I'm-I'm... I'm SO sorry for my da’ he jus’ has ‘is tempra but he'mens well anna know it jus' mens'he loves mah to pieces anna'preciate da but atta same time Imma DONE lett'nim run mah life!"

I blinked, just trying to keep up. "What?"

Naimh ran her right hand up her forehead and over the top of her head, closed her eyes, and took a calming breath. With her accent under control, she explained, "No more groundings. No more Lockdowns on nights and weekends. I told him that no fuckin' way would I agree to do that anymore. I told him that I thought I had already proven I Loved my family more than I Loved my boyfriend when I came here to America, and that I was done try'na to keep proving it. I told him if he try lock'n mah down again, Idda leave for guud. Or, he cud'cept that Imma grown wom'n who Loves him ver'much but Imma NOT stay un'dra ‘is thumb an‘more!"

Naimh's eyes were steely green fire, and I whistled in amazement, muttering, "Wow."

She held her hands up and squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to focus.

“I said those things for us, Matty." She reached out and squeezed my hands tightly. "I said them because I won't let him take me away from you. I love you. No more sneaking quickies in the van.

Well... no more HAVING to sneak quickies in the van (I'm happy to keep having quickies in the van)."

I managed a smile.

“We can have a quickie right now..." The gorgeous redhead batted her eyelashes at me as she leaned in and puckered up.

“Wait-wait, no." I held my hand up and stopped her Lips. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled and gave her a serious Look. "I'm glad you stood up to your dad. Truly, I am. I know that's a huge personal step for you, and ordinarily I would be thrilled that you and I would finally have a chance to go see that sunset on the beach that we never got around to seeing."

Her steely green gaze cracked, and she shrank a bit, sensing the truck that was about to run her over but unable to move out of the way.

“But, I'm sorry. I'm not changing my mind about us," I continued.

“Yes,

I'm breaking up with you."

“Matty... don't do this," she pleaded.

“We have to."

“No we don't. Don't you get it? We can FINALLY have the relationship we always wanted. The relationship YOU always wanted. No more sneaking around. I'll stay with you overnight. If you get horny in the middle of the night you can just roll over and stick it in me. We can cuddle with my head on your chest the way you do with Belle, having all those conversations we never got to have. Please, Matty. PLEASE don't break up with me! We can fuck right now in the van. Or just put in the keys and drive us to your place. Fuck school! I wanna fuck YOU. NOW, Matty!"

"No! Don't you get it? We can't just keep wallpapering over our problems with sex!"

“But I love you!”

“I believe that you do, but I also believe that you're still in love with Conor."

“Come ON. I haven't even talked to him in like... two months! At

Christmas."

I sighed. "I didn't realize you'd talked to him at all since coming to

America."

“We're still friends," she huffed. "We haven't talked a Lot or anything