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My.

Life.

“Do you have everything you need?” Dad asked less than an hour later when he pulled the car as close to the front entrance of Tommen as physically possible. “Your books? Your phone? Your wallet? Your—”

“My balls?” I offered sarcastically. “Jesus, Da, I expected this overbearing shite from Ma, but you?” I shook my head and unfastened my seat belt. “It’s getting old real fast.”

“I’m overbearing for taking you to your checkup and driving you to school?” His tone was laced with humor. “Wow, that’s a new one.”

“No,she’soverbearing,” I shot back. “You’rejust plain whipped for going along with her.”

“She’s my wife,” he mused. “Your mother can whip me in whatever way she wants—”

“Juststop!” I choked out, horrified. “You know full well what I’m talking about,” I snapped, shoving the car door open. “I want my life back. Do you hear me? I want you and Ma to get off my back and give me some fucking breathing space.”

Dad grinned. “Ah, to be young and hormonal again.”

“I don’t know why you’re laughing,” I hissed. “I’m being serious here.”

“This is about Shannon Lynch,” Dad said, sobering his features. “Because your mother and I agree that it’s better for you to steer clear of her family.”

Of course it was about Shannon Lynch. Everything in my life seemed to be centered around the girl lately. I couldn’t get her out of my head, and I couldn’t see her because my parents had gotten the fucked-up idea in their heads that they could tell me what to do.

Aside from a few measly text messages sent from my mother’s phone when her back was turned, and several more unanswered calls, I hadn’t spoken to Shannon since last week, seven days to be exact, and I was going out of my mind.

I felt like a bastard just leaving her there and not coming back, but I couldn’t exactly walk the fifteen miles from my house to hers. I couldn’t drive either, and I had lost my Gibsie privileges for making him take me over there in the first place.

In other words, I had been stuck in my house for the past week, losing my goddamn mind and drowning in concern. The only time I’d been out of the house was for physio and swimming, but that hadn’t been productive because I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the girl I left behind.

“Because you’re making decisions for me that aren’t your place to make,” I argued, dragging myself back to the present.

“We never said you couldn’t see the girl,” he said calmly. “You’re just not allowed to see her over there.”

“It’s a joke,” I spat out, feeling as furious now as I did last week when they sat me down tolay down the law. “Her mother might be a head case, but you and Ma are a close second.”

“We’re trying to protect our son,” he stated calmly. “We haveyourbest interests at heart, and your best interests involve keeping a wide berth from that family.” Smirking, he added, “I’m also trying to keep your mother out of a prison cell.”

I grimaced at the memory of that horrific fucking turn of events in the Lynchs’ front garden last week and how Mam had comethisclose to battering Mrs. Lynch. Shannon’s mother threw around some shitty threats and called me a few choice names. That was all it took for Mam to morph into Floyd bleeding Mayweather.

“You know how Mam gets when it comes to you,” Dad added. “She’s a firecracker, son. Trust me.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t need anyone to protect me,” I grumbled.

“I think you do.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Maybe I am,” he offered, driving me crazy with his devil’s advocate approach to every fucking conversation. “But the risk is worth the reward in this circumstance.”

The risk, in this instance, was my outrage. “And the reward is?”

“You staying out of trouble.”

Jesus Christ…

Pissed off, I climbed out of the car and grabbed my schoolbag. “I can make my own decisions.” Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I retrieved my crutch. “And I will.”

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