Chloe Walsh

"He's not trouble," I urged. "He's a good person, Mam – a great one. He's training to be a professional rugby player, for god's sake. He already plays for his country. He's smart and driven and kind. He's so kind, Mam. He doesn't take drugs or mess around like everyone else his age. He's not the monster you've invented in your head."

"Are you going to kiss me or not?" Shannon stunned me by asking.

"I just…I don't…I'm trying…" My words broke off and I exhaled a pained sigh as I watched her watch me, those sucker-punching blue eyes wide and welcoming. "Fuck it –"

"I was definitely high that night," he agreed, twisting around to face me. "And I definitely meant it that night."

My heart galloped wildly. "You did?"

"I love you," he went right ahead and rocked my world by saying again. "Present tense – as in I mean it now. And maybe I shouldn't be saying that – maybe I'm fucking everything up by telling you that when you're in the middle of your family stuff, but it's the truth." He shrugged helplessly. "I'm in love with you. I think I've been that way for a while now – a long fucking while, if we're being totally honest." Exhaling shakily, he added, "And that scares the shit out of me worse than the thought of not making the U20's. You scare me more than anyone I've ever come up against on a pitch."

"Wow." I released a shaky breath. "I can't believe you just said all that."

"I know." He looked a little sick when he said, "Dick move, huh?"

"I love you back," I blurted out, feeling a flood of heat rush through my body. "Like a crazy fucking amount," I added, giving his words back to him.