𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟓 || 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧

CHAPTER 18: 𓆩⟡𓆪

"Joey, I totally blew it! Completely, feckin, blew it! " I growl as I pace his living room, pulling on my hair. It's been a week of pure silence from Katie. I need an answer from her now, dammit.

He just chuckles at me, handing AJ one of his toys. I don't know where Aoife is but that's the least of my worries.

"Don't laugh! It was your idea, you asshole!" I point a finger at him.

He crosses his arms while leaning back into the couch, adjusting his hips to sit better comfortably.

"I didn't say you had to take my advice."

"You pressured me."

"I encouraged you."

"Fuck off."

"Listen, if you wanna get closer to her, you have to start somewhere. Plus, you only want sex, right?"

I grumble. I don't want to admit that. Or anything. I don't know.

I sigh and shake my head, "Listen. I asked her to hook up and she just stared at me, Joey. She has a boyfriend. Why would I ask such a thing to a girl, who also has a boyfriend? I mean, what the fuck? What the hell?" I'm rambling. I scrub a hand down my face.

"You know what? I'm gonna ask Shan for help."

"No the fuck you're not." He sits up quickly, his eyes following me as I pace. "My sister knows nothing about hookup culture, Liz."

I stop walking, raising a brow.

"Johnny taught her enough. Plus, she's a girl. She'll get it."

Joey rolls his eyes.

I smile in triumph.

I bend down to smack a kiss to AJ's chubby cheek before grabbing my house keys and phone from the coffee table.

"I'll see you later." I chirp.

"Yeah, whatever," Joey mutters with a shake of his head, brushing his sons' curls out of his face with his hand.

I leave the house and head to the front door of the Kavanaghs/Lynchs.

I knock, and Ollie answers it. He cranes his head up to look at me. He has an uncertain expression on his face. It's probably because I'm the last person he expects to see at the door at this hour.

It's 10:30 at night. Should he even be up right now?

"Lizzie?"

"That's me."

He grins, "Come in. My mom and dad are working right now, but if you need them you just need to go upstai-"

I cut him off by shrugging past him, patting his head.

He's scared. I scare him.

I wish I hadn't.

"I don't need to see your parents, Ols. Is Shannon home?" I ask.

He nods, closing the door behind me and locking it.

"Yeah. She might be sleeping upstairs though. I'll go get her!" He says eagerly, already running towards the stairs and heading to the second level of their house.

I sigh, standing awkwardly in the hallway before going into the living room. I sit carefully on the couch - It probably costs more than my future first car. The Kavanaghs are insanely rich. Atleast compared to me.

I tuck my phone into my pocket and fiddle with my keys while waiting for Shan.

I probably should have came earlier, that way I wouldn't be an inconvenience to her.

I finally hear soft thuds of feet heading down the stairs, and I sit up straighter.

Shannon walks into the living room, rubbing her eye. Her hair is messy and she's clad in just a big Tommen College t-shirt.

I smile at her despite my cheeks turning hot.

I hope I didn't catch her at a bad time.

"Hey, Lizzie," She smiles as she sits at the end of the couch, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"Hey." I respond, fiddling with my fingers instead of my keys now.

"What's up?" She yawns.

"I needed advice." I blow out a raspberry, "Uhm.."

She's patient as I build up the courage to admit what I need to to her. Eventually, I tell her everything.

"...And so your brother suggested that I ask Katie to hook up, and so I did. But she's been ignoring me for a whole week, Shan. And I just feel like I messed everything up completely. It was.. God, it was a horrible thing to do." I say, burying my face in my hands.

"It's okay, Lizzie." She murmurs, scooting closer to rub my back and tuck hair behind my ear.

"Katie didn't say anything to me about it. But, she's also closer to Feely. You could get answers out of him?" She suggest softly.
I frown, removing my hands from my face.

"My advice," Shannon begins to say. "Is to just go with the flow. If she says no, she says no. But if she says yes, don't overthink it." She smiles.

I scowl.

"You can sleepover here, if you'd like."

I chew on my lip thoughtfully.

I'm about to accept her offer but her eyes widen as she gently grabs my wrist, her thumb sweeping over my fresh cut.

"Shannon, don't-" I start to panic, my walls coming up to defend myself.

"I'm not judging you, Liz." She says calmly but I can see the concern in her eyes.

"I just was angry. My head wasn't clear at the time, Shan, I wasn't-"

"I know. I know, Liz," She whispers, pulling me in for a hug. I shudder, my eyes burning with tears.

"Just stay alive for me, please. That's all I want." She murmurs against my ear, squeezing me.

I wrap my arms around her small frame, nodding against her shoulder.

"Okay, Shan."
She lets me stay the night and she holds me until I fall asleep.

When I wake up, I'm still on the couch, and she's gone.

My eyes are puffy and I brush my thumb against my cut over and over. I smell bacon and hear it sizzling in the kitchen. Not only that, I hear kids running and Mammy K shouting, "Tadhg! Stop that!"

When I get up, I eat breakfast with Shannon and Johnny's family and catch the bus home afterwards, hoping Katie will make up her mind and talk to me.