Page 349 of Keeping 13

Even though I was incredibly excited to take on the day and see all the other amazing bands and artists on offer, I didn’t want to leave the tent this morning. Because tomorrow, we would have to go home. Because tomorrow, he would have to give them an answer. I didn’t know what he was going to do. His father had told him to take a few days to mull it over and decide when we came home from Dublin, and that’s exactly what Johnny was doing. We hadn’t spoken about it since that day at the beach, and I was fairly sure neither of us wanted to bring it back up until we really had to. But the thought of him leaving permanently made my heart squeeze so tight in my chest that it was hard to breathe. Putting on a brave face, I danced, sang, and laughed my way through our day yesterday, but I was lonesome now. I was missing him before he even left.

“You’re staring,” he whispered, eyes still closed.

I smiled. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can feel your eyes on me.” Smiling, he cracked an eyelid open. “Hi, Shannon.”

“Hi, Johnny.”

Stretching out his long limbs, he reached over and pulled me onto his chest. “We need to get a tent for home.”

“Oh yeah?”

He nodded and kissed my hair. “With a padlock on the opening to keep your brothers and my ma out.”

Sighing in contentment, I nuzzled my cheek against his bare chest. “You always make me warm.”

“You always make me hard.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled to myself. “It’s been raining all night.”

“Are you wet?”

“Stop.” I laughed, slapping his chest. “You’re being terrible.”

“I’m only messing.” He chuckled, snatching my hand up to entwine with his. “It’s only a bit of summer rain, Shan. The sun will be out soon.” Pressing a kiss to my knuckles, he said, “I love this.”

“You love what?”

“You,” he replied. “This.” He shrugged. “Being here now.”

Twisting onto my stomach, I looked up at him. “I love this, too.”

“Do you want to stay forever?” he offered lightly, but I could see the pain in his eyes. “We can hide in this tent and never come out.”

“I think Gibsie would have something to say about that,” I replied, giving him a smile.

“Yeah.” Johnny sighed heavily. “Should have left the fucker at home. He was demented yesterday.”

“He’s fun,” I said, laughing.

“He’s insane,” Johnny corrected.

“Come on, you know you love him,” I teased.

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “I’m fond of the little bollox.”

“Johnny?”

“Yeah, Shan?”

“We’ll be okay, won’t we?”

“Yeah.” He cupped my cheek in his hand. “We will.”

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