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Nodding, I slipped my arm around his waist and sighed in contentment as we walked to his car, feeling right for the first time since last night. “Good to go.”

“Shannon!” Mam stepped outside, wrapping her dressing gown around her. “Can I have a word?”

Tensing up, I spun around and begged her with my eyes not to say anything. “About what?”

Mam cast a scathing look to Johnny before focusing on me. “In private.” She inclined her head toward the front door. “Now.”

“I need to go,” I replied shakily, knowing full well that if I went back inside, I wouldn’t be going to school today. “We can talk later.” Except we wouldn’t because I had no intention of having this conversation with her. “Bye.”

“Shannon,” she repeated, this time in a warning tone. “Come insidenow.”

I stiffened. “I amgoingto school. I have three weeks left before the summer holidays and I’m not missing any days, Mam. I have my junior cert coming up.”

“Not with him,” Mam bit out. “You’re not going anywhere withhim.”

“Hehas a name,” I shot back, mortified that Johnny was seeing and hearing this. Steeling my spine, I narrowed my eyes at her. “It’s Johnny, and he’s my boyfriend.”

“You have no respect,” Mam hissed, turning her anger on Johnny. “You’re a horrible boy.”

Johnny sighed wearily. “I’m not on your property, Mrs. Lynch.” Keeping his tone politer than she deserved, he added, “I know you don’t like me, but I’m not breaking any law here.”

“I told you to stay away from my daughter,” Mam choked out, shaking now. “And you won’t listen.”

“Mam—”

“With all due respect, I have my own ma to tell me what to do,” he replied evenly. “I’m here for Shannon, not you, so you can like me or not, but either way, you might as well get used to seeing me because I’m not going anywhere.”

Mam’s face reddened. “If you so much as think about putting—”

“Don’t worry, Shannon’s mammy.” A blond head popped through the sunroof of the Audi, with a shit-eating grin attached to it. Grinning widely, Gibsie waggled his brows and said, “He’ll take good care of your little girl,” before disappearing back into the car and cranking the stereo to the max. Popping back up once more, he threw himself into the chorus of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” as he sang at the top of his lungs and made suggestive hand movements, all directed at my mother.

“Jesus Christ,” Johnny groaned, shaking his head. “I’m going to kill him.”

Mam’s mouth fell open as she gaped in horror at Gibsie.

“Gerard!” Claire’s blond head popped up through the sunroof. “You’re so tacky.”

“You know you’re the only virgin I want to touch,” he told her with a suggestive waggle of his brows.

“Gerard!”

“Just let me know when you want me to do that—‘for the very first time,’” he added.

“That would be never,” she shot back, blushing. “You big mope!”

He arched a brow, giving her a look that screamedbullshit.

I took my mother’s momentary distraction by Gibsie as Johnny’s and my opportunity to get away before another blazing row erupted. “Let’s go.” Grabbing Johnny’s hand, I half dragged him to his car. Yanking the passenger door open, I practically dove inside, slamming the door behind me.

“Hey, girl!” Claire chirped from the back seat. “Sorry about him,” she added, pointing to the lower half of Gibsie that wasn’t wedged in the sunroof. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Yeah,” Feely, who was sitting in the back, nodded solemnly. “We’d like to give you an explanation for his behavior, but honestly, I don’t think there is one.”

“The fuck do you think you’re playing at, Gibs?” Johnny demanded then. Diving into the driver’s seat, he slammed his door shut and revved the engine. “As if the woman doesn’t hate me enough—” Tearing away from the house, he reached over and switched off the stereo. “You had to go and push it, and put more bleeding notions in her head!”

I wish he would put more notions inyourhead, Johnny Kavanagh!

“I was using my charm.” Gibsie laughed, lowering himself back through the sunroof. “Worked, too,” he added, sinking onto the back seat between Claire and Feely. “Got her out, didn’t it?”

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