After your father found out about you and Johnny, he almost best you to death. The last thing you remember was your older brother, Joey, and his girlfriend, Aoife, driving you to the hospital before everything went black.

Now you were in the hospital, surrounded with police, doctors, CPS, and your brothers. Your brother, Darren Lynch, forbid you from seeing Johnny. However, he snuck in anyway as his father, John, was a lawyer.

Johnny was sitting on the chair next to you, as you sat on the bed.

“Before you say anything, I want you to know that Joey called me and told me everything I needed to know,” Johnny said, staring into your eyes. “Not that I needed him to, I figured it out on my own. All those times you came into school, black and blue, all fucked up—“ His voice broke off and you watched his jaw clench. “All those times you lied to me? It was to protect him?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” You muttered, falling into your life-long pattern of avoidance.

“No, no, we’re not doing that.” Johnny shook his head. “You don’t get to shut me out. You don’t get to that to me again, because I won’t go this time. You hear me? I’m here, I’m in, I care, and I’m not going the fuck away.” He let out a deep sigh.