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“You. Are. Safe,” he stated, enunciating every word with aching slowness, as he trailed the pad of his thumb across my chin. “Whatever happened to you in your old school,” he said, pushing through the barriers once more. “It won’t follow you to Tommen.” With blue eyes burning bright with sincerity and determination, he added, “I won’t let anything bad happen to you here.” He pressed his forehead to mine and exhaled a pained sigh. “And if you just tell me where else I need to keep you safe, I’ll do that, too.”
“Why?” It was one word that was loaded with so many unspoken thoughts and notions, but it was all I could come up with.
Johnny hesitated for a moment and then said, “Because I care.”
“Why?”
“I just do.” He shrugged helplessly. “I can’t help it.”
“It’s been you, hasn’t it?” I whispered. “You’re the reason no one gave me hassle over the pitch incident? You’ve been protecting me?”
He stared warily at me but didn’t respond.
“Come on, Johnny,” I sighed. “I’m not thick. I know you had something to do with it. I was half-naked in front of a field of boys. I threw up outside my locker, for god’s sakes. Gossip like that doesn’t just evaporate into thin air.”
“I told you that day outside Twomey’s office that I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you,” he finally admitted.
Yeah, he did. He promised.
And he kept it…
“Well, thanks for caring,” I breathed.
“Thanks for being worth it,” Johnny replied, hand still on my cheek.
Shivering from the contact, I leaned into his touch, seeking more. I was trying so hard to control myself, but it was virtually impossible to do when he had his hands on my body.
I wanted to crawl onto his lap and I wanted to run far away from him all at once. It didn’t make sense to me. I was incredibly confused.
My feelings were terrifying me.
His words. His eyes. His actions.
He was throwing me.
I was losing myself.
“How are the lovebirds?” a familiar voice boomed close to my ear.
Startled, I looked over Johnny’s shoulder to find a grinning Gibsie.
“Hey, little Shannon,” Gibsie drawled with a mischievous wink. “Don’t mind me. I just need to borrow my buddy for a sec.”
Oh god.
Mortified, I quickly scrambled backwards, breaking the contact.
Johnny muttered a string of unintelligible curse words under his breath before turning around. “This better be fucking important,” he snapped, shoulders tensed.
“That depends,” Gibsie replied nonchalantly.
“On what?” Johnny barked.
“On whether or not you still want me to remind you of that thing you asked me to remind you about?”
“Thing?” Johnny shook his head. “What thing? The fuck are you talking about?”
“Lines and bulldozers, my friend,” Gibsie shot back with a meaningful look.
