Chapter 12
Bessy glances over at Tommy who had his head ducked down, and was scribbling furiously in his notebook; the siblings had been travelling back to Small Heath for nearly two days, making polite conversation, but mainly leaving each other be, and Bessy had finally had enough. She sighs, dropping her book into her lap, raising her eyebrows as Tommy glances up, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.
"Anything you want to tell me?" She asks, reaching forward to pluck the notebook out of his hands, ensuring his attention was on her.
"No...anything you want to tell me?" He counters, raising his eyebrows again in confusion.
"You went to see Ada didn't you?" Bessy questions, cutting to the chase.
"I did." Tommy replies with a nod, gently pulling the notebook from Bessy's hands and tucking it into the pocket of his jacket.
"I would have liked to have gone with you." She states, curling her legs up underneath her.
"You were sleeping. You looked like you need a rest." Tommy replies with a sigh.
"You could have waited."
"I could have." Tommy agrees, leaning back against the wall of the boat.
"You're impossible." Bessy replies with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Bessy. London's not safe. Ok? I didn't need you following me around and getting hurt-"
"I can look after myself." She cuts in, narrowing her eyes at her brother.
"I know you can. But you have a baby to think of now too." He argues, motioning with his eyes to Bessy's stomach where she lays a protective hand on her bump.
"I want my baby to know their aunt." Bessy states, rubbing circles against her stomach.
"Your baby will know their aunt."
"You can't know that-"
"Bessy."
"You can't know that." Bessy snaps, more forcefully this time, making Tommy pauses, a frown etched on his face. "You can't because you're pushing her away."
"I am not. Not purposefully." Tommy replies, pulling his box of cigarettes out of his jacket. "She's not pushing you away. You're both free to see each other whenever you want."
"No. We're free to see each other on your terms. When you say it's safe-"
"Bessy. London is not safe." He cuts her off, waving his now lit cigarette in the air.
"So you've said." She huffs in response, rolling her eyes. "So therefore, I'm not free to see Ada whenever I want anymore, am I?"
"Take John with you." Tommy states, pulling his notebook out again, showing her he was finished with the conversation.
"What?"
"Take John to London with you." He repeats, looking over to Bessy who frowns, shaking her head slowly.
"I don't get it..."
"You can go, if you take John with you."
"Not Elijah?" She asks, brow still furrowed.
"No. Not Elijah." Tommy confirms, head still ducked down to focus on the book.
"Why?"
"I need him in the shop."
"For what?"
"Business."
"What?"
"Elijah's business is in Birmingham, John deals with business in London. So, John can take you to London next time he goes, check on our boys out there at the same time." He explains, dropping the book into his lap, realising there was no way he was going to get five minutes off peace to finish off his work.
"And you don't need John in the shop?" Bessy clarifies, reaching forwards to pull her own cigarette out of the box Tommy had discarded on the bed between them.
"Bessy. If you want to go to back to London, go with John when I send him next. Ok? That'll appease Esme too. I'm sure she's just worried John'll run off with a toff from the clubs." He replies, striking a match to light the cigarette.
"She doesn't think that." Bessy replies after a drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke into the air.
"Ok."
"John wouldn't do that." Bessy turns her head to look over at Tommy, eyebrows raised as she takes in his silence. "You're not seriously telling me that you think our brother would abandon his wife and run off with some posh toff in London?"
"No. I'm not saying that." He replies, holding his hands up in the air.
"But you're implying it." She argues, pointing at Tommy who rolls his eyes, pushing himself to the edge of the bed.
"Bessy. For goodness sake. Do you want Curly to turn the boat around?" He huffs, leaning his elbows on his knees as he motions to the stairs leading to the open top of the boat.
"No." Bessy snaps, crossing her arms over her chest once more and leaning back against the wall.
"Then stop complaining." Tommy sighs, pushing himself back against the wall beside her. "When John goes back to London next, I'll make sure you're with him. You can stay with Ada. Would that make you happy?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"Thank you." Bessy states, glancing out of the window ahead of them.
"You're welcome." Tommy replies, picking up his book again as they fall back into silence.
"I would just like to go by myself." Bessy mutters petulantly under her breath, causing Tommy to drop his head to his chest and sigh.
"Bessy."
"Sorry. Shutting up now." She mumbles, letting her head drop back against the wall, shutting her eyes as Tommy turns back to his work.
"Thank you."
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"Boo!" Bessy whispers in Elijah's ear as she sneaks up behind him, having come straight from Charlie's yard to the shop, her boyfriend jumping in surprise. "Excuse me! I think you'll find this is my desk." She teases cupping his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his.
"Come 'ere." Elijah growls, pulling Bessy into his lap, eliciting a round of giggles from her. "Let me look at you." He gently pushes her to stand, making her turn in front of him, pulling her back into his lap when he is satisfied with what he's seen. "No injuries. Good." Bessy rolls her eyes, leaning down to capture his lips with hers again in a passionate kiss.
"Get a fucking room!" John shouts teasingly from the other end of the shop.
"Happily!" Bessy calls back in response, rising from Elijah's lap, taking his hand in hers to drag him into the house.
"You are never, ever, leaving my sight, again." Elijah teases, peppering kisses over Bessy's face the minute they were alone, the doors to the betting shop shut behind them. His fingers dance lightly across her ribs eliciting the laugh he loved so much as he lifts her up to perch on the kitchen counter, moving to stand between her legs. "I was fucking miserable with you gone."
"Aww," she coos, pouting down at him as she runs her fingers through his hair. "I heard you had some fun with the boys though..." Elijah raises his eyebrows at this, pulling Bessy closer to him.
"And where did you hear that, huh?"
"Uncle Charlie." Bessy giggles as Elijah shakes his head in mock seriousness. "You all got a little bit drunk by the sounds of it?"
"I was a fucking mess." Elijah admits, dropping his head to her shoulder as she laughs at him. "Fell asleep in your room with the window fully open. Pretty much had hypothermia when I woke up."
"You're so dramatic!" Bessy exclaims, still laughing as Elijah shivers at the memory. "Oh, baby. What would you do without me, huh?" Elijah shakes his head at the thought of it, pulling her in for a hug.
"I'd be lying in a ditch somewhere." He states, tilting his head up to kiss her. "Good job we don't need to worry about that, eh?" Bessy nods, wrapping her arms around Elijah's neck as he slides her off the counter, carrying her into the living room where he settles himself on to the sofa, Bessy straddling his lap. He gently untucks Bessy's top from her skirt, lifting it up to lay his hand on her stomach.
"You've grown." Elijah says, rubbing circles into her skin.
"Mhmm." She hums, smiling up at him.
"Can you feel the baby yet?" He asks as she intertwines their fingers.
"Like, little flutters. Just occasionally." Bessy replies.
"I can't wait until I can feel the baby too." He admits, leaning forwards to kiss her.
"Hmm, me too." She hums in reply, tugging at him to pull herself back into his arms, their bodies flush against each other. "Tommy bought Ada a house in London." She says quietly after sitting in silence for a while, running her fingertips up and down Elijah's back.
"That was nice of him." Elijah comments, frowning at how tense Bessy had become in his arms. "Isn't it?"
"That means she's not coming back 'Lijah." She replies, tucking her head into his shoulder.
"Never say never." He replies gently, pulling the ribbon from her hair, letting her curls fall across her back as he runs his fingers through them, Bessy humming reluctantly in reply.
"I talked to Tommy about helping us to find a house." Bessy says, pulling back to look him in the eye, Elijah looking up at her, waiting for her to continue. "He said he'd buy us one." Elijah raises his eyebrows at this, smiling up at Bessy.
"Did you tell him-" Bessy cuts him off with a kiss, followed by a nod.
"That we have money saved and would be happy to pay? Yes. I did. But he insisted, he's got money he can't put through the company that he needs to invest somewhere. Said we could find one when we got back, and he'd sort it out."
"That's nice of him." Elijah comments, tucking Bessy's hair behind her ear.
"I think secretly, he likes you." She whispers teasingly into his ear, making Elijah laugh.
"And why wouldn't he?" He asks, Bessy cupping his face in her hands with an incredulous look.
"You're dating his baby sister!" She exclaims, both of them laughing as she nudges her face into his neck.
"Love, I was friends with your brothers before I met you!" Elijah says, Bessy pulling away with a mock gasp. "We went to war together."
"I know..." Bessy replies with a sigh. "But you love me most, right?" She teases, earning another laugh from Elijah who nods, tucking her body closer to his.
"I love you the most."