Page 85 of Keeping 13

“I’m so sorry.” Shannon sobbed loudly and pressed her hands to her face. “I’m so, so sorry, Mrs. Kavanagh.”

“Don’t you dare come on my property!” Mrs. Lynch hissed when I moved to walk into the garden. “Stay away.”

“Relax.” I held my hands up like a fucking criminal, but despite the warning I kept walking toward them because leaving my mother on her own was out of the question. “I don’t know what you think I did, Mrs. Lynch,” I added cautiously. “But I swear I didn’t do it.”

“I told you to leave her alone,” she hissed at me. “I told you to go away and what did you do? You took my sixteen-year-old daughter out of my home and kept her out all night.” Sneering, she added, “I’ve a good mind to call the Gardaí on you.”

“Leave him alone,” Shannon sobbed, making a beeline for me. “Oh god, Johnny, I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I repeated slowly, wrapping an arm around Shannon when she flung herself at me.

“I’m sorry,” she just kept saying over and over again. “Johnny, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I whispered, tightening my hold on her. “Don’t worry.”

She was crying hard against my chest. She was bleeding through her tears. Releasing pain and angst, devastation and fear, and I wanted to save her from it all. Her tears rained down on me, drowning me right along with her, and that was the exact moment I felt the shift, the switch from this being something sweet and innocent to something deeply complicated with the hint of forever.

I was in so much fucking trouble.

“Don’t worry?” Mrs. Lynch hissed. “You’ll have a lot to worry about if you don’t leave my daughter alone.”

“I don’t want him to leave me alone!” Shannon screamed, literally fucking screamed at the top of her lungs. “Ilovehim!” Her voice cracked. “I’m in love with him, Mam!”

For a moment, I just stood there, staring down at her in pure shock. She’d said it again. She’d said she loved me in front of her entire family.

Well, shite…

“He’s taking advantage of you, Shannon,” Mrs. Lynch wailed. “Why can’t you see that?”

Surprisingly, I wasn’t even angry at her mother. All I felt in this moment for the woman was pity. Sheer fucking pity for being as damaged as she clearly was. “I wouldn’t do that, Mrs. Lynch,” I said, keeping my tone soft and coaxing. “I would never hurt your daughter.”

“Are you accusing my son of something?” Mam demanded then. “Because if you are, then you go right ahead and say it to my face, lady.”

Oh sweet Jesus…

“Ma, just leave it,” I called out.

“No, Jonathan, I will not leave it,” Mam shot back, furious now. “If she wants to accuse you of something, then she can damn well say it to my face!”

“You need to leave, Johnny,” Darren warned, eyes locked on me this time. “Take your mother and go.”

“If your son has had sex with my daughter, then that’s statutory rape,” Mrs. Lynch shot back. “Shannon is underage and can’t legally give consent.”

“No, it’s not!” Shannon screamed, looking humiliated. “Oh my god, you need to stop talking!”

“Mam, stop,” Darren had the good grace to say, cheeks red. “You’re going over a line here.”

“A big fucking line,” my own mother hissed through clenched teeth, vibrating with tension.

“If I find out that your son has put a hand on my daughter, I’ll have him arrested,” Mrs. Lynch cried. “Don’t think you’re above the law because you have money and your husband’s a barrister.” Sniffling, she added, “If I get wind that he has taken advantage of my child, I’ll press charges on him.”

“Mam!” Shannon screamed at the same time that I dove for my own mother.

“Ma, no!” Stitches or not, I moved like a bullet, intercepting her just as her hand flew out. “Don’t,” I hissed, wrapping both hands around her middle and pulling her away. “It’s not worth it.”

“You bitch!” Mam snarled, pushing against me, trying to break out of my hold. “Who the hell do you think you are, threateningmychild?” Battling against me, she hissed, “He’s a good boy! Too good for the likes of you! You need to take a fucking good look at your own family, lady, because if you so much as think about bringing trouble to my son’s door, I’ll take you down. Do you hear me? I’ll take youdown, Marie, and I won’t need my husband or any other man to do that for me.”

“I’m sorry!” Shannon continued to cry, flailing helplessly. “Oh god, I’m so sorry!”

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