AOIFE
WHEN I FINALLY RETURNED TOย school the following Monday morning, and took my seat in tutorial, it was to an empty chair beside mine at a desk I had been assigned to share with Joey since the start of the school year.
โArrrggghhh!โ Casey screamed, as she stood in the doorway of our classroom and stared at me in horror. โWhere the hell have you been, and what the fuck have you done to your hair?โ she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at me. โOh my god.โ Her eyes widened in horror as she let her bag fall off her shoulder and ran behind my chair to get a better look. โItโsย gone.โ
โItโs good to see you, too, Case,โ I chuckled, smoothing a hand over my shoulder length hair. โTo answer your first question; I was home. I needed a few days to sort my head out. As for the latter; I needed a change.โ
No, what I hadย neededย was to remove the memory of that manโs hands from my hair, and it had cost me eighty euro for the pleasure, but she didnโt need to know the finer details.
I still had enough length to tie it back in a small ponytail, but not long enough to put me in the vulnerable position of having a man restrain me with
it.
โDo you like it?โ
โNo!โ she spluttered, horrified, as she retrieved her bag. โWow.โ I rolled my eyes. โThanks a bunch.โ
โOh, shut up, youโre still a complete ride,โ she shot back, eyeing my hair
and pulling at a loose tendril. โIโve just never seen you with hair shorter than the middle of your back, Aoif. Youโve had Rapunzel hair since we were in playschool.โ Giving me the side-eye, she added, โI tried calling you a hundred times, by the way.โ
โMy phone is at Joeyโs,โ I told her. โAnd people change.โ
โYeah, I suppose impending motherhood can change a girl.โ
โSay it louder, why donโt you?โ I hissed, twisting around to glare at her when she slid into the desk behind mine. โJesus.โ
โSorry.โ She winced and held her hands up. โAny updates on that front, by the way?โ
โI told my mam.โ
Her blue eyes widened. โHowโd she take it?โ
โBetter than I did, I think,โ I admitted with a pained sigh. โShe went with me to the doctor last week.โ
Her eyes widened. โAnd?โ
I nodded. โSeptember twentieth.โ
โYour due date?โ Her eyes widened. โThatโs two days after your nineteenth birthday.โ
โShh,โ I warned, and then reluctantly nodded. โBut yeah, thatโs my due date. I got my hospital appointment in the post โ for my first scan.โ
โFor when?โ โThis Friday.โ
โWhat time? Because we finish school at twelve for the Easter holidays,
and I can come with you ifโ”
โI appreciate the offer, but no,โ I replied, shaking my head. โMam already offered, but I donโt want her there, either.โ
โWhy?โ
Because I only want Joey.
โBecause.โ I expelled a frustrated breath. โBecause I just donโt.โ
โSo, how did he take it?โ she asked then, eyes laced with sympathy. โNot well, Iโm guessing, considering he hasnโt been at school for the past week, either.โ
โI havenโt told him.โ
โStill?โ Her eyes widened. โAoife.โ
โI know, I know,โ I grumbled, feeling my windpipe constrict at the thought of him not knowing almost as much as having to tell him. โUgh.โ
โWhen you both didnโt show up to school, I convinced myself that youโd told him,โ Casey offered, brows furrowed. โI figured you wouldnโt be coming back until after the Easter Holidays.โ
The bell rang loudly then, interrupting our conversation, and I watched as the classroom began to slowly fill, rolling my eyes when Danielle and Paul swaggered into class, with their arms wrapped around each other.
โUgh,โ Casey interjected, pretending to stick her finger down her throat. โWhat does she think will happen if she doesnโt weld herself to his side for an entire class?โ
โThat heโll be stolen away, by the looks of it,โ I offered, turning around in my seat to lean against her desk. โWhatever. Sheโs welcome to him.โ
โYeah, you certainly made an impressive upgrade,โ Casey mused and then grinned, eyes shifting to behind me. โSpeaking of whichโฆโ
She pointed towards the classroom door and I turned around just in time to see Joey walk into class.
The minute my eyes landed on him, my heart bucked wildly in my chest, instantly recognizing its mate.
His hair was styled in the usual way he wore it, shaved tight at the back and sides, with a mop on top.
Minus his school jumper, the grey shirt he was wearing was untucked and hanging untidily over his belt buckle, while his school tie had been haphazardly thrown on. He had his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, revealing the impressive scrawl of black ink that he had been steadily adding to since fourth year, which now covered both of his forearms.
With his usualย fuck the worldย expression etched on his face, he approached the teacherโs desk, handing over what I knew was a behavioral chart book โ otherwise known at the dreadedย red book.
It was a report card type booklet assigned to the most disruptive students with the worst attitude problems and needed to be signed off by each teacher upon arrival to class and at the end. At the end of each day, the principal himself would have every student with a red book come to the office to have
any or all comments received in their books checked over by him in person. As you can imagine, Joey had received more than his fair share of red books down through the years.
Usually, a student, no matter how badly behaved, only had to carry around a red book for a week at the most at any given time. But I specifically remember Joey having one for theย wholeย of second and third year without a break.
Looking entirely unimpressed with whatever Miss Lane was saying to him as she pointed at the red book on her desk, Joey simply handed her a pen, and folded his arms across his chest, waiting for the signature.
And then he chose that exact moment in time to sweep his gaze around the room. I felt the weight of his stare the second it landed on me.
The air thinned around me, making it genuinely hard to drag breath into my lungs. Trembling beneath the intensity of it all, I forced a small smile and a small limp wave.
What other way was there to greet the boy you’d spent years loving? The boy whose father had tried toย molestย you.
The boy who you ripped the heart out of the last time you saw him.
Jesus.
I watched Joey stiffen, his eyes heated and focused entirely on me. He didnโt smile.
He didnโt wave.
He just stared at me. This was too much.
It was way too fucking much.
There were so many unspoken words, so many unanswered questions hanging in the air between us both.
I knew that he felt it, too.
His expression wasnโt hiding anything from me.
He was showing it all right now, every ounce of confusion, pain and annoyance.
Eventually, the teacher returned the red book to Joey, and I watched as he strode towards our desk, still staring at me, still unsmiling.
Dropping his bag on the ground at the side of our desk, he pulled his chair and sank down in his usual spot beside me.
The minute he sat down, the fresh and achingly familiar scent of Lynx and soap flooded my senses, causing me to shiver.
โJoey,โ I croaked out, watching him warily, unsure of how to react because of how we had left things the last time we spoke.
โMolloy,โ he acknowledged, shoulder brushing against mine as he adjusted his chair, pushing it back to give himself more leg room.
โNice shirt,โ I whispered, nudging my shoulder with his, as I held my breath and waited for his age-old response.
Say it.
Please say it.
Two words.
Thatโs all I need.
The breath he released was so deep, that it caused his shoulders to visibly rise and fall, before he shook his head in what seemed like reluctant surrender. โNice legs.โ
Thank you, Jesus.
โI was hoping youโd be here today.โ โWhere else would I be?โ
โYou werenโt at school last week.โ
โI had a lot on.โ
Yeah, with his mother.ย โHow is your mam?โ
He shrugged noncommittedly and reached into the pocket of his school trousers, withdrawing my phone and setting it down on my side of the desk. โYou left this.โ
โYeah, I, uh, I know.โ Swallowing deeply, I quickly snatched up the phone and pocketed it. โThanks for bringing it back.โ
He offered me a clipped nod in response. โNo problem.โ
โI left my necklace there, too,โ I whispered. โIn your room. The one you got me for my birthday last year.โ
โIโll get that back to you.โ
โThanks,โ I breathed, hating the ridge between us. โSo, are you okay?โ
Nodding stiffly, he kept his eyes trained on the door in front of us. โAre you?โ
โYeah.โ I shrugged weakly. โI mean, I think so.โ
โThatโs good.โ His jaw ticked and I watched as he swallowed deeply. โIโm glad. I was worried about you.โ
โI was worried about you.โ Shivering, I reached under our desk and placed my hand on his hard, muscular thigh. โGod, Joe, Iโve missed you so much.โ
A deep shudder rolled through him, but he made no move to respond or return any physical affection.
Instead, he leaned forward, rested his elbows on our desk, dropped his head in his hands, and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.
โYou never came back,โ I heard myself say, eyes trained on his back. โYou wanted space,โ came his flat response.
โIย wantedย you to come back.โ
โHow was I supposed to know that?โ
โYou werenโt,โ I sighed. โI justโฆnever mind.โ
A horrible silence settled between us then; one I was desperate to get rid
of.
โJoe?โ
โHm?โ
โCan we talk?โ
โWe are talking.โ His response was automatic, almost robotic, as he
slumped over our desk, head in hands.
โProperly,โ I urged, cracking my knuckles nervously. โPrivately.โ Shrugging lifelessly, he released a pained breath, but didnโt respond. โCan we hang out this evening?โ
โI have to work. Iโve already missed a week. I canโt skip anymore.โ โWhat about tomorrow?โ
He didnโt respond.
โI wanted to know if you had plans at lunchtime on Friday?โ I heard myself croak out, palms sweating, as panic filled me. โBecause thereโs some place I need to be and I was, uh, well, I was really hoping that you could come with me.โ
More silence. โJoe?โ
Jerking upwards, he looked around himself, seemingly startled, before slumping back down on his elbows. โHm?โ
โDo you have plans on Friday?โ
โI, ah, I donโt know,โ he mumbled, sounding beyond exhausted. โIโm not sure.โ
โWell, are you busy at lunch today?โ I tried instead. โI mean, do you have training or anything like that happening? Because I really need to talk to you in private about something.โ
โI donโt want to talk in private,โ he replied quietly. โNot today, Molloy.โ โBut you donโt even know what I want to talk to you about,โ I squeezed
out. โItโs important.โ
โWhatever it is, I donโt want to talk about it right now.โ โWhy?โ
โBecause Iโm too fucking tired, Molloy.โ
โYou have to know I didnโt mean it,โ I blurted, addressing the elephant in the room. โAll of that shit I spurted out the last time we were together? It wasnโt me, Joe.โ
He stiffened.
โI didnโt mean it, okay?โ Reaching up, I placed a hand on his back, frowning when I felt the heat emanating from his body.ย Jesus, he was burning up.ย โI swear, Joe. Not one word of it.โ
โYeah, you did.โ The muscles in his back coiled tight under my touch. โAnd itโs okay. I donโt blame you.โ
โI donโt blame you for what happened, Joe,โ I told him, feeling achingly vulnerable in this moment. โAnd I donโt want space. Iย neverย want space from you.โ
โNeither do I,โ he replied quietly. โBut just because we donโt want something doesnโt mean that we donโt need it.โ
Anxiety churned inside of me. โWhat does that mean?โ โIt means what it means, Molloy.โ
โLook at me.โ He didnโt.
โJoe.โ
โJust let it go, Molloy.โ
โJoey Lynch, you better look at me.โ
Blowing out a pained breath, he leaned back in his chair, rested his hands on his lap, and reluctantly looked at me.
All of sudden it made perfect sense. The drowsiness.
The lethargy.
The scorching hot skin.
Eyes as black as coal.
โOh my god.โ I sucked in a sharp breath. โWhat did you take?โ โNothing.โ
He moved to turn his face away, but I caught his chin between my fingers and forced him to look at me. โWhat did youย take?โ
โNothing,โ he argued before releasing a pained breath. โToday.โ โYesterday?โ
He nodded slowly. โAnd the day before?โ Another nod.
My heart broke further. โWhen did it start?โ Silence.
โWhen did itย start?โ โAfter I left your place.โ
Oh god, noโฆ
โSo, weโre talking a week?โ โAbout that.โ
โWhat was it?โ I forced myself to ask. โWhat did you take?โ
โNot what you think.โ โWhatย did youย take, Joey?โ โNot that.โ
โI didnโt ask you what you didnโt take,โ I hissed, heartbroken and furious. โTell me what you took, dammit.โ
His eyes locked on mine, and stayed there, focusing on me as best as he could, given that he was clearly under the influence. โJust some pills and shit.โ
โAndย shit?โ I glared at him. โWhat doesย and shitย consist of? Because Iโve been with you long enough to know that when you say the wordsย pills and shit,ย your meaning can vary wildly.โ
โMolloy.โ
โSo, what are we talking about here? A joint, a line, or a fucking needle.โ It felt like I had been transported back in time to a place I never wanted to revisit. โOh my god.โ My breath hitched in my throat. โWhy, Joe,ย why?โ
โWhy do you think?โ he whispered brokenly, still obediently keeping eye contact with me, as I held his chin in my hand. โI broke you.โ
โNo, Joe, you didnโt break me.โ I shook my head and blinked back the tears stinging my eyes. โYou brokeย you.โ
โItโs my fault.โ He looked away then, pulling his face free. โWhat happened to you is on me.โ
โYou didnโt do anything wrong.โ
โI brought you into that house,โ he hissed, swinging back to glare at me. โI put you in harmโs way and harmย gotย you.โ
โIโm okay,โ I choked out, reaching up to touch his cheek only to feel the sting of rejection when he leaned away from my touch. โDonโt do this. Donโt throw away everything youโve worked so hard for.โ
โI donโt have anything, Molloy,โ was his lifeless response. โI never did.โ
โYou have me,โ I breathed, chest rising and falling quicky, as I fought to maintain my composure in a classroom surrounded by peers. โYou still have me, Joe. I donโt blame you, okay? I donโt.โ
โIโm him.โ
โNo, youโre not.โ
โYeah, I am.โ He shrugged. โYou said it yourself.โ โThat was my hurt talking,โ I choked. โI didnโt mean it.โ
โIt was your brain talking,โ he corrected. โIt was your truth.โ โJoey, come on.โ
โI canโt.โ I watched as another shiver rolled through him. โI canโt do this right now, Aoife.โ
โCanโt do what?โ I strangled out, cheeks flooding with heat, as my pulse skyrocketed. โCanโt talk to me? Canโt look at me? Canโt be with me?ย What?โ
โI canโt doย this.โย I watched as he dragged his hands through his hair in frustration. โYeah, I definitely canโt do this,โ he muttered, shoving his chair back, and grabbing his bag off the floor, as he rose to his feet. โIโm out.โ
โSit down, Joseph,โ Miss Lane ordered from her desk. โClass is just about to start.โ
โYeah, without me,โ he shot back, moving for the classroom door.
โDonโt even think about walking out of this classroom,โ she commanded, holding a hand up in warning. โYouโre already on a red book. Donโt make it worse for yourself.โ
โKind of like how me telling you to get fucked would make it worse?โ he sneered, slamming his palm against the door, causing it to swing open in a
whoosh. โWell, it looks like I just did, huh?โ โJoseph!โ
โGet fucked,ย miss,โ he called over his shoulder, and then he was gone,
storming away.
โOh god.โ Dropping my head in my hands, I resisted the urge to chase after him. I managed to last a whole three minutes until I caved, bolting out of my chair and moving for the door like my life depended on it.
โWhere do you think youโre going, Aoife?โ
โI think sheโs going toย get fucked,ย miss,โ Alec offered up with a chuckle. โIn the literal sense, this time.โ
โLanguage,โ Miss Lane warned Alec, before turning her attention back to me. โThis isnโt drama class, Aoife. No need for the Bonnie and Clyde reenactment. Return to your seat.โ
โButโ”
โNow, Aoife.โ
โAh, miss, donโt be a cock block,โ Alec chimed in, encouraged by the class full of boys egging him on. โDid ya see the big bull head on Lynchy? You only have one class with him; the rest of us will be in the firing line all day. Let her go and sort him out. Heโll be in much better form for the rest of the day.โ
โYou can get out of my classroom,โ Miss Lane ordered, glowering at Alec. โStraight to the office to collect a red book of your own.โ
Deciding this was my perfect opportunity to escape, I made a dash for the door.
Ignoring the laughter coming from behind me, not to mention our year headโs voice as she shouted after me, or Alec subsequently calling out โyouโre welcome,โ I hurried out of the classroom, leaving my bag behind, and trusting that Casey would pack up for me at the end of class.
My original plan was to head for the back of the PE hall, knowing that was one of Joeyโs chosen spots to frequent, and if that failed, then I would try the school sheds, but my plan quickly flew out the window when I reached the front entrance of the school and my eyes locked on none other than Marie Lynch coming out of the principalโs office.
โAoife.โ The minute she noticed me, she moved in my direction, making a beeline for the exit that I was desperately trying to get to. โPlease, can I speak to you?โ
My feet reluctantly faltered before coming to an abrupt stop, while my head told me toย keep going.ย โWhat are you doing here?โ
โI had a meeting with the principal,โ she said, when she closed the space between us, meeting me at the door. โI know that Iโm the last person you want to speak to right now.โ
โThe second last.โ โExcuse me?โ
โYouโre the second last person I want to speak to.โ
She had the good grace to wince. โYes, well, would you mind walking with me for a moment so I can talk to you?โ she asked, gesturing to the entryway double doors. โPlease. Itโs important.โ
Deciding that Joeyโs mother was someone that I couldnโt avoid forever, I nodded stiffly and followed her outside, falling stonily into step beside her.
โHow have you been?โ
โFine,โ I replied, tone stiff. โAre you sure?โ
โWhat did you want to talk about, Marie?โ
When she realized that she wasnโt getting anywhere with that line of questioning, she released a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead with her small hand. โIโm worried about Joey.โ
Yeah, me too.ย โWhy?โ
โI think heโs falling into bad patterns again.โ
โYeah.โ Sighing heavily, I wrapped my arms around myself as we walked, ignoring the torrential March downpour. โIโve noticed.โ
โSo, heย isย here?โ Relief flooded her eyes. โHe came to school?โ
โHeย wasย here,โ I corrected flatly. โHe left class pretty much as soon as he arrived.โ
โOh god, thatโs what I was afraid of,โ she choked out. โI donโt know what to do with him, Aoife. I really donโt.โ She shook her head. โI donโt know how to help.โ
โNo offense, but itโs kind of impossible for you to help him when youโre the source of his pain.โ
She flinched from my words, but didnโt argue.
Because she knew just as well as I did that she had a huge role to play in her son derailing.
Again.
โI deserve that.โ
โItโs not about what you deserve, Marie,โ I bit out. โItโs about the truth.โ
โHe told me that you asked him for space,โ she hedged nervously. โThat you didnโt want to see him anymore.โ
Devastation flooded me. โI said a lot of things that I didnโt mean to him.โ โThen we have something in common,โ she replied sadly. โWeโre both
guilty of directing our anger and pain at the wrong person.โ
โWhy are you telling me this?โ I asked, coming to an abrupt stop when we reached the edge of the carpark and my eyes landed on her husbandโs car.
With said husband sitting in the driverโs seat.
Oh god.
The mere sight of the man made me physically shudder, and I found myself taking a step backwards. โWhat do you want from me?โ
โWhat I said to you when we first met,โ she blurted out, stepping in front of me, in what I presumed was her pathetic attempt at shielding me from his view. โAbout how I thought that you needed to stay away from my son? Well, I was wrong.โ
My brows furrowed. โYou were wrong?โ
โJoey needs you,โ she continued to say, blue eyes full of lonesome sincerity, as the urgency in her tone grew. โMore than he needs me, or anyone else, for that matter. For most of his life, my son has been so hell bent on escaping his mind, that heโs never given a second thought to destroying himself in the process. But with you, since my son has been withย you,ย heโs different. Itโs not only that heโs present, but itโs that heย wantsย to be. You soothe something inside of him, something that his father and I are
responsible for breaking, and I donโt want to see him have that snatched away from him again.โ
โWhy are you saying this?โ I asked, gaze flicking from her face to the car I could see over her shoulder. Anxiety gnawed at my gut, and it took everything I had in me to stand my ground and not run away.
โBecause I made a mistake, Aoife,โ she replied in a shaky tone. โIโve made a lot of mistakes when it comes to my son, but this is one that I hope I can make right.โ She looked me in the eyes then, imploring me to hear her, when she said, โDonโt give up on him, Aoife. Please donโt give up on my boy.โ
The sincerity in her voice threw me and it took me a few moments to gather my thoughts before I could respond.
โNothing you said about Joey changed anything for me,โ I heard myself say. โI know your son is worth loving โ worthย savingย โ even if the rest of the world canโt see it.โย Even if he canโt see it himself.ย โI know who he is, Marie โ the kind of man he is โ and I know his worth, so you can rest assured that nothing you,โ I paused to cast a look a disgust in the direction of their car before continuing, โyour husband, or anyone else, for that matter, have ever said or done has come close to making a dent in my feelings for him.โ
Even though I was being catty towards her, and my tone was obviously bitchy, I watched as his mother visibly sagged in relief.
โThank you,โ she whispered. โFor loving my son. I know that itโs not easy at times.โ
โLoving your son is effortless,โ I cut her off by saying, pushing my damp hair out of my eyes. โItโs getting him to love himself thatโs the hard part.โ
Of course, her husband decided this was the perfect time to roll down the car window and shout, โMarie, wrap it the fuck up, will ya? Iโve places to be.โ
Fear flooded the woman, and I watched as she visibly recoiled before resigning with a slumped shrug.
โIโm sorry for what he tried to do to you,โ she whispered. โSo sorry.โ โDid ya hear me, woman?โ he barked. โI said get your hole over here, or
youโll be walking back to the house.โ
His attention flicked to me then and recognition pinged in his eyes.
Feeling like my skin was crawling from just having his gaze on me, but refusing to back down, I narrowed my eyes and returned his glowering stare with one of my own, along with a perfectly polished middle finger.
It was at that exact moment that Joey decided to appear from behind the PE hall, with what I could only assume was the end of a joint pursed between his lips.
Taking one final drag of his smoke, he tossed the butt on the ground and exhaled an impressive cloud of smoke from his lungs as his bleary-eyed gaze landed on us.
Blinking in confusion, Joey looked from his mother, to me, and then to his father parked nearby.
The confusion in his eyes quickly morphed into fury. โWhat the actualย fuck!โ
โOh god, no,โ his mother strangled out, sensing the potential danger of
the situation. โNo, Joey, no!โ
โWhat did I tell ya about looking at her?โ
โJoe, hold up. Itโs okay.โ
โWhat did I tell you about coming anywhere near her?โ โJoey, please.โ
โGet out of the fucking car, old man!โ
Moving entirely on instinct, I stepped around Marie, and ran straight at her son as he stormed towards their car.
โNo.โ Intercepting Joey before he reached his father, I placed my hands on his chest. โNo.โ
โMove.โ His entire body was vibrating with tension, as he strained against my hands, attention locked on his father. โGet out of my way.โ
โNo,โ I snapped, and then, before he had a chance to respond, I slid my hands up his chest, not stopping until I had a firm grip on his neck. โI saidย no,โ I repeated, roughly dragging his face down to mine. โPut your eyes on me and your mouth on mine.โ
โWhat?โ He shook his head in frustration as rain pelted down on us. โNo, Molloy, we canโt just fuckingโ”
Whatever he was about to say was swallowed up when my lips crashed against his.
With my mouth on his, and with one of my hands fisted in the front of his school shirt, I reached up with the other and guided one of his hands to my hip, before placing the other on my ass.
The tension emanating from him was slightly terrifying, but I knew that I was in no danger with this boy.
After a few unnerving moments of stoic rigidity, I felt the shift in him, as he reluctantly relinquished his tight-fisted hold on his anger, and reciprocated
my affection.
The sound of an engine roaring to life and then tires squealing filled my ears, and I sagged in relief.
He was gone.
Falling into our kiss, his mouth moved against mine, as our lips parted, and our tongues dueled viciously.
Joey was hurt and he was letting me know just how much in a bruising, punishing kiss that catapulted my hormones into complete disarray.
Flexing his hand on my ass, he tightened his grip on my hip, dragging my body roughly against his, as he took from my body whatever he needed in this moment to stabilize and ground himself.
Needing him with an equal desperation, I pressed up on the tips of my toes, hooked my arms around his neck, and returned with my lips everything that he was offering me.
One moment, he was there, and the next, he was gone; jerking away from me like my kiss caused him some sort of physical pain.
โDonโt do that to me,โ Joey warned, breathing hard, as he wiped residue lip-gloss from his mouth with his thumb, and glared at me. โDonโt fuck with my head like that.โ
โWhat are youย talkingย about?โ I panted, completely thrown off kilter by his reaction. โI wasnโt trying to fuck with your head.โ
โKissing me,โ he snapped, backing up a few steps. โManipulating me with my feelings, Molloy. Iโve had enough of that to last a goddamn lifetime.โ
โAre you serious?โ I narrowed my eyes in response. โHow is me kissing you a form of manipulation?โ
โItโs manipulation when you use my feelings for you against me,โ he shot back, unyielding. โYou did it that night and youโre doing it again.โ
โAre you blamingย meย for what happened?โ
โNo, Iโm blaming me for that!โ he roared, livid, dragging a hand through his hair. โIโm blaming me for caring too fucking much about what you want, and letting my feelings for you blindside me intoย notย doing the right thing!โ
โIย toldย you that I want to forget about it.โ
โAnd Iย toldย you that Iโd do whatever you wanted me to do.โ A vein ticked in his neck as he watched me watch him. โBut that doesnโt mean that my silence isnโt eating me alive.โ
โJoey, donโt let him do this to us.โ I took a step towards him and reached for his hand. โDonโt let him win.โ
โDonโt you get it, Molloy?โ Joey pulled his hand free from mine and backed away. โHe always wins.โ
As I watched Joey retreat and withdraw from me, I realized that some pivotal piece of him had been snuffed out that night, and if I let him go now, I might not be able to reach him again.
โI love you,โ I heard myself call out, and I watched as Joeyโs shoulders tensed and his step faltered.
Moving on instinct, I closed the space between us, and snatched his hand up, unwilling to let him leave me twice. โIโm in love with you, and thatโs something he can never take away from you.โ
A shiver rolled through him. โMolloy.โ
โHe didnโt win, Joe.โ Not stopping until I was flush against his chest, with my hands fisted in the front of his school shirt, I tugged hard on the fabric, reveling when he relented and lowered his face to mine. โYou did.โ
Releasing a pained groan when my lips crashed against his, he didnโt push me away this time; choosing to wrap his arms around me and pull me closer instead.
With our lips fused together, we step-stumbled to the side of the PE hall before slipping around back of the building.
My back hit the wall a moment later, followed by his big body crashing against me.
โI donโt know where I stand with you anymore,โ he admitted against my lips, as he thrust his hips against me and let his arms fall to his sides. โYour mood swings drive me fucking crazy.โ
โI know, stud,โ I breathed, reaching between us to quickly undo his belt and pop the button on his grey school trousers. โIโm a mess.โ
โMe too,โ he croaked out, voice thick with need, as he watched me free his dick from the confinements of his black boxers. โIโm a fuck up, queen. I let you down again.โ
โItโs okay,โ I breathed, reaching under my skirt to quickly push my knickers down my legs and step out of them. โWeโll figure it out.โ
โYour hair,โ he said instead of answering me, studying me with eyes so dilated they were almost black. โItโs gone.โ
A pang of sadness hit me and I quickly crashed my lips against his, desperate to avoid the ins and outs of that particular decision.
โFuck.โ Releasing a pained groan, he grabbed the backs of my thighs, and hoisted me up in one swift move.
Wrapping my legs around his waist I slid my hand between us and guided the thick head of his dick inside of my body.
โAre you going to send me away again?โ he asked in an achingly vulnerable tone, sinking deep inside of me. โTell me now so I can be ready for it.โ
My heart skipped.
โNo, Joe.โ Cupping his stubbly cheek, I leaned in close and brushed my lips against his. โI wonโt ever send you away again.โ