𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧

Your In Love With Her

Joey Lynch stood near the corner of the schoolyard, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed on the group of students gathered around the rugby field. The match had just ended, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from one person—Orla Kennedy. Her laughter rang through the air, a sound that had become one of his favorites, and it made his chest tighten in a way he couldn't explain.

He wasn't sure when it had happened. It had started with the way she made everything seem brighter, lighter. But now, whenever he saw her, his heart raced, and he couldn't stop the smile that crept onto his face. He didn't know when it had gotten this far, but he was certain of one thing: Orla had gotten under his skin.

"Oh my goodness..." A voice behind him broke him from his thoughts, pulling him back into reality.

Joey turned to see his little sister, Shannon, standing there with an all-too-knowing grin.

"You're in love with her," Shannon said, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Joey froze, his heart leaping into his throat. He'd always been protective of his feelings, but now it felt like his sister could see straight through him. He swallowed hard, a knot tightening in his stomach. "N-no I'm not," he muttered, his voice breathy as he struggled to sound convincing.

Shannon raised an eyebrow, not buying his denial for a second. "Do you realize you are currently staring at her?"

His stomach flipped. Of course, he couldn't hide it anymore. His eyes had been glued to Orla. He quickly turned his gaze to the sky, trying to act casual. "I was staring at the wall. Behind her."

Shannon let out a dramatic sigh, clearly not impressed by his excuse. "You're not fooling anyone, Joey," she said, her tone full of amused exasperation. "I know you. And I know you're absolutely smitten with her."

Joey huffed and forced himself to look away from Orla, even though every part of him wanted to look back. "You've got a hell of an imagination, kid," he muttered, crossing his arms tighter.

But Shannon wasn't deterred. "I'm not imagining it. I've seen the way you look at her. The way your face softens when she laughs. The way you get all protective when someone makes a comment about her."

Joey clenched his jaw, his temper flaring slightly. "I'm not protective."

Shannon raised both eyebrows now, clearly having none of it. "Right. And I'm sure you didn't almost punch Gary O'Reilly when he made that joke about her in history class last week. Yeah, definitely not protective."

Joey scowled. "He deserved it."

"Exactly," Shannon said, voice turning soft as she studied him carefully. "You care about her. You don't act like that if you don't care about someone."

Joey's breath hitched. He knew she was right. But admitting it to her—admitting it to himself—was something he wasn't sure he was ready to do. He'd always been the tough one, the one who kept his feelings locked away. This was different. This was Orla, and she made him feel things he didn't know how to deal with.

"I care about her," Joey muttered, but the words came out wrong, like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Shannon looked at him for a long moment, her eyes softening with understanding. "I get it. But Joey, it's okay. You're not fooling anyone. Not me, not you, and not her. Orla's smart. She can tell that you're not just friends."

Joey forced his gaze to the ground. "We're just friends," he said, but even he could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

Shannon's expression softened further, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to be so scared, you know. Orla likes you. I can see it, too. And you don't have to have it all figured out. Just be honest with her. With yourself."

Joey wasn't sure what was harder to hear—his sister's teasing or the fact that she was right. Orla liked him? Could it really be that simple?

He turned back to look at her, unable to tear his gaze away this time. She was talking with some of her friends, laughing, her face bright with that natural, easy smile he had come to adore. She looked over at him, and for a brief moment, their eyes met across the field. It felt like the world slowed down as she smiled at him, that heartwarming smile that always made his stomach flutter.

"Are you going to do something about it?" Shannon asked, her voice a bit more serious now.

Joey's heart raced, and the knot in his stomach grew tighter. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from Orla. The pull toward her was undeniable, and everything inside him told him to act, to go over to her, to take a chance.

But the fear was still there, lurking. "I don't know what to do," he admitted softly, his voice barely audible.

Shannon squeezed his shoulder, her voice gentle but firm. "Joey, you don't have to have it all figured out. Just go talk to her. Don't overthink it."

Joey opened his mouth to protest, but the words died on his lips. He didn't know what to say, what to do. Every time he was around Orla, he felt like he was losing control of himself. But Shannon was right. Maybe it was time to take a risk. He didn't want to look back in a few years and wonder what could have been.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Alright. I'll go."

Shannon gave him a sly grin. "Good. Don't make me wait forever, okay?"

Joey nodded, the tension in his chest starting to ease just a little. With one final look at Shannon, he turned toward Orla, who was still laughing with her friends. His heart was racing in his chest, and his palms were slightly sweaty.

But he wasn't going to let that stop him. He took slow, steady steps toward her, his mind a blur of nervous excitement.

As he got closer, Orla caught sight of him and smiled that beautiful, effortless smile. His heart skipped a beat, and for the first time in a long time, he didn't try to hide what he felt.

He stopped right in front of her, and she raised an eyebrow playfully. "What's up, Lynch?" she asked, her tone light, but her eyes searching his face.

Joey's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't realized how much he'd been holding back until now, but all the fear, all the nerves, seemed to melt away in her presence.

"I think it's time I tell you something," he said, his voice quieter than he expected.

Orla tilted her head, clearly curious. "Oh? And what's that?"

Joey took a deep breath, his heart pounding. "I've been a bloody idiot for too long, Orla. I care about you. More than I've let on."

Orla's eyes widened slightly, her smile softening into something warmer, more genuine. She didn't say anything at first, and the silence stretched between them. But then she stepped closer, her gaze flicking between his eyes and lips.

"Good," she whispered, "because I care about you, too."

And just like that, Joey felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders. Maybe this wasn't so scary after all.