Keeping 13

by Chloe Walsh

  I snorted, and it was Gibsie's turn to glare at me.

  "You were such a gorgeous little boy." Setting the iron down, Mam picked up my jeans and shook them out, inspecting her work, before thankfully handing them back to me. "Do you remember the summer back in primary school when you all camped out in the acre? You fell into that bush of nettles trying to lift her over the electric fencer because she was afraid of the neighbor's bull?" Mam laughed softly to herself. "You were all stung and nettled but you still managed to get her out of that field."

  "Oh yeah," Gibsie chuckled, scratching his chin. "I forgot about that."

  "I said it to Sadhbh and Sinead back then that they would have to keep an eye on the pair of you," Mam mused. " You were supposed to be Hughie's friend, but you and that young-one were always inseparable. Joined at the hip with that little girl, you were."

  "Well, thanks for the walk down memory lane, Ma," I said impatiently as I yanked my jeans back on and slipped on my boots. "But we have to go." Placing my hands on Gibsie's shoulders, I steered him towards the back door. "Night."

  "Johnny, be good," Mam called after me.

  "That's a song," I called over my shoulder.

  "And a warning," she shot back. "Keep it in your pants."

  Jesus.

  Fifteen minutes later, I had dropped Gibsie off and was parked outside the Biggs house with sweaty palms and a solid semi in my jeans. Jesus Christ, the anticipation of just seeing Shannon was driving me half demented. Excitement and nervousness thrummed in my veins, making me feel all fucked-up, but that's what she brought out in me. Closing my eyes, I breathed deep and slow for several moments, wrangling my emotions into submission before attempting to get out.

  When I felt slightly calmer, I climbed out and walked up the driveway, fighting an internal battle on what the fuck I was supposed to do when I reached the front door. Did I knock? Did I just walk in like I usually did? Jesus, I didn't know. I had no fucking clue what I was doing.

  Thankfully, the front door opened inwards when I was halfway up the garden path and Shannon was physically shoved outside by two blondes before the door slammed shut behind her.

  Holy fuck.

  My feet faltered as my eyes drank her in. She was wearing a tiny, red dress, with a black, leather jacket, and matching black heels that made her legs look like they went on for days. Her hair was pulled back in a pony-tail and flowing down her right shoulder, and her face? Jesus Christ, her lips…her eyes… fuck, I was in so much trouble.

  Clasping a carrier bag in front of her, she smiled shyly. "Hi, Johnny."

  Giving my head a little shake, I closed the space between us and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Hi, Shannon," I said gruffly. "You look beautiful."

  "How was the gym?" she asked, smiling up at me. "Were you careful?"

  I could hardly make out a word of what she had just said because my entire focus was trained on her swollen lips that were puffy and red and making me think the most depraved thoughts.

  Get it together, asshole.

  "Yeah," I choked out and then roughly cleared my throat. "It was good." Taking her hand in mine, I led her down the path to my car. "You look so fucking beautiful." You said that already, lad. "Seriously, you're gorgeous." Shut up, Johnny.

  "Uh, thanks." Under the street lamps, I could see the blush on her cheeks. "It's the clothes and makeup."

  "It's the girl," I corrected, giving her hand a squeeze.

  Shannon ducked her face and I bit the inside of my cheek.

  "Hey – you got your car back?" she said then, eyes wide. "That's great."

  "Yeah." Nodding, I opened the passenger door and gestured for her to get in. "I just got it back this morning." Shannon climbed in and I closed her door before rounding the car. "So, how'd you get out?" I asked, sinking into the driver's seat. "With Darren on patrol?"

  Shannon grimaced as she fastened her seatbelt. "We had a fight and he stormed off. Mam was in bed so I sort of just…walked out." She shrugged. "He hasn't called since so I guess he hasn't gone home yet, either."

  Fucking asshole.

  "Well, I'm glad you're out," I told her, fastening my own belt. "And I'm thrilled that you texted me."

  She smiled shyly. "You are?"

  "Of course."

  "Oh, here –" Reaching into the carrier bag, she withdrew a CD case and thrust it into my hands. "I made this for you."

  "Uh, okay?" I stared down at the CD case. "Thanks?"

  "You're welcome. It's a mixtape," she explained, face burning red. "Or a mix CD."

  I stared down at her handwriting on the case.

  Shannon's songs for Johnny.

  Fuck me.

  "You look really nice," Shannon said, cheeks so hot I swear I could feel the heat radiating off them, as she gestured to my clothes. "And you smell great."

  "Uh, thanks." I shifted in my seat, feeling a huge swell of relief.

  "I love your haircut," she added, reaching over to trail her fingers through it. "You kept the length on top." She hesitated and moved to pull her hand back but then settled it on my cheek. "You're beautiful."

  A shiver rolled through me, her words hitting me deep, and I leaned across the seat. Jesus. "Come here." Tangling a hand in her hair, I pulled her face to mine, knowing that I was about to be plastered in lipstick but not giving a shite either way.

  The moment my lips fused with hers, I was done for. Every coherent thought, plan, and notion I had for tonight went clean out the window when I felt her tongue sweep out to duel with mine. Shannon moaned into my mouth and the vibration against my lips caused the semi I'd been sporting to shoot to full mast. I heard the sound of a seatbelt clicking and then she was right there, scrambling over the seats to straddle my lap.

  Jesus Christ, this girl was going to ruin me.

  My hands moved of their own accord, clamping down on her hips to hold her still as I pushed against her, driving myself to the point of pain with the need I had to just bury myself inside this girl and never come back up for air.

  "Johnny?" she gasped, breathing hard against my lips. "What do you want to do tonight?"

  Jesus, that was such a loaded question with endless possibilities. She didn't need to be giving me any notions. I needed basic instructions right now because I was in unknown territory and she was all I wanted to do.

  "I don't know." Striving for self-control, I leaned back to look at her. "I was waiting to see what you wanted to do."

  "I just want to be with you," she replied simply, placing her small hands on my chest and setting my body on fire. "I don't care if we sit in this car all night."

  "Do you want to go to the cinema?" I offered, knowing that staying in the car all night was a dangerous idea – tempting, but very dangerous. "Or we could go to Biddies for a game of pool? Or Spizzico for dinner?" I shrugged, feeling flustered. "Whatever you want."

  "I…" She glanced down at my chest before tipping her chin back up, eyes locked on mine. "I don't want to go anywhere?"

  Was that a question? "You don't want to?" I asked, uncertain. "Do you want to go home?"

  "No." Shannon shook her head. "Not…" Her words broke off and she ducked her face again.

  "Not what, baby?" I asked. "If you don't tell me, I won't know."

  "I just want to be alone with you," she whispered, looking up at me through hooded eyes. "You know?"

  I knew.

  But I also knew that it was a terrible idea.

  "You want to go to my house?" I asked, feeling my body ache with the pressure it was taking to take this slowly. I knew I needed to, but Christ, she wasn't making it easy for me. "My room?"

  She nodded. "If you do?"

  Fuck.

  40

  I'm Coming!

  Shannon

  The moment Johnny drove through the opened gates of his property, he killed the lights of the car, leaving us completely in the dark. Excited and nervous, I kept my eyes trained on his face, and my hand on top of his as he changed gears, slowing to a complete h
alt halfway up the long, narrow laneway.

  Cutting the engine, he turned to look at me. "I'm going to take you up to my room, but we're going to have to sneak in through the front, okay?"

  Nodding eagerly, I whispered, "Okay."

  "That's not because you're not welcome," he hurried to add. "It's because my Ma won't let us have a minute's peace otherwise." Unbuckling his belt, he pushed the car door open and climbed out, gently closing his door before rounding the car. "You ready?" he asked, reaching for my hand when I stepped out and closing the car door behind me.

  "Yeah," I replied, keeping my voice low. It was raining hard again and the cold droplets were pelting against my bare skin, causing a shiver to roll through me.

  "Bonnie and Cupcake should be in their run for the night," he explained as we crept up the pitch-dark laneway. "It's around the back of the house, so we should be good."

  "What about Sookie?"

  "Sookie won't bark at me," he replied confidently.

  "How will she know it's you?"

  "She'll just know." Sliding his keys into his hand when we reached the driveway, Johnny literally dragged me across the gravel to lean against the house. "You okay?"

  "Should we be doing this?" I asked, breathing hard.

  "Honestly? Probably not, but we're going to do it anyway."

  "Okay." I nodded. "We are?"

  "I don’t know." Johnny hesitated. "Are we?"

  "Uh, I think so?"

  "Fuck it –" Shaking his head, he kissed me hard and then dragged me towards the front door. Releasing my hand, he held a finger to his lips, and then turned the key in the door, cringing when the door creaked open. "Go on," he mouthed, inclining his head towards the hallway.

  Kicking off my high-heels, I bent down and snatched them up before hurrying inside. Johnny quietly closed the door after us and for a few moments we both stood in the entry hall, with our eyes locked on each other.

  After a minute or so of complete silence, a slow smile crept across his face and I grinned back at him.

  "Bingo," he purred, before hooking an arm around my waist and pulling me flush against him.

  Feeling heady with lust and adrenalin, and smothering a squeal, I wrapped my arms around his neck, shoes and all, and pulled his face down to mine.

  Our kiss was warm, clumsy, and overloaded with an overwhelming need for more. Johnny made this deep, gravelly sound in his throat, and then we were moving, stumbling blindly down the hallway.

  "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.

  Mortified, I turned to stare at his mother who was sitting on the bottom step of their impressive staircase. She had a washing basket set on the floor at her feet as she paired socks. Sprawled out beside the basket was Johnny's old, black Labrador. The moment Sookie spotted Johnny, she clambered unsteadily to her feet and bounded towards him.

  "Jesus," Johnny muttered under his breath as he pushed both hands through his hair before dropping a hand to pet his dog. "I didn't see you there, Ma."

  "That's alright, Johnny, I saw you," Mrs. Kavanagh replied with a smirk. "Great effort, though." Turning her attention to me, she smiled warmly. "Hello, Shannon. It's lovely to see you again."

  "Hi, Mrs. Kavanagh," I strangled out, mortified beyond belief. "H-how are you?"

  "I'm grand, love." Setting a pair of socks she had paired into the basket, she stood up and dusted down the back of her jeans, smile still firmly in place. "You look stunning tonight."

  "Uh, thanks?" Heat crept across my skin. Should I apologize for being here? Was she mad? Should I apologize again for my mother's behavior? Should I just go? "So do you," I wheezed out, feeling slightly sick now. What the hell should I do?

  Making the decision for us, Johnny reclaimed my hand and pulled me towards the staircase. "We're going to go watch a film," he announced, watching his mother with what looked like great caution, as we passed her.

  "Oh?" his mother replied, arching a brow. "Nothing good playing at the pictures?"

  "I have one in my room that we wanted to watch," Johnny shot back, half-dragging me up the staircase after him. "So, yeah. That's what we're going to do."

  "What film?"

  "Jesus Christ, Ma, a film!" Johnny groaned, halting at the top of the staircase to look down at his mother. "What does it matter?"

  "Love Actually," I blurted out the first title that popped into my head.

  Johnny nodded eagerly. "That's right."

  "Gibsie lent it to us," I added to my lies, realizing that I was a far better liar when put under pressure from an authoritative figure than he was. Years of practice. "He said it's his favorite, and he was going on all week at school that we needed to see it."

  "Exactly." Giving my hand a small squeeze, he pulled me up the last two steps to join him. "And Shannon's never watched it."

  "Why don't you bring the DVD down and we can all watch it in the living room together?" his mother called after us.

  "What?" Johnny gaped. "Ma, no!"

  They stared hard at each other for a long beat before Mrs. Kavanagh released a heavy sigh and nodded. "Fine, go ahead and watch your film, but keep your door open," she said in a low, warning tone of voice. "Wide open, Jonathon."

  Without another word, we strode off down the hallway towards his room. Slipping inside, Johnny closed the door behind us and deftly turned the lock before leaning against it. "I am so sorry about her," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She's…"

  "Only looking out for you," I whispered. "It's okay."

  "She's smothering me," he corrected, shoulders sagging in defeat. "I can't move anymore and she's watching me like a hawk."

  "I don't think she wants me here, Johnny," I confessed, chewing on my lip nervously. "Maybe I should go?"

  "What?" He shook his head and stifled a groan. "No, Shan, that's not it." Striding towards me, he captured my hand and walked us over to his bed. "My mother really likes you. I promise. She's just…" Sinking down on his bed, Johnny released a heavy sigh. "It has nothing to do with you being here and everything to do with you being up here alone with me." Shrugging, he looked up at me and said, "She's just afraid of something happening between us."

  I sat down beside him. "Happening?"

  "Sex," he replied gruffly, shifting his body to face me.

  My breath hitched. "Oh." Swallowing deeply, I nodded. "Okay."

  "But that's not what's happening here," he hurried to say, even though he leaned closer.

  "Okay," I breathed, heart hammering in my chest.

  "We don't have to do anything," he added, voice thick and gruff, eyes locked on mine. "We can watch a film, if you want?"

  "No." I shuffled closer. "I don't want to do that."

  "Are you sure?" His eyes darkened. "We could play PlayStation?"

  "Johnny?"

  "Yeah, Shan?"

  I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, pulling back slowly to gauge his reaction.

  "Shan." He was watching me with a dark expression. "Shan…"

  Feeling brave, I did it again.

  A beat passed.

  His pupils grew darker.

  My heart hammered harder.

  "Ah, fuck it," he growled and smashed his lips to mine.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I scrambled up the bed, taking him with me. Falling onto my back, Johnny's lips never left mine as his weight came down hard on me, pressing my body deep into his luxurious mattress. Unwilling to detach my body from his, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

  "We shouldn’t do this," he whispered over and over against my lips, but he wasn't stopping and I knew I never would, as I attacked his lips with a desperate hunger of my own. The way he kissed me, like my lips and mouth were the only thing that mattered to him in that moment… It was addictive and intoxicating.

  Sliding my hands from his neck to his chest, I ripped at the buttons of his bla
ck shirt, desperate to feel the heat of his bare skin pressed against me.

  "Shan," he groaned into my mouth, hips thrusting against me. "What are you doing, baby?"

  "Please," I begged, clumsily snapping the buttons open until the fabric parted like the Red Sea. "Just…take it off."

  "Fuck…" Breaking our kiss, Johnny sank back on his knees and made short work of his shirt, dragging it off his body. I took that as my opportunity to remove my jacket. Tossing it aside to join his shirt on his bedroom floor, I flopped back down, with my dress pooled at my waist, begging him with my eyes to just keep going. Hormones invaded my mind, kicking my common sense out the window and taking hold of the steering wheel of my brain, letting me know that my virginity was in serious danger of evaporating tonight.

  Kneeling between my legs, wearing only his jeans and with his hair sticking up in forty different directions from our antics, Johnny looked down at me all fluffed out on his pillows and exhaled a sharp breath. "I'm keeping you, Shannon Lynch."

  "Really?" I breathed, staring up at his swollen lips and wanting just one more taste.

  "Really," he confirmed, eyes locked on mine. Shrugging almost helplessly, he offered me a crooked grin, giving me a tiny glimpse of vulnerability and making me fall deeper for him. I was stumbling further into the black abyss of the unknown with this boy, with no safety net to break my fall. Pressing the brakes wouldn't make a blind bit of difference because my heart was in the driver's seat and powering ahead without thought for consequences.

  "Are you sure you don't want to play GTA?" Johnny offered then, tone thick and gruff. He playfully walked his fingers up my bare thigh, skimming the edge of my knickers. "I might beat you this time." Just when I thought he was going to move his fingers higher, when everything inside of me was screaming at him to move his fingers higher, he pulled his hand back to rest on my thigh again. "What do you say? Hmm? Do you want a rematch, Shannon like the river?"

  I shook my head, my breathing hard and uneven. "No."

  "No?" He arched a brow, smirk still firmly in place. "Then what do you want from me?"