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Gibsie snickered and Johnny gave my legs a squeeze before letting go. “Take your time,” he told me, keeping his eyes locked on Gibsie. “I need a word with my buddy here.”

Springing unsteadily to my feet, I hurried for the door, only to hesitate and turn back around. “Hey, Gibs?”

“Yeah, little Shannon?” he replied, smiling warmly at me.

“Why do you do that?” I asked, my mind straying.

“Do what?”

“Call melittle Shannon?”

“Because you’re little?” He laughed. “And you’re Shannon.” Grinning, he shrugged. “Little Shannon.”

Fair enough.“Well, I just wanted to ask if you were okay.” Shifting uncomfortably, I clasped my hands together. “After what happened at lunch today?”

“It’s all good,” he told me, smile still in place. “No worries.”

“Okay.” Shrugging helplessly, I added, “But for the record, I think you’re really smart.”

His brows shot up. “Me?”

“You,” I confirmed quietly before slipping out of the room.

45

Fired Up

Johnny

“Lad, I think I love your girlfriend,” Gibsie stated when Shannon whizzed out of the sitting room. “That’s weird, right?”

“What’s weird is youtellingme that you love my girlfriend,” I replied, climbing to my feet. “That’s dangerous.”

“You know I don’t mean it like that.” He chuckled, holding his hands up. “I’m just saying that she’s a really decent girl and I like her.” Scratching his jaw, he looked at me thoughtfully for a long moment before adding, “You did a good job.”

“Yeah, she is.” Frowning, I reached for my bottle of water off the coffee table. “And thanks…I think.”

“I’m still trying to work out how you went from Bella to Shannon.” Shrugging, he added, “They’re like night and day, lad.”

Don’t remind me.Unscrewing the cap of my bottle, I drained the contents before asking, “So, are you really okay after earlier?”

“Yeah, I’m grand,” he grumbled, dropping the mask. “I just don’t get what that girl’s problem is with me, lad.”

“Did you ever offend her?” I asked, feeling as clueless about it as he did. “Call her a name or something?”

“Me beingaliveoffends her, Johnny,” he countered with a huff. “So I’d say yes, I offend her by waking up every morning.”

“I don’t get what her problem is either, lad,” I offered with a shrug. “I’m thinking she has some serious issues.”

“We all have issues,” he countered. “Not all of us go around taking those issues out on other people.”

“True.”

“I’m done taking her shit,” he added. “I mean it. I don’t care if she’s Claire’s friend. I’m not giving her a free pass anymore.”

“Never thought you should have given her a free pass anyway—regardless of who she’s friends with,” I told him. “You teach people how to treat you by setting boundaries, lad. If you let someone walk all over you, they’re going to think it’s okay.”

“I just felt sorry for her over all that stuff that went on with her sister a few years back,” he muttered. “But there’s only so many times I can let it slide.”

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