Keeping 13 (Boys of Tommen, #2)

by Chloe Walsh

She… sacrificed herself for those kids. For me…"

i am crying. brb

"So, Cap's Batman and you're Robin?" Feely mused. "Hmm. Makes sense."

"Feely, give me the hammer," Hughie snarled as he stalked towards Gibsie. "I'm going bury this fucker, once and for all."

"You can't hide from me," she told him as she moved straight for him. "And you can't give up, either."

"My Joey," she whispered, cupping his cheek in her hand. "My baby."

"Come on back to me," she coaxed, whispering in his ear as she smoothed her hand over his hair and then his cheek and jaw. "Because I'm not giving you up."

"We're here," they both whispered, throwing their arms around me. "We're not leaving you."

"Flanker," Tadhg snickered, darting up the ladder once Feely and Hughie had climbed down. "More like wanker." "Oh now, he's my favorite," Hughie laughed.

"He's my puppy, aren't you, buddy?" Sean nodded happily. "Onny." He smashed my cheeks in his hands. "My Onny." "Your Onny?" Gibsie teased. "No, no, I don't think so." Draping an arm over my shoulders, he said, "This is my Onny." Sean's face reddened. "My Onny." Clutching my face in his tiny hands, he pulled me closer. "My Onny."

"Well, it all started back in the Spring of 1988, when Gerard Gibson entered the world. Ten years later, he was thrown into my life and it all went to shite from there,"

"Your mother did a lot of fucked-up shit, baby, and I'm not excusing any of it, but that night, when it came down to the wire, she looked me dead in the eyes and told me to save her children. That was the only thing on her mind at the end. Making sure you and your brothers were out of that house."

and i’m crying again.

"You smell like home."

"You are home."

"Will you shoulder our mother with us?" Clearly taken aback, Johnny sank back in his seat. "Are you sure?" His uncertain blue eyes flicked from me to Joey before settling on Darren. "You want me?" "There would be four white coffins up here if you hadn't done what you did," Darren replied, gesturing to our brothers and me. "We want you, and she would want you, too."

"You shut up, Joey Lynch," she sobbed, gripping his sides. "I love you." "You shut up, Aoife Molloy," he shot back gruffly and pressed a kiss to her brow. "I love you, too."

"I can't believe you got a Prince Albert piercing," Lizzie said, rolling her eyes. "That's so tacky." "He didn't," Claire was quick to defend. "He got a Jacob's Ladder, and it's not tacky. It's very nice."

"You two are made for each other," Katie chuckled. "It's so adorable."

"Don't tell them that, babe," Hughie growled. "You'll give them ideas." "But they're having babies together," Katie pointed out. "They're already committed."

"Good choice," Feely interjected quietly, giving her a small nod. Lizzie blushed. "I know."

hmmm a future couple orrrr

"My Onny," Sean announced then, holding a picture of two green circles up in his hands. "Sean and my Onny."

"Dellie!" Ollie shouted at the top of his lungs. "I caught them again!"

"I want my money," Ollie shot back. "And you know the rules, mister rule-breaker." Narrowing his eyes at me, he said, "You're not allowed to play with my sister on your own." He folded his arms across his chest. "And you've got no clothes on. Dellie says that's a big no-no."

"You know what he did to her," Lizzie snarled. "You know what he cost me!" "I'm not him!" Gibsie roared at the top of his lungs, throwing his hands up in the air. "I had nothing to do with that!"

"It's okay, Gerard," Claire soothed as she knelt in front of him with a towel in her hand. "Shh…" With aching tenderness, she gently dabbed at his face and hair. "I'm right here with you." Moving onto his shoulders, she gently dried him off with the towel before wrapping it around his shoulders and cupping his pale face in her hands. "Deep breaths." Pressing her forehead to his, she stroked his cheeks and whispered, "I'll keep you safe."

"And I'm so sorry," Lizzie sobbed. "They know," Feely replied. Turning to Lizzie, he crooked a finger and said, "Come here." "Wh-what?" "I said come here," he repeated in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "Now." Stunned, I watched as Lizzie complied without a word and walked over to him. "Now, you and I are going to go for a walk and let them all cool off," Feely said, taking ahold of her hand. "And we're going to come back when everyone here remembers that they're not perfect angels." "O-okay." Sniffling, Lizzie nodded and let Feely lead her away from the campsite.

"What about Gibsie?" I strangled out, dabbing at the tears trickling down my cheeks. "How did he get out?" "That's the part he won't tell me," Johnny muttered. "I know it has something to do with the Biggs family – and maybe even Claire? But I presume one of them swam out and saved him." He shrugged again, looking a little helpless. "He doesn't talk about it, and I don't push."

"Claire?" "Claire," he confirmed with a nod. "I think they have secrets," I admitted, shifting closer to him. "I think you're right," Johnny agreed. "But whatever he needs right now, he'll get that from her." Shaking his head, he added, "I can't give it to him."

okay? I'm going to call the house and say 'Dellie, is my Seany there?'" He smiled. "And me say 'my Onny there?'"

"But don't forget that you'll always be my 13." She sniffled and wiped my cheek with her fingers. "My binding 13."

"Now, I'm keeping 13," she told me.

You're in my mind all the time, Shannon. My heart, too.

(PS: My dick is still in my pants, and my love is still a crazy fucking amount.)

"Yeah." Tadhg nodded in agreement. "She's something else." "Tadhg Lynch," I teased. "Are you crushing on Aoife?" His cheeks turned bright pink. "No." "Aww," I swooned. "You're so cute." "Oh, fuck off," he shot back huffily.

"Fuck that, I'm famous!" Hughie cheered. "He said my name." Turning to Feely, he grinned. "Fucking Cap, huh? What a legend." "I know," Feely laughed. "Gibs is going to lose his shit when he watches it back."

She was laughing and smiling, and all golden-tanned, and that beautiful brown hair was loose and blowing in the light breeze.

Tits, that was all I could see as Shannon broke into a run.

LMFAO BYE

"Shannon!" Claire laugh/screamed my name and I reached out to grab her hand, laughing as all four of us screamed out the words of the song.

"I love you," he mouthed, craning his neck to look up at me. Sniffling, I mouthed, "I love you, too."

It was September 1st 2005. A brand-new term, and my first day of fifth year. Deciding to take the leap year option with Lizzie and Claire,

"That little shit," Gibsie hissed, stepping around us to hunt after my little brother. "You better keep your pre-pubescent eyes off my baby mama, fucker. Or you won't have balls to drop!"

Grinning, I spun around and openly ogled my boyfriend in his Tommen uniform, looking like the best thing my eyes had ever seen. "No, it wasn't."

"He's the new sixth year," Helen explained with a dreamy sigh. "The new boy of Tommen." "Well, shit," Gibsie mused, coming to join us. "This year is going to be eventful." "It's going to be something alright," Johnny replied. "Yeah," Gibsie laughed. "Let the madness begin."

"Shan, you're my teammate in this. I don’t want to go to any black-tie event without you."