Keeping 13 (Boys of Tommen, #2)

by Chloe Walsh

Glaring at the back of his head, I adjusted my crutches and hurried to catch up. "I don’t bleeding bulldoze."

Okay Johnny, okay. Yes you do Johnny and I love you for it.

"Come on." Mr. Kavanagh sighed wearily and placed a hand on the back of Johnny's neck. "Get out of the room before I take your crutch and beat you with it."

"Nice choice of words, Da," Johnny groaned, allowing his father to lead him out of the room. "Real fucking tactful." "Oh Jesus," Mr. Kavanagh muttered, turning in the doorway. His face was a deep shade of red as he said, "My sincerest apologies for the tasteless remark," before closing the door behind them.

"Well, she needs to step the fuck back from my son," Mam growled, visibly trembling with anger. "I won't have it, Johnny. Do you hear me? I won't have it! She's a very lucky lady that it was your father with you tonight and not me!" "Step the fuck back?" My mouth fell open. "You planning on throwing down, Ma?" "She tried to have you suspended in January," Mam growled, cheeks turning pink. "She put her hands on my minor child, on school grounds – something Mr. Twomey conveniently forgot to disclose when I spoke to him about it." She narrowed her eyes. "No one messes with my kid."

Darren let out an exasperated sigh. "Shannon, we need to focus on the family right now. We have social workers breathing down our necks and the Gardaí up our asses. We don't need any more hassle. I know you think we're being unfair, but it has to be this way for now."

Officially not a fan Ya I kind of understand where he’s coming from more this time around but still can’t stand him. I pitty the position he’s in but I also want to kick him in the balls.

"You're a baby, Shannon," Darren sighed, belittling me once more. "You don't even know what love means yet."

I understand what he’s saying I truly do. But Shannon hasn’t been a baby in a very long time and he’s partially to blame for that so FUCK him.

It didn't seem to matter what Darren said or did; Ollie and Tadhg weren't impressed and constantly challenged him. Even little Sean was resisting our new setup. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since Dad left. I knew Darren was trying, and a part of me felt bad for my oldest brother, but a bigger part of me held infallible allegiance towards Joey.

"I know." Swallowing deeply, I battled down my emotions and cupped the side of my head. "I was trying to bring some hair from the other side of my parting over to cover it up, but it's all uneven at the ends." He was silent for a long time before asking, "Do you have a comb?" I nodded. "On the sink." Without a word, Tadhg walked over to the sink and grabbed both the comb and scissors. "Whoa," I spluttered, eyeing the scissors warily. "Wh-what are you doing?" "Fixing it," he growled. "Do you want my help or not?"

And now I love Tagh Again.

My ears perked up at the sound of Gibsie's name, and instantly, I was plotting mutiny.

"I do." Leaning forward, Claire poked her head out between our seats. "But they won't let you through the front door. I had Hughie drive me over there on Friday to see her, but her mother told me she was in bed." Claire scrunched her nose up as she spoke. "She wouldn't even hear me out, guys. She said Shan was too tired for visitors and just dismissed me."

Wtf?!?!!?! That’s ridiculous they can’t seclude her forever…

"Smile, Claire-Bear," he coaxed, keeping his hand on her hip. "No one could say no to the sun."

"Oh Jesus, his mother's going to kill me," Gibsie groaned. "It's bad enough that I took him out behind her back, but now he's going to be arrested, and then I'll be arrested because I'm a good friend and it's just bad form to let him go to prison on his own, but she won't see it that way. No, she'll see her baby in a cell and I'll be the dead, ball-less eejit beside him. Ugh!" "Shut up, Gibs!" I barked. "Stop the world," Gibsie groaned. "I want to get off."

Same Gibs, same 😂😂

My words broke off when a small figure darted out from under Darren's arm and sprang towards me. My brain barely had the chance to process that the figure I was seeing was Shannon before she lunged at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and causing me to stagger back a step.

I knew that car. It belonged to Gerard Gibson. And wherever Gibsie was…

Claire beamed at me. "Girl, my pride levels are so high right now they could not possibly be measured." She took my hands in hers and squeezed. "How does it feel to finally stick up for yourself and win?"

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! Claire’s such a great friend. I need to take notes 🥰

I won the battle of the best-friend versus boyfriend, and it felt fucking fabulous. Round one to me. Except I wasn't even sure if I was her boyfriend.

"You," I whispered. "All of you." "I'm already yours," he groaned, before covering my lips with his.

and that's the exact moment I felt the shift; the switch from this being something sweet and innocent, to deeply complicated with the hint of forever.

"Boom, boom, fucking boom, buddy!" Jesus…

"I'm really not," Gibsie laughed. "And it's not just her pussy I want – although, that's high on the list. I want the whole lot of her, lad, and she wants me back." He grinned devilishly. "Badly."

"My sister doesn't want you," Hughie sneered. "Claire can't stand you. She only puts up with you because you're friends with me."

"Why don't you just tell him how you feel?" I asked gently. "It's obvious that he feels the same way." "He doesn't," she mumbled. "It's all about the chase for him. If I give in now, he'll get bored." I pondered her words for a moment before saying, "He might surprise you?" "And I might disappoint him," she mumbled.

I feel that Boys are stupid.

"Back off, buddy," Claire warned, coming to stand beside me. "I have a weapon –" she pointed over Darren's shoulder, "He's right over there and I'm not afraid to call him."

"Determination, dedication, and consistency," I replied. "The 30/30/30 effect."

"I don't know," he replied, tone light. "I've never had a girlfriend. I have no fucking clue of what the relationship etiquette in this situation should be." Grinning, he added, "I usually solve my problems with my tongue." "Gibs–" "I'm serious," he added. "Mad at me? Have a lick out. Hurt your feelings? Let me eat you out." He shrugged. "It's all I know, lad."

"Hey –" Gibsie held his hands up and grinned. "I'm the last person you should be taking advice from." Shrugging, he added, "I'm following your lead, lad." "Jesus, we're fucked," I muttered.

Hours later and I was still coming to terms with the best and worst thing I had ever done. Because I wanted inside that girl more than my next breath and having her dangle her virginity in front of my nose like a fucking Grand Slam medal was the worst kind of temptation. But I did the right thing, dammit. I stopped it. I put what she needed before what I wanted, and that knowledge put me somewhat at peace. So afterwards, when I had smoothed things over and we went downstairs, I drank hot chocolate with her friend, I made the small talk, I provided the reassurance I knew she needed from me, and I reined in Gibsie as best as I could, and I did all this with the worst case of blue balls known to man.

Somebody is going to die in this house.

Just not Joey!!! Oh honey if you only knew

"I think the power is getting to your head," I shot back, grinning. "Give me that ball." "Never," she laughed. "It's mine. You gave it to me, and I'm not giving it back." Like my fucking heart?

doesn’t take any effort to be ordinary,"

"You're back early, love. Did your car break down?" Mrs. Kavanagh's voice cut through my lust-filled thoughts and I jerked away from Johnny like I had been scalded.

BUSTED 😂💀

"No, what's ridiculous is you going along with that woman's fucked up thought process and trying to keep Shan in this house after everything that happened," Joey countered. "If you keep it up – if you force them apart – he will lose his shit. Draw a battle line with that fucker and he will go to war with you." Turning to Mam, he added, "And if I was you, I'd lay off throwing threats around because you have a hell of a lot more to lose out of this – and a lot more skeletons to be exposed – if his daddy decides to have you done for slander."

Please don’t die Joey Okay firstly why was I so convinced Joey was going to die? Ugh thank goodness I know how this ends! Secondly, YOU TELL EM JOE!!

"I'm tired." "Because you were up late bumping uglies with your girlfriend?"

Freaking Gibsi

"I'm not sure about this, Johnny," she muttered, sitting so close to the wheel that her nose was kissing the windscreen, as the car chugged along. "This is nothing like GTA."

😂😂😂

"This is exactly like GTA," she laughed. "Except there's no restart button," I groaned. "So please don't kill us." "It's like you said," she giggled, pushing the pedal to the metal. "I've got this."

"Ahhhh, stop!" I screamed through fits of laughter as I squirmed beneath him. "I can't – I'm ticklish!"

The idea of being tickled give me serious anxiety

"Get out of the window before the girls come back from the bathroom," I growled for the fifth fucking time. It was no use, though. My words were falling on deaf ears. Gibsie didn't even blink in response as he stood, still as a statue, in the display window of Debenhams department store in Mahon Point shopping center, with his hands on his hips in a Superman pose, his jeans around his ankles, and a scantily clad mannequin's faceless head positioned against his dick.

GIBSIE!!!!!!

You're going to jail, Cap…

Oh Johnny you little kidnapper.

"Who the hell are you?" Bella hissed, glaring at Aoife. "Oh, I'm your worst nightmare, bitch." Taking her to the ground in one fell swoop. Aoife straddled Bella. "You like terrorizing little girls?" she demanded, straddling Bella. "Try someone your own size."

"It's not good enough," Darren shocked me by agreeing with Johnny. "My sister was brutally assaulted by two girls during school – one of whom, I learn, has been bullying her for months. My brother has been arrested for defending her when your teaching staff failed to do so. We're going through hell as it stands, something you are well aware of, and all you can say is that you're sorry?" Darren shook his head. "Forgive me for saying this, Mr. Twomey, but what the hell are we doing paying thousands of euros in school fees if you can't do something as basic as guarantee my sister's safety at school?"

Finally Darren does something right

I felt the absence of his touch in the deepest part of my soul as I walked away with Darren.

This freaks me out. Why does it feel like foreshadowing?

Shannon blamed me for what happened today. I fucking knew she did, and the worst part of it was knowing she was right. It was my fault. They did that to her because of me.

No no no no no no no no no…

"There's something very special about that boy, but he's lost, and if somebody doesn't step up and do something, he'll never find his way back."

Because as my brother disappeared from sight, I knew nothing would ever be okay again.

Noooooooooooooo

"I've got you, Johnny," Gibsie said, wrapping his arms around me just before I collapsed in a heap. "I'm right here, lad," he whispered, lowering us both to the gravel. "Let it out." So, I did.

Fucking Gibs man. What a friend. Jesus. ♥️

"Which one is he?" Feely whispered. "Ollie," I replied quietly. "He's my favorite," Gibsie announced.

"Why would you do that to him, Lizzie?" Claire began to scream. And then she did something I never expected her to do. She slapped Lizzie across the face. "He's afraid of water, you heartless bitch," Claire continued to scream. "And you know he is."

Holy shit

"I said come here," he repeated in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "Now."

Felt just got very attractive. 😅

"That's my plan for the day gone out the window." "What?" I whispered, greedily welcoming his warmth by wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. "What's wrong?" He clamped a hand on my hip and exhaled a contented sigh. "I can't be getting notions of dying when you're looking like that."

"Who's headlining this year?" "Green Day and The Foo Fighters," he replied.