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One hour of lunch wasn’t enough. It wasneverenough time with him, but I reluctantly released him when he mumbled something about a French test. Johnny helped me off the wall and then secured my hand in his as we made our way back to school. “You nervous about dinner?”

I nodded. “Terrified.”

“She won’t bring it up,” he promised, tracing his thumb over my knuckles. “So don’t even worry about that, Shan.”

“Will your dad be there, too?” I asked, voice small.

“Yeah,” he replied, holding the door open for me to step inside. “He’s still trying to make more of an effort to bepresent.” He rolled his eyes at the notion. “She’s still driving me around the bend, Shan. It’s worse than ever. The closer we get to June, the more of a weeping mess she becomes,” he added with a shudder. “It’s all ‘How’s your willy, love,’ and ‘Are your testicles swelling again,’ or else she’s reading out statistics on head injuries in rugby.”

I knew exactly how his mother felt. The closer we got to June, the moreIbecame a weeping mess, too. I was just careful to do it when Johnny wasn’t around. I didn’t have the luxury that most girls my age had. My boyfriend would be leaving soon. I knew phone calls were coming in from the scouts, whether he told me about them or not. I knew we were on borrowed time, moving closer and closer to the goodbye that kept me up at night—to the day he would leave and I would stay.

“So, what do you think about what Claire said in the car this morning?” I asked, dragging myself from my depressing thoughts. Pulling him to a stop outside the girls’ bathroom, I squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. “The camping trip for your birthday? Are you excited?”

“Only if you’re going.” Johnny looked down at me and frowned. “I’m not going if you’re not.”

“I’mgoing, Johnny.” Hail, rain, or snow. “I’m not missing your birthday.”

“Oh yeah?” He grinned. “Are you going to share a tent with me?”

“That depends,” I teased, grinning back at him. “Can you pitch a tent?”

Johnny gave me a knowing smirk and my face flamed in embarrassment.

“Notthatkind of tent,” I quickly amended, blushing.

“You’re so cute.” He chuckled with a shake of his head. “I’ll meet you here after last class, okay? We can head back to my place together.”

“No, I’ll need to go home first and get changed.”

“You look perfect as you are,” he argued. “Better than perfect.” Grinning, he hooked an arm around my waist and dragged me flush against him. “In fact, you look like dinner.”

I sagged against him, feeling my body grow hot and achy. “I still need to go home first and check in on Joey.” Pressing my hands against his chest, I took a safe step back before I lost all common sense and did something reckless. “I can ask him to drive me over to your place around eight. You’ll be done with training by then, won’t you?”

“Oh, shite, yeah.” Johnny frowned, like the notion of training had only come to him. “I have training.”

“I know,” I agreed, smiling. “I can come over afterward.”

“Or we could just blow—”

“You train and I’ll come over when you’re done,” I cut him off by saying. “That’s the plan, remember?”

He looked frustrated but he gave me a reluctant nod. “Yeah, you’re right.”

I grinned. “I know.” Taking another step back, I waved him off. “Now go on—and enjoy double French.”

With a heavy sigh, Johnny pressed a kiss to my cheek before strolling off down the hall. “Hey, Shan?” he called over his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

Smirking, he said, “Je veux lécher la chatte de ma copine.”

I frowned. “What?”

Johnny grinned devilishly. “I said,je veux être à l’intérieur de toi.”

I scrunched my nose up. “You know I’m terrible at French.”

“I’m counting on it.” He laughed as he sauntered off. “See you tonight, baby.”

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