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“Come on, Johnny,” she challenged. “You never had me in any pictures with you for the media and I’m the longest girl you’ve ever been with. What’s the story with her?”
“None of your bleeding business,” I spat, fresh out of patience. “Christ.”
“Why were you fighting with McGarry over her?” she demanded. “Why did Cormac tell me you warned all the team off her?”
“I’m not doing this with you,” I warned, shaking my head. “Not anymore.”
“Stop dodging the question, Johnny,” she hissed. “If you’re with another girl, then I have the right to know.”
“I already gave you a fucking answer,” I snapped, done with this bullshit. “You’re the one who can’t seem to listen.”
“You’re lying! I can see it in your eyes!” she screamed, loud enough to wake the dead. “It’s written all over your face, Johnny. Something’s going on with that girl.”
“You need to get a handle on yourself,” I said, tone laced with disgust. “This is pathetic.”
“Fine,” Bella sneered, looking wholly enraged. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask her.” Smiling darkly, she added, “Shannon—that’s her name, right?”
Yeah, fuck that.
“You’ll stay the hell away from her,” I whisper-hissed, aware that we were within hearing range of the office.
While Dee wouldn’t cause any trouble for me, I didn’t fancy my chances if Mr. Twomey came out and saw I was having problems with another girl.
“Whatever shite that’s going on between us has nothing to do with Shannon.”
“What’s the matter?” she taunted, pushing every one of my buttons. “Afraid I’ll find out something you don’t want me to?”
“I mean it, Bella,” I snarled, feeling a surge of anger rise up inside of me. “I’m not fucking around here. Keep your distance from her.”
“Well,” she mused, eyes narrowed. “Look who’s showing emotion now.”
She was absolutely right. I was showing emotion. Because I cared. I cared a great deal more about a girl I barely knew than I ever did Bella.
It was warped, and confusing, and completely fucked up, but I did.
Instead of admitting this terrifying new development, I said, “Leave. Her. Alone.”
And then I did what I should have done the first time I laid eyes on her. I walked away from Bella Wilkinson.
“I’m going to make you so sorry for walking away from me,” she called after me.
“Believe me, I’m already sorry,” I called back. “Sorry I ever went there in the first place.”
Furious, I stormed away from the girl who seemed to be hell-bent on making my life a living hell.
Loaded with bitter regrets and burning anger, I rounded the corner of the main building feeling like I was two seconds away from breaking something. Unfortunately for me, that something turned out to be a girl.
Not just any girl.
Shannon.
24I’m Taking You Home
SHANNON
I always knew when there was a storm brewing at home. I could always sense it. It was like a sixth sense of some kind, warning me and alerting my body to danger and pain.
All day during school on Friday, I had the most gut-wrenching feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. It couldn’t be dislodged by deep breathing or calming exercises and was so severe, so potent and transparent that I was actually afraid to go home. Wednesday night’s antics hadn’t helped matters.
