GAME OVER ━━ Lip Gallagher

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

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Game Over
chapter forty five

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PERHAPS THIS WAS A MISTAKE. She had let her emotions get the better of her. Her common sense had been thrown out the window at this point. Her wrist hurt from banging on the door. She only saw red. The hotel door opened to reveal Lip, his eyes widening upon seeing Phoebe. "Hey—" His words were cut off by her pushing him back. She kicked the door behind her, her hands still twisted in his shirt. She could hardly breathe. "Mandy?" she asked in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" His hands went to her wrists, worry etching his features. "Did you talk to her?" he asked. Her eyes were betraying her. She felt the back of them begin to sting. "Isn't one baby momma enough? I thought you would have been smart enough to at least use protection!"

"Woah, hey! Why are you lecturing me?" He snapped her hands from his shirt and released her wrists. His brow furrowed. "I'm not— I just.. How are you supposed to support two kids, Lip? You're not even fucking eighteen yet!" He shrugged his shoulders. "Does that mean I get a hundred bucks instead of fifty?" Her eye twitched. He was joking, right? Oh, God, she hoped he was joking. When she didn't laugh, Lip shrank back. He leaned against the back of the couch in silence. "You're supposed to be the smarter one," she sighed. She didn't have any more energy to argue. She placed a hand to her forehead. "I'm still smarter," he argued. "That hasn't changed." She flipped him off without hesitance, eliciting a mild laugh from the curly haired boy.

"I can't believe she told you." Phoebe shrugged her shoulders. "You'd be surprised how close we've gotten. Apparently closer than us." He frowned. She released a heavy sigh. "Don't say that. We fought, but we made up. Right?" Her eyes flickered toward him. His frown deepened. There was a pinch between his brows. She bit down on her bottom lip. "Yeah, I guess. I just feel like you're still leaving me out." His head tilted a bit to the side. "Do I sound like a baby?" she asked, cringing at the way her voice sounded so vulnerable. He stared at her for a moment. Memories flooded back. Looking at her with sparkling eyes, he remembered the night she climbed into bed with him when they were thirteen. She had snuck out of her house and ran the whole way there. He didn't know why. She never told him. But he stared at her this very same way. Those same eyes shimmered with stars beneath the soft moonlight. "No," he sighed.

She scoffed. "My plan was to walk in here and punch you in the face," she explained. "But when I saw you, I don't know." She ran a hand through her hair. Her breath was shaky. "What, am I too pretty? Are you scared of messing up my face with that mean right hook?" His tone was teasing. It made her heart jumpstart. She lifted up her fist playfully, shaking it at the boy. "There's still time," she warned him. "I can still give you a nice shiner." He pushed off of the sofa and closed the distance between them. His arms encased her against her chest, one hand coming to rest at the back of her head. She flinched at the sudden action, eyes widened, frozen in her spot. "I just threatened to punch you." Her words were muffled by his shirt. She could feel his chest rumble with his laugh. "Yeah," he replied, clearing his throat. "Why are you hugging me?"

His chin came to rest on the top of her head. She could feel the exhalation of air from his nose on the top of her scalp. "Looked like you needed one," he admitted honestly. Her shoulders seemed to sag. Her arms finally wound around his waist, fingers hooking together behind his back. He smiled to himself as she relaxed into the hug. She buried her nose into his chest, inhaling the scent of his cologne, of the body wash he used, of the day's journey on his skin. "I did," she whispered shakily. She had been feeling so emotional. It's as if her world was completely turned upside down and she was struggling to catch up with the change. "Do you still want to come dress shopping?" She squeezed her eyes closed, afraid of his answer. What if he said no?