagh was hers.
“Jesus Christ, it’s contagious!” Snatching the phone out of Claire’s hand, I tossed it back to Shannon. “Here, put that phone away before that baby’s picture causes an epidemic.”
I loved temple kisses. Forehead kisses, too. And nuzzling noses were the cream of the crop. Those intimate forms of affection were my favorite, and my bestie received an abundance of both on the daily from her lover.
“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!”
“Boot camp is like an orgasm to his workaholic ass.”
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.
“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.”
“I have so much faith in you, Gerard Gibson.” Reaching on my tiptoes, I cupped his face in my hands and stroked his nose with mine. “You can do this.”
His breath fanned my face when he whispered, “And you’ll be with me.” “Always,” I vowed.
“Want to see my boobs?” “Do I fuck,” he choked out, craning his head back to look at me. “The answer to that question is always, Claire-Bear. Always.”
“I’m right here.” “Believe me, I know,” he bit out, full-body shuddering. “It’s the only reason I’m doing this.”
“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.”
“You are a queen, Sadhbh Gibson.” “Sadhbh Allen,” Keith corrected
hate him
“What’s that?” I asked when the folded-up piece of paper hanging out from the edge of his bed caught my eyes. “Gerard Gibson.” I feigned hurt. “Are you hiding love letters from other girls under your mattress.” “No love letters,” he replied with a chuckle, quickly shoving the note back under his mattress. “I promise.”
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“Now, come on and help me. Put your own stamp on my ceiling.” Kind of like the stamp you’ve put on my heart?
“He looks lonely.” “Who?” “Mr. Smiley Face.” “I can see that,” he agreed, hands settling on my calves. “He needs Mrs. Smiley Face.” “He definitely does.”
“It’s when you live in the same house as your best friend, and you have babies and a cat,” I paused to lick my cone, before continuing, “and a big bed, and…” “And pillow fights?” “Yep.” I nodded. “And you get to eat cake in bed with the same person for ever and ever and ever.”
Her eyes grew really big. “But I don’t want marry anyone.” Leaning closer, she licked my cone and smiled. “Except you…”
“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.” “You’re such a joker.” “I’m not joking.”
“But whenever I daydream, you’re the star of the show.” “I am?” “Of course.”
“I love you, Claire.” “I love you, too, Gerard.” A shiver racked through her. “A lot.”
“But this baby is the best baby,” I added, tracing AJ’s chubby cheek with my finger. “I want one.” “Me too.” “You two are disturbed.”
“Why do bad things happen to good people?” “I don’t know, Claire,” he replied, patting my shoulder. “I really don’t.” “It’s just so shitty!” “Yeah, it is,” he agreed, offering me a bottle of water. “But the fact that Shan and the boys are here today, still standing, still breathing? It’s a miracle in itself. As for Joey? He’s a force to be reckoned with. I’ve never seen a more resilient human in my life. Yeah, he’ll always be an addict, but he’s got a family in there worth staying sober for. A girl and a baby that not only would he fight to the death for, but that he also wants to live for.
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“Don’t mind him, son,” I grumbled, returning my attention to the task at hand, while my little buddy burrowed into the fabric of my gray sweatpants. “Daddy’s going to build you a better hibernaculum than any of the other hedgehogs.”
“You don’t want to care, but you do,” he added quietly. “Same as the rest of us.” “Same as you, more like.”
he was just as besotted with his dog as he was his girlfriend.
You didn’t have a baby together in secondary school unless the boy was a stallion. And by God was Joey Lynch a stallion.
“Ew. My kittens don’t have poonamis.” I scrunched my nose up in disgust. “And if they do, it’s in their litter tray and Gerard cleans it for me.”
“I knew I always liked that girl,” he told Shan, while pointing to me. “Keep her.” He turned back to me. “Lock and key, ya hear?” “I hear you, Joe.”
I tore so bad, but another mam I knew was ripped from her vagina to her butthole.” “Shut the front door!” I yelped, horrified. “Ew.” “Hand on my heart.” Aoife pressed a hand to her chest, while she cradled her sleeping son with the other. “I’m telling no word of a lie here, girls. She was maimed.”
“Of course I would, Gibs,” he appeased, patting my arm. “You’re my number one, lad.”
“You know, I think I’d love a daughter.” He scratched his jaw as he spoke. “I’d be delighted with sons, too, of course, but I’d love to raise a little girl with Shan.” Shrugging, he added, “You know, show her how different it should’ve been for her.”
“No, it is not in bloody March, you sorry excuse for a best friend,” I huffed. “The fucking cheek of you forgetting my birthday.” “Sorry, Gibs, I could’ve sworn it was in March.” He scratched his jaw. “Why is March in my head?” “Because Shannon’s birthday is in March,” I growled. “You pussy-whipped prick.”
“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.”
