Crown of a Prince (Finn Shelby)

116

Ailbhe had been in the Shelby Kennedy betting shop for long enough to recognise the sounds when they pricked her ears. She knew what Tommy's footsteps sounded like compared to Arthur's. She knew what floorboards creaked and what doors squeaked. Years ago, she would have been able to recognise the sounds of Esme and John in his office or of Lizzie and Tommy sneaking back in after excusing themselves under the pretence of a walk. But she knew the sounds of her husband above all else.

It wasn't second sight or any of the cursed gifts she had inherited to know what Finn sounded like. She knew him in her bones. The sounds of his breath, the step of his feet and the smoothness of his voice when he would call her attention from the books in front of her.

"Hey"

His voice was softer than any of the tones he had taken with her that morning, the temper gone. And when she looked up, she saw only the boy who had promised her a crown and smiled when she had asked for a ring as well.

"What do you want?" She asked, doing her very best to look displeased to see him.

She was. But her body always betrayed herself around him and even having him in the room made the knots in her shoulders loosen and her blood warm.

"I wanted to see my wife."

He shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets as he closed the distance between them. His eyes were locked on hers and she couldn't fight the urge to look back at him.

"Did you want to see a good little wife who would get on her knees and say yes sir? Or did you want to see the actual woman you married?"

He took the seat opposite her with the desk between them without an invitation as he took in what she said. He knew she would still be angry. Finn's fuse was shorter than his wife's but her tempers lasted longer.

"I wanted to see my Ailbhe." He shrugged, knowing that she would soften eventually.

He knew that he had been wrong earlier, but she had been wrong to not trust him with the news of Niall's wife.

She hated when he acted mature and didn't rise to her taunts. And he sat there calmly, obviously not going anywhere. Reminding her that he loved her for better and worse and he would sit there until they had made up.

And the part of her that liked to curl into his lap and have him rub her back was so glad he was there, she hated it.

The tension between them was palpable and the air seemed full of an awkward static.

"I didn't say you could sit down." She sniped, her eyes darting to the chair that he had taken.

Finn's tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip, stifling a smile that he knew would annoy her.

"I know" He nodded "But we don't tell each other what to do in this marriage."

Her eyes narrowed. He knew what he was saying. She knew too.

I shouldn't have tried to tell you what to do this morning.

"We don't keep things from each other either" He reminded her with a jerk of his chin in her direction.

You shouldn't have kept anything from me.

She was wrong to keep it from him. She knew she was. But a part of her was so frightened for any baby that would be born into the Shelby Kennedy clan. And the rest of her just wanted to keep her time with Finn untainted by the rest of the family.

He tightened his jaw and his eyes were dark when he looked back at her.

She stared back. And it felt like a crossroads.