It's Brooklyn Baby- Spot Conlon X Reader

Part 6

He walked me home silently. The silence was comfortable and enjoyable unlike awkward and tense like it was with William. I arrived home, waved goodbye to Spot, and watched him fade into the distance when I got into my room. "How was your late-night walk with William Cambridge?" My mother asked me to bring a tea tray into my room and sat on my bed next to me. "It was lovely." She smiled and surprised me by hugging me. "I am so proud of you. You are going to marry into fortunes. And I see a gleam in your eyes. Even I didn't have that for your father." For a second I had forgotten that we were talking about William. My mind was complete of Spot Conlon. "Thank you mother. I am sure that I shall make a good wife for him. He has invited me to walk with him the night after tomorrow. Will that be alright?" My mother nodded approvingly then left me to rest.

Spot and I had been spending every other night together. Either swimming or him swimming and him trying to keep me afloat, walking around Brooklyn looking at the city, or just sitting at the docs on the crates and talking. Every night with him was wonderful. Then I'd wake in the morning and spend it with William where I were miserable. He had already proposed in front of a party his family hand thrown in their manor and I was forced to say yes not only by the pressure of the staring faces of the people where were invited to attend, but by the pressure of my parents.

I sat crocheting a blanket in the library room while William drank a tall glass of wine. He continued talking about.. well himself. I would tune in and out of the conversation pretending to listen to every work he had said and allowing him to believed that I actually cared about the words that seemed to fall out of his mouth. "You will make lovely clothes for the 9 children that you will bare for me." I coughed and looked at him wide eyed. "How many my dear?" He smiled placing a hand on my knee. "9 and all boys." I bit my bottom lip. Lord please have mercy and give this man a sense of humor that this all is a joke. "9 boys. wow. I will certainly try my best."

That night I slipped a robe over my nightgown and ran downstairs once I heard the pebbles hit my window. I ran out and gave Spot a huge hug. "Okay okay. I wanna show you something I think yous gonna enjoy. Medda is performing tonight and she said I can come to her next show for free with a guest for fixing her table for her." I smiled excited to see Meddas show again. I took his hand and we walked all the way there. Just before we entered the door I paused. "Wait Spot I'm not dressed for this."

"That's okay I aint either."

"No Spot I'm in my night gown."

"Whatcha wear don't matter to me, but if you insist..."

He took off his coat he had on and wrapped it around me and I smiled at him. "Thank you." To my surprise I gave him a kiss on the cheek and he let me. "Come on let's go in before wes miss it."

The show was great and he even bought me a root beer which I sipped through the night. When we walked out I was laughing and holding his arm. "Wow, Spot that was just wonderful. I had so much fun. Really I did. Thank you so much." He smiled down at me. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I had fun too." We again walked to the doc looking up at the starry night sky. "I would like to show yous something if its okay. It's in my tenement but yous aint gotta come in if yous uncomfortable." I nodded at him smiling. "Of course I would love to see what you have to show me." Again he held my hand and I felt a tingle run through my body when he did. We walked in and I noticed he had kept everything clean and tidy from when I was here last. "Is had a new chain put on it, but it's the key I wear around my neck. I wanted yous to have it."

"What does it unlock?"

"I'm not sure. Probably the old place I used to live with my folks before I went homeless."

"You were homeless?" He nodded. "Yes for a short while until I became a newsie then lived in the lodging house with the others."

"I can't imagine how strenuous that situation must have been like. Especially how cold I heard it gets here in New York." I looked down on the necklace and he put it around my neck. "Thank you so much Spot. I love it and I promise to take care of it."

"I know you will."

I hugged him again and I was close to kissing him but again he pulled away and I frowned. "Why?" I ask him a bit upset. "Why won't you kiss me? Was I interpreting things wrong and you only like me as a friend?" He shook his head walking over to his small kitchen area and leaning on his table then turned back to look at me. His stance was tense and he looked frustrated. "Y/n." A tear slipped from my face. "Of course, I want to kiss you. Yous just seeing sombody and it wouldn't be right for me to do that."

"But I don't love him. I don't want to go through with the marriage. When he proposed I didn't want to say yes. You are the one I want to be with. You make me feel free, unafraid to voice my opinion, you make me happy."

"He proposed?" He looked at me. His eyebrows furrowed and he bit his bottom lip angrily. "When did that happen?"

"A week ago. I'm so sorry I meant to tell you sooner."

"Then all this was worth nothing." He stated hitting the table then walking up to me.

"No. Please It isn't. I know in my heart that you're the one that I want to be with."

"Then why the hell are ya marrying the man? Yous got a choice. Believe it or not you can say no."

"I wish I could have but..."

"But?" He asked taking a step forward.

"But nothing."

"I think yous should go home doll face." I nodded my head wiping the tears that fell from my face. Being the chivalrous young man he is he walked be home. "I'm never going to be happy without you Spot." I said as we arrived at my front door. "It's Brooklyn baby. Yous gonna find some way." He brought me in for a hug and walked away. My heart hurt. I walked in my home to see a furious William standing there. "Who the hell was that?" He yelled at me. "A friend."

"A friend? I couldn't help to notice you spending a lot of time with your friend lately. Especially late at night. Tell me have you been unfaithful to your future husband?" He gripped my arm tightly. "You're hurting me William." I tried to move away from him but he held me tighter and I winced. "No I haven't I promise." He scoffed. "And now you're lying to me. I saw you kiss him!" I tried to speak up. "Don't you dare talk back to your husband you are to respect me!" He hit me with the back of his hand and I held the side of my face wincing at the stinging. "You will marry me and you will honor me like the dutiful wife you were raised to be." He said holding my face to look strait into his. "Yes. I understand." He smiled kissing my cheek where he hit me. "Good. Now let us sit by the fire and you can rub my feet while I tell you about work today." I faked a smile on my face and nodded my head doing as he wished afraid he would get angry again.

Finally he went home and I went to my bedroom. I started crying my eyes out. I knew I wasn't going to see Spot for a while and that would give William more time with me. Spot was angry with me today too but he never hit me like William did. I laid there sobbing until I fell asleep. In the morning Elenore came into my room. "It's time to get up you're to have breakfast with William this morning." She smiled. I groaned. "I'm terribly sorry Elenore, but I'm not feeling well this morning." She felt my forehead. "You're not running a fever." I cried again. "Maybe just for today. You have been busy lately you must be exhausted."

"Thank you Mrs Elenore."

"Of course dear. I will let William know you are running a fever."

She left the room and I curled back into my warm blankets trying to fall back asleep and pretend that the reality that I know now does not nor ever has existed.