Releasing 10 (Boys of Tommen, #6)

by Chloe Walsh

Aside from the four months I’d been alive longer than him, I’d never known a world without the curly-haired troublemaker beside me. It was strange because I didn’t think of him as a friend like Patrick Feely, my best friend from school. I thought of Gibsie in the same way I thought about my little sister Claire. Gibs didn’t have to be careful with my feelings and I didn’t have to be careful with his. We could argue, fight, and say the worst things to each other and still be okay because we were brothers, and brothers always came back together in the end.

“I’m big-boned, Hughie.” Now he was the one to elbow me to stop me from laughing. “We can’t all be beanpoles.”

“You are a crazy girl,” Hugh laughed, hooking an arm around me when he swam back to me. “What would you have done if I didn’t swim back for you?” “I knew you would,” I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck as he swam us over to the shallow part. “Oh yeah?” he teased, releasing me when I could stand. “How?” “Because I trust you,” I told him. “You make me feel safe.” That seemed to confuse him because his brows furrowed together. “You’ll always be safe with me.” “I know.” I splashed him with my hand. “No matter what, right?” “Yeah, Liz,” Hugh chuckled, splashing me back. “No matter what.”

Mark didn’t fix me this time. Hugh did. And he didn’t have to hurt me to do it…

“Gerard!” Claire screamed, sounding more frightened than I’d ever heard her. “Just hold on, okay? I’m here, Gerard! Don’t go to sleep!”

“I won’t.” I hissed through my teeth from the effort it was taking to hold on, especially with the current pulling and the waves crashing over him. But if the ocean wanted Gerard Gibson, then it was going to have to take my arms with him because I would never let go of him.

There would be a million more parties, but there would only ever be one Lizzie Young.

All I could do was stay. So that’s what I did. Because I knew deep down inside that I would sit with Lizzie Young for the rest of my life if it kept the sadness out of her eyes. If it kept her safe.

“There’s no such thing as normal, Liz. It doesn’t exist. It’s just a word someone invented to make everyone behave the exact same way so they can tick the exact same boxes.”

“Milady is too kind,” he replied in his playful, brave-knight accent, before climbing to his feet and bowing dramatically. “From this day forth, dear Wife, this sword shall be sworn to you.” He placed his stick at my feet and bowed again. “I shall slay all your enemies, shield you from dragons, and protect you with my life.”

“And I shall protect you with mine, dear Husband.” Snatching the stick, I jumped to my feet and swished it around. “Have no fear, brave knight, for I shall be your secret weapon in every battle.”

One of my favorite things about Liz was that she matched my enthusiasm for reading. We could easily sit for hours in each other’s company reading, without feeling an ounce of pressure to make awkward conversation because there was never any awkwardness between us.

Gibsie was the greatest friend a person could have. He was loyal, trustworthy, had the best personality in the whole school, and really fucking cared about the people he loved. Feely and I both knew that friends like Gerard Gibson didn’t come around too often, and I was glad Johnny realized it, too.

“She’s never not going to be sad,” Gibsie replied, sniffling again. “Trust me, that kind of sadness never goes away. The world just stops seeing it.”

“Get naked,” I purred, flicking open the buttons of my school shirt. “Now.” “Oh, no, no, no,” my boyfriend warned, holding a hand up. “Cover those tits, witch. We’re not going there right now.”

“Brian’s not the one I’m afraid of coming to harm,” Gibsie muttered under his breath, looking comically terrified. “He’s the size of a goat, Feely. A very mean, very evil goat, I tell ya!”