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His eyes darkened. “The blond one.”
I nodded weakly. “I couldn’t go back to BCS after Christmas. Too much had happened, and it was getting out of hand.”
“Getting out of hand?” Johnny stared hard at me. “Surely it had been ‘out of hand’ for years.”
“Oh, I know,” I agreed. “But it was really starting to affect my brother, and my parents were worried.”
“Your brother,” Johnny replied flatly.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Joey was constantly getting suspended for fighting over me. He already had four suspensions because of me by Christmas, and Mam was petrified that he was going to get himself expelled in his leaving cert year. Dad was furious because he thought Joey’s behavior would cost him his spot on the minors. It was a total nightmare.” Shrugging, I exhaled a heavy sigh and said, “In the end, Mam convinced our father that it would be better for Joey if they pulled me from BCS.”
“What about you?” Johnny asked, blue eyes locked on mine. “Was it better for you?”
“It was the best decision that was ever made for me,” I replied without hesitation.
“And Tommen?” Johnny pressed, his entire focus on me. “How’s that for you?”
“Aside from the Ronan trouble, I haven’t had any problems at Tommen,” I replied honestly, cheeks burning under his keen observation. “Oh, and Bella threatening war on me for talking to you.”
“And this?” He trailed his fingers over my neck, blue eyes scorching me. “I need to know about this.”
I shivered into his touch. “I told you.”
“Don’t lie to me,” he coaxed.
“Then don’t make me,” I pleaded, knowing that I was giving everything away to him—my heart, my secrets, my trust—and was unable to stop. “Please don’t push me.”
“Shannon—” he started and then quickly stopped. He stared hard at me for a long moment before finally nodding. “For now.”
I sagged in relief. “Thank you.”
“But I’m going to find out,” he whispered. “Whether you tell me or not.” He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I’ll find out and I’ll make them suffer.”
My heart seized in my chest.
I knew this.
He wasn’t going to let it go. I could see it in his eyes that night in his bedroom.
Johnny Kavanagh was hell-bent on exposing my secrets.
“And Bella won’t do shit,” Johnny continued, tone gruff, eyes heated and intense. “If she goes to war with you, then she goes to war with me, too.”
“I don’t like war or confrontation,” I replied nervously, panicking at the thought of his terrifying ex and the damage she was capable of causing me. “I don’t want her to hate me, Johnny. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“She’s threatened by you,” he said gruffly. “Her reaction to you is based on jealousy.”
“Threatened by me?” I shook my head. “Why?”
“Because you’re beautiful,” he stated, causing my cheeks to flush a deep shade of pink.
A boy had never called me beautiful before. Not like this. Not with such forwardness. Not with such sincerity.
Johnny said it, though, and my heart was flapping around in my chest like a demented, caged bird fighting to escape.
He cleared his throat then, looking slightly uncomfortable, and for a moment I thought he was about to take the compliment back, but then he steeled his features, tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and whispered, “Inside and out.”
Those extra words did the trick. Those extra words ruined me.
