Author's Note: Just a bit added to the end! The conversation came to me and I decided to tack it onto this chapter. Thank you for reading and enjoy!
Sarah glanced at the clock outside the bank and noted the time before peering down the street. The usual mid-day crowd passed by but there was no sign of the person Sarah was expecting. She listened to the cries of the various street vendors and began to worry. Maybe something had happened or Spot had caught wind of what Sarah had planned and had put his foot down. A few more minutes passed before Sarah was relieved to see Tay making her way down the street shadowed by Spot.
"Sorry we're late," Tay said as she approached Sarah.
"Jacobs," Spot nodded as he stood behind Tay and lit a cigarette.
"It's okay, they haven't started yet," Sarah answered. "Is that a new dress?"
It was the first time Sarah had seen Tay wear anything with a touch of color and the ensemble fit her well compared to her usual baggy, ill-fitting dresses . The skirt had small forget-me-nots stitched across it and the color of the flowers matched the blue ribbon in her hair exactly.
Tay smiled shyly and brushed her hand down the front of her skirt. "Spot bought it for me."
"Well you look lovely," Sarah told her kindly. She gestured toward the door behind them. "Shall we go in?"
"I didn't know I was supposed to bring something," Tay said as she looked over at the basket Sarah held in her hands. "I don't really know how to make anything. I coulda bought something."
"Oh, no, don't worry about that," Sarah explained. "There's usually a tea after the lecture so I just brought a little something along."
Tay looked up at the building and seemed to hesitate for a moment before holding her hand out to Spot. He took it gently and there was a bit of relief on Tay's face but Sarah had to interject.
"I'm sorry, Tay, I meant to tell you that it's ladies only," Sarah explained. "I didn't know you would be here, Spot."
"Oh," Tay said quietly. She took a moment before turning to Spot. "I'll be fine. Really."
A shadow passed over Spot's face but he didn't let Tay see it and instead gestured to Sarah. She followed him a few yards away and Tay remained by the entrance, twisting her fingers together nervously.
"What the hell is going on, Jacobs?" Spot asked bluntly. "First, you invite her over here to some lecture and then expect me to just let her go in there without me?"
Sarah had to think quickly as she knew there was a chance that Spot would simply refuse to let Tay attend the meeting and they'd be back in Brooklyn before she could blink. She should have known that Tay would be accompanied by someone as Sarah had never seen the younger girl without an escort. After what had happened to Tay, Sarah completely understood Spot's wanting to remain at her side but Sarah was hoping that Spot would lessen his grip on Tay just for a little while.
"It's just a group of girls–ladies, Spot. I know almost all of them. They're decent girls, hard-working and interested in new ideas. No one in there wants to hurt Tay or anyone else."
"New ideas, huh?" Spot smirked. "Still on the suffragette bandwagon, I see."
"As a matter of fact, I am," Sarah answered heatedly. "It's about time that the women in this city—"
Spot held up his hand. "No need for the lecture, Jacobs. Save your breath for your friends."
Sarah held her tongue although what she really wanted to do was give Spot a piece of her mind as she reflected on his past behavior and knew in her heart that if anyone in the city needed a lecture about women's rights, it was Spot Conlon. She thought briefly of breaking the rules and inviting him in but she realized that given his reputation he might just turn it into an opportunity to flirt (or worse) and Sarah wouldn't take the chance of hurting Tay like that.
Spot's eyes rested on Tay's small form for a minute before he turned his gaze back to Sarah. "Fine, she can go–"
"Thank you so much for your permission." Sarah let the words slip out before she could stop them and when she saw the brief, cold look in Spot's eyes she regretted her statement immediately.
"If anything, and I mean anything happens to her in there, I'm holding you responsible, Jacobs."
Before Sarah could sort through the many layers of what had just been said, Spot returned to Tay's side and Sarah followed along behind. The two were involved in a murmured conversation for a few minutes before Tay turned to Sarah and gave her a small smile.
"It'll be fine. I promise," Sarah told her although she was really speaking to both Tay and Spot.
The lecture proved to be inspiring and led to a rousing discussion concerning the working conditions for women, particularly those who worked in the textiles industry. One lecture had turned into an entire afternoon of speeches by women from a variety of unions and each had caused the spark in Sarah to burn even brighter. She was particularly interested in hearing one woman speak about the higher education of women as that was something Sarah had always yearned for. Seeing David excel in college had made Sarah proud but she also felt a twinge of jealousy at seeing the world her brother had a chance to enter, a world she had never been given the opportunity to explore.
For the most part Sarah's attention had been captured by the women speaking but every now and then she had looked over to see how Tay was reacting but the younger girl's face was a mask that revealed none of her feelings. Sarah had wondered to herself how the idea of women's rights would sound to a person who had clearly been subject to incredibly unfair circumstances but she had wanted to invite Tay anyway in an effort to possibly help.
The lecturer left the center of the room and the audience began to break into small groups, discussing a variety of issues. Sarah recognized quite a few of the people and thought briefly of introducing Tay but she had no intention of overwhelming the girl. Tay had always been notoriously prickly before and given what she had told Sarah about her experiences with other women Sarah understood she'd have to take baby steps when it came to any possible friendship with Tay.
"I'll get us some tea," Sarah smiled before getting up to retrieve some refreshments.
She recognized the auburn-haired young lady helping to serve tea and went to greet her. "Maggie, how are you?"
"Sarah Jacobs, can't say I'm surprised to see you here. Looks like you brought a friend. Still out recruiting new faces?" Maggie kidded gently.
"That's…" Sarah hesitated for a moment, unsure about whether or not to use Tay's real name. She decided against it. "Her name is Tay."
Maggie settled her gaze on Tay for a moment before turning her eyes back toward Sarah. She lifted her fingers to her cheek and drew an invisible line. "Do you mind me asking what happened there?"
"It's a long story," Sarah answered before picking up two cups of tea and turning to leave. It certainly wasn't her story to tell and Sarah had no intention of betraying Tay by divulging her secrets to someone the girl had never met. It wasn't as though she had anything but a glimmer of knowledge about those secrets anyway.
"I wasn't sure how you take your tea," Sarah said as she held one of the cups out to Tay.
"Don't really know. I ain't drank it much," Tay answered as she took the cup out of Sarah's hand, leaving the saucer behind.
Sarah let out a small smile as she placed the saucer in Tay's hand. "It'll help keep any tea from spilling on your pretty new skirt."
Two pinpoints of color appeared on Tay's cheeks and she placed her teacup on the saucer with her eyes downcast. "I never had fancy tea like this."
"I remember you preferring coffee to tea," Sarah told her. "I have to admit I prefer coffee as well. With lots of sugar."
Tay peered down into the contents of her cup. "I used to drink tea with my ma when I was little. She tried to teach me how to read leaves but I don't remember much of it anymore."
"Well, she sounds like an interesting person," Sarah began but stopped herself when she saw a dark cloud pass over Tay's face. She decided it would be best to change the subject. "What did you think of the lecture?"
"It was nice," Tay answered. She looked around the room for a minute. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"If you want all these things, why don't you strike? Seems like you already got a union and everyone in here seems to want the same things so why not just walk out?"
"Well," Sarah began, "it's a rather complicated issue. We have tried protests in the past but for most of us it isn't that easy to just walk out. Many of these women work from home, like I do, so there isn't exactly a place to strike against. Then there's the fact that it's, well, not exactly considered feminine to go out into the streets and be so vocal."
"The nuns used to try to tell us that when they found us working out on the streets," Tay told her. "It wasn't ladylike to be out late at night and hanging around pubs with boys."
"Exactly," Sarah said, "You've seen what happens to girls who are caught by the Gerry Society and it's the same for any poor woman caught and thrown in the Tombs just because she dared to speak up. So not only do we have to dodge the police, we also have to take on the men and women hired to cause disturbances in our ranks."
"You seem like you can take care of yourself," Tay pointed out. "I heard you once punched that idiot who used to work the distribution center."
Sarah was a little taken back by Tay's statement as it had sounded almost complementary and she wasn't sure how to respond. She sipped at her tea and recalled the afternoon she'd tried to fight off the Delancey brothers. Although she had never officially learned how to fight Sarah had picked up a bit of knowledge here and there.
"So what's Kelly think of all this?" Tay asked mischievously.
"Jack? He…I think he understands it but he has some reservations," Sarah explained. "I mean, he knows how important this is to me and I think he just worries that I might get hurt."
"You helped with the newsie strike, right?"
"I did. I helped put the Newsie Banner together and distributed it. Did you ever have a chance to read it?"
"Race brought copies to Brooklyn," Tay explained. She sipped her tea. "I didn't go to the rally that day but I heard about it later."
"I remember quite a few kids from Brooklyn were there that day."
"I had other things to do." The look on Tay's face suggested that there was more to the story but Sarah had learned that Tay was not the type to take kindly to being pushed into discussing things. She decided to broach another subject and hoped it wouldn't drive Tay into silence. It was a longshot but Sarah went ahead with it anyway.
"I'm guessing women's rights isn't exactly high on Spot's list of priorities," Sarah joked.
"The only thing Spot cares about when it comes to women is how fast he can get them into bed," Tay smirked. "He ain't really interested in their rights."
Sarah was a little saddened to hear just how matter of fact Tay was about Spot's attitude toward women but given all the things she had heard over the years it wasn't exactly eye-opening. It seemed that Spot's reputation among the ladies was something that Tay had just learned to live with although Sarah felt the desire to give Spot a piece of her mind about how much damage it had most likely caused Tay to see him bed other women.
"Well it seems we have our work cut out for us when it comes to our husbands," Sarah grinned. She knew Jack's attitude was worlds better than Spot's but she wanted Tay to feel that they were on the same side.
Tay was quiet for a long moment and Sarah noticed that she seemed to be carefully studying the other women in the room although it was hard to tell what her objective was. There were a variety of women in the room and Sarah briefly considered the idea that it might have been one of the few times that Tay had been in a place designed exclusively for women. It spurned her to bring up another topic that she had been wondering about.
"I understand you sold papers for quite awhile but do you mind me asking what you did before then? Did you attend school?"
Tay's brow furrowed slightly. "I never went to school. My ma taught us to read and write. Sometimes, in winter, I'd stay with the nuns and they'd try to teach us but it was mostly about how to be a lady. Sewing, cooking, all that shit."
"I didn't get a chance to attend much schooling, either," Sarah admitted. "I was able to get through the basics but then Mama needed me at home to help take care of David and Les."
"But you studied all your brother's books, right?"
Sarah was astonished by Tay's insight and sat open-mouthed for a second. "How-how did you know that?"
"Easy," Tay shrugged. "You clearly got a brain, Jacobs. Probably read everything you can get your hands on. You know how to carry yourself and get things done without making a fuss about it. And you know how to talk to people without making them feel stupid. I bet you know more than most of the women here."
"I–I don't know what to say," Sarah stammered.
"Anyway, I gotta get going," Tay answered. She lifted her cup. "Where do we put these?"
Still stunned by Tay's flattery Sarah led the way across the room toward Maggie. The auburn haired girl couldn't take her eyes off Tay which was something the Brooklyn girl picked up on instantly.
"Problem?" Tay asked brusquely as she glared at Maggie. Sarah hoped that Maggie would be able to hold her tongue and not provoke Tay further.
Sarah set her teacup down next to Tay's and grasped the younger girl by the hand. "We'll be going now."
Tay's words had captured Sarah's full attention and so it was a minute before she realized that Tay had stopped dead just outside the building entrance. Sarah noted the dark look in Tay's eyes and followed her gaze over to where Spot stood next to a lamppost engaged in a conversation with a pretty blonde.
It was only a brief moment before Spot noticed their presence and left the blonde to approach Tay.
"Took you long enough," Spot grinned. "Did you manage to get her to join the cause, Jacobs?"
Sarah just rolled her eyes and turned to Tay. "Thank you for coming today. Maybe I'll see you again?"
"If you want," Tay told her with a shrug. She looked over at Spot. "Can we go home now?"
"Sure, doll. See you around, Jacobs."
As Sarah watched the pair disappear down the street she couldn't help but imagine the storm that would erupt when they arrived in Brooklyn. As she made her own way home Sarah reflected on the conversation she'd had with Tay that day and tried to think positively about the two having taken a possible step forward in their friendship.
Spot tipped his cap forward over his eyes and leaned his head back against the sofa in the front room. It had been a mistake to let Tay attend that lecture with Sarah but he had a feeling it went deeper than that. Something had clearly been eating at Tay as she hadn't said more than a few words to him the entire walk back to their apartment. Spot had tried to ask her about the afternoon but Tay had been evasive, giving one word answers to each of his inquiries.
He felt something poke him in the chest and pushed his cap back to find Tay standing next to him. She wasn't looking at him but was instead concentrating on a point on the wallpaper.
"I need your help." She led him back to the bedroom and turned her back. "The button on this skirt is stuck."
"I'll help on one condition," he told her. "You tell me what's bothering you."
"I'll do it myself," Tay huffed.
She reached behind her and Spot watched her fumble with the button, pulling at it and twisting it in her fingers. He stepped across the room and placed his hand over Tay's until she stopped.
"You ain't said a word since we left Manhattan. Tell me what's wrong." Even as he tried to sound gentle, Spot realized it had sounded like an order. He concentrated on untangling a bit of thread that had been caught around the button.
"Nothing is wrong," Tay answered.
The button came loose and Spot let the skirt slip down over Tay's hips to puddle on the floor. He placed his hands on her waist and turned her around so she was facing him. Her face was flushed and her eyes burned with anger like two pieces of coal.
"Tell me."
There was a moment of silence as Tay bit at her bottom lip and seemed to be deciding. Her eyes snapped to him and her words were bitter. "Maybe you should ask that blonde."
"What blonde? What are you talking about?"
"The one you were so busy charming while I was inside having tea and making a complete idiot of myself."
"I don't know—" The realization hit him and he scoffed. "You mean that chatterbox? I was being polite–"
"Yeah, 'cause that's what your reputation is built on. Spot Conlon is so polite."
Venom dripped from her every word and it was clear she had intended to pain him in some way but Spot was caught off-guard by the anger that clouded her face. It had been months since he had seen her allow herself to act and speak with such wild abandon. She was practically shaking with rage as she stood in front of him clothed in nothing more than a chemise and petticoat and Spot found himself struggling to overcome the desire to take her to bed.
Spot reached up and brought Tay's braid over her shoulder. He untied the ribbon at the end and let it fall to the floor before he began to unravel her hair with his fingers. Tay made one small attempt to step back away but Spot persisted. When he had finished her hair hung loose and dark against her pale skin. It was a sight that further stirred his desire but he tried to concentrate on the matter at hand.
"Who did you choose, Anna?"
There was the slightest flicker in Tay's eyes before she set her face like stone. "That isn't going to work."
"Answer the question," Spot prodded. "Who did you choose?"
There was a long moment where Spot was unsure whether she would answer him or storm away before she looked him straight in the eye, the flush of her face growing deeper.
"You."
Spot ran his finger under the leather cord that hung against her neck and lifted the key into view. "Who did I choose?"
Her lips parted but no sound came out and Spot could see the storm brewing in her eyes. He concentrated on the key and ran his thumb over the tarnished metal as he waited for her to answer.
"Me." It was barely a whisper but he was grateful that she had given him any kind of response. Given the strength of her fury, Spot hadn't really been sure of what to expect.
"Look at me. There's no one else." Tay looked skeptical and Spot held her gently by the shoulders. "You and me, doll. That's it."
"Why—why should I believe you?" Her eyes pleaded with him silently and he was able to see the pain behind the anger. "There's always been others. I followed you…to pubs, to whorehouses, to dance halls. They were always there and I know they're still there."
"No, Anna, there's no one else. Not since you came back to me."
"Before that?"
Spot closed his eyes and felt his heart sink to his shoes. It was true, there had been others. Pieces in a chess game that had never meant anything and had only served to cement his growing reputation. Each encounter had left him deeply unsatisfied and it took far too long for him to realize that there was only one girl he truly loved. But when he opened his eyes and looked at her he worried that there was no way of undoing that damage.
"I'm sorry, Anna." He dropped his eyes to the floor as he realized those were the only words he could offer and that hearing them would likely just drive her away. He'd lose her, again. Like it had so many times before, his utter selfishness would cause her to leave him all alone.
It felt as though his heart had stopped beating in his chest as he waited to see what would happen. He found himself expecting to see her dress before storming out the door, leaving him alone in the same way that he had always left her in the small, cramped room.
Tay reached up and curled her fingers at the nape of his neck, drawing him gently down to her level. Spot was caught by surprise at the sweet, simple nature of the kiss as he was sure she was still angry. He slipped his hand under the bottom of her chemise and dragged his fingertips across her stomach, relishing the way she shivered under his touch. She broke away from the kiss and Spot opened his eyes to find her searching his face. Her eyes were still smoldering but he wasn't sure if it was anger or desire. He wasn't sure what to expect and so he remained still, his heart thumping in his chest as he gazed straight back into her eyes.
"Tell me again."
"I love you."
She was laying with her back toward him with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair fell free and tumbled down her back. Spot reached over to touch her, running his fingers down over her hair and pushing the blanket gently off her shoulder. He froze as he noticed a small birthmark on her skin. Tay didn't have any birthmarks.
Spot sat up and took in his surroundings quickly. The air was thick with perfume and he noticed the dresser held a variety of make-up, costume jewelry, and bits of finery. The dress draped across the chair at the end of the bed was far too loud and brash to belong to her. Tay didn't wear make-up and the only ornament she had ever worn was his key around her neck.
The dark-haired woman stirred and stretched before turning her face toward him and revealing a startlingly bright pair of green eyes. She smiled at him but Spot just drew back.
"You're not Anna."
"It's your money, sweetheart. I can be whoever you want."
His eyes flew open and he found himself gasping for air as the image of the strange woman faded from his memory. There was no one in the bed next to him and he swallowed the brief feeling of panic that had always plagued him when he'd woken up to find Tay wasn't there next to him. He tossed the blankets back and got to his feet, pulling his pants up around his waist as he made his way out of the bedroom.
He found Tay in the front room, sitting on the sofa with a book propped open on her lap as she tried to read by candlelight.
"You'll strain your eyes that way," Spot told her as he leaned in the doorway.
Tay marked her place in her book with her finger and looked up at him. "I'm still mad at you."
"You ain't and you know it," Spot grinned. He waited until she moved her legs out of the way and took a seat next to her, lifting her feet onto his lap. "What are you reading?"
"One of those rags to riches stories," Tay answered. "It's about a newsie. He meets this lady who takes him in, gives him plenty to eat and lots of money to spend."
"You were always one for fairy tales," Spot kidded.
The image of the green-eyed woman still bothered him and he was haunted by the conversation he and Tay had had earlier that night. Spot recalled the most painful days when Tay had been gone and he had tried to seek comfort in the arms of a woman, any woman, only to end up disappointed and miserable. His memories of that time were hazy as he had been relying so heavily on alcohol to help him try to forget the pain in his heart that it had left blank places behind.
After the miscarriage he had sworn to himself that it would be Tay and only Tay but after she'd been shuffled off to the reformatory Spot had found himself adrift. He had quite literally tried to keep her under lock and key and it had proven to be his downfall. Spot had always tried to maintain the attitude that Tay didn't matter to him, that she was just another girl, another plaything for him to toy with. It had been easier to think that way than to face his true feelings. But after she had left and after what had happened with Morelli, Spot found himself living in a brand new world where he was forced to confront his darkest fears and face new possibilities.
"Can I ask you something, doll?" He waited until Tay nodded. "Why did you say you were making an idiot out of yourself at that lecture? What happened?"
"It was fine." Her tone was neutral and she didn't even look up from the page she was reading.
"C'mon, Tay."
Tay sighed heavily and closed the book, keeping it in her lap. Her brow furrowed slightly and a dark cloud settled over her features. "It was nice, okay? We listened to some women talk, we had tea, we talked and that was the end of it."
"You had tea?" He tried to tamp down the incredulous tone of his voice. Tay didn't drink tea, she hated anything like that. Any etiquette lessons that the nuns or anyone else had tried to force upon her had resulted in Tay running as far and as fast as possible in the opposite direction. A majority of the newsgirls in Brooklyn were just like Tay, more comfortable with swearing and smoking, hanging around pubs late at night, and sleeping in the streets rather than worrying about how to cross their ankles or the latest Paris fashions.
"In these tiny little cups with shit painted on them and these…I don't know…little plates they gave you to hold your cup. I didn't even want to touch them. The things looked like they would fall to pieces." A slight blush crept across Tay's cheeks but she didn't continue.
"So did you tell Sarah's fortune?" Spot kidded.
"You know I don't do that anymore," Tay answered with a slight smile but the dark cloud quickly returned. The look in her eyes was one of pain and confusion. "They were all…so nice."
Given her emphasis on that last word Spot got the feeling that the women weren't nice at all. From what he'd seen he suspected they may have been the type of woman to smile to your face but quickly talk behind your back.
"Did someone say something to you?"
Tay shook her head. "No, no one talked to me but Sarah. But I didn't want to talk to any of 'em anyway. I just…I didn't fit. They were all dolled up with these fancy hats and some of 'em wore gloves…and I…it wasn't…never mind."
"I'm guessing you was one of the prettiest girls there, doll."
"Prettier than that blonde?"
"Doll, c'mon."
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just so–I just don't fit in. Not with them." Tay looked down at the cover of her book and flipped the corner of the pages idly. When she spoke her words were edged with tears. "They stare."
"They stare?"
Tay lifted her hand half-heartedly toward her face. "I know it's there, it ain't like I can ever forget it but sometimes I can pretend for a little while but then I catch someone looking and—it just hurts."
Her scars were something that Spot wished desperately he could fix especially considering the fact that more than one was his own fault. Over time the scar on her left cheek had faded into a thin, white line just across her cheekbone that was only really visible if one knew where to look. But Morelli had been cruel, leaving her with a wide scar that ran from under her eye almost to her chin. It had healed badly given that it probably had needed stitches which clearly hadn't been provided. Tay was understandably sensitive about it and Spot had noticed she had developed a habit of only looking at one half of her face in the mirror in their bedroom. Any time Spot came anywhere near touching it or glancing at that side of her face, Tay would flinch as though she still felt the knife against her skin.
"There was one girl, this redhead, who wouldn't stop staring at me the whole damn time. I would have slapped her but Sarah pulled me away."
"That's my girl," Spot grinned. Once upon a time Tay had been a fair fighter and could stand her ground against anyone who dared try to tell her differently. Over time, Tay had become more withdrawn and preferred to stay in the shadows but Spot knew the blame for that rested on his own shoulders. He had kept her so contained, unwilling to let anyone get to her and take her away from him.
"Sounds like that might have been your last lecture," Spot told her.
"I don't know," Tay shrugged. "I understood most of what they was talking about but it seems like that's all they do. I asked Sarah why they don't just strike and she said it's cause there ain't no place to strike against. There was plenty of girls at that rally back when the newsies wrote that paper but I guess things is different now."
"Still plenty of old-fashioned thinking out there, doll. You telling me you don't remember all the lectures they gave you back at the mission? All those do-gooders trying to save you girls from ending up "bad"? They didn't give a whit about the rest of us but let one of those ladies catch wind that there was some girl out there selling papes at midnight and off the poor thing would go to the Refuge."
"I'm sure Jacobs will come up with something. She's smarter than them all." Tay watched him carefully as though she was waiting for him to second what she had said but Spot was too smart for that. He did have respect for Sarah Jacobs but he didn't dare stir up Tay's jealousy. Tay scrunched up her face in thought before relaxing and settling back against the sofa. "I want to know something."
"Okay," Spot answered, instantly on edge as he worried about where the conversation would go next.
"How many other girls were there?"
His heart sank. "Tay, don't do this."
It was partly a plea for her to stop and partly a warning that she was treading on thin ice. The truth was he had no idea how many others there had been. Rumors and truth had grown so convoluted over time that he had developed a habit of just admitting to any of the various stories that swirled around him.
"What about Lucy? Why her?"
"Lucy?" He racked his brain but came up with nothing.
"That girl that used to hang around with Finn. The one that took me into the girls' lodging house the night you went to jail after the rally."
Spot frowned as he tried to go back to that night and recall a girl named Lucy. He picked at the lace at the bottom of Tay's petticoat and folded the material between his fingers as he thought. He was suddenly struck by the memory of paying a girl named Lucy to keep Tay close by in case he ended up arrested, which had turned out to be another disastrous idea. He recalled finding Tay locked in the sick ward of the girls lodging house and completely distraught. He had a vague memory of the girl ending up with a black eye given to her by Tay.
"I know who you're talking about, doll, but I never slept with her."
"You did too."
"Anna, I never slept with that girl. The one you gave a black eye, right?" Tay nodded. "Yeah, I never had anything to do with her."
Tay sent him a sharp look. "She told me you slept together."
Spot swallowed the urge to ask her what the hell was so important about this one random girl but he knew the ember inside her could quickly grow into a wildfire if she was provoked. It wasn't as though he was afraid of her anger, it had more to do with the way he was still learning how to be with her. There would be flashes of the way she had been before but one wrong word, one wrong move and she'd regress back into her shadow world.
"She told me," Tay said softly as though the realization that she had been lied to was hitting her and Spot reached out for her hand. He picked up the book and set it to the side before helping her to her feet. Her eyes were a mix of pain and confusion and he leaned down to gently kiss her.
"Just you and me, doll."
Tay lifted her eyes to his. "Swear to it. Swear it on your mother."
He was surprised but understood that she needed that deep of a promise. "I swear on my mother, Anna. Just you and me."
Shoutout to Anna_W for being so kind as to read this story and write reviews! It means a lot to me!
Any feedback is always welcome and appreciated! Happy reading! Cheers!