𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

13

"So that's who had turned up at the gym" Isaiah asked, punching the punch bag in front of him. "Yeah, he's over there" she nodded to the two Shelby men walking in.

Arthur and Arthur.

"The boy needs a good hiding if you ask me" her father whispered to Arthur. "Yeah well Aunt Polly's close to giving him one." Arthur laughed.

"John and Ada too it sounds like"

"John moans on bloody principle"

"And Lottie?" her father asked. "She's a good girl she is." Arthur nodded.

"I fucking hate him" Lottie hissed, placing her head in her hands. "Absolute prick" Lottie noticed her youngest brother with the two.

"Where did you fight dad?" Finn asked. Lottie shook her head. "Ah, all over, son, all over"

"Yeah, all over" Arthur repeated. "Then the salvation of Jesus Christ spread His light all over me," Their dad nodded, "and as a pilgrim, i come to visit the New World"

"America" Arthur grinned.

"Where i beheld the future" he nodded down at Finn who was fully engrossed in his story. "Casinos, money factories son"

Arthur stopped drinking, his mouth parted slightly.

"Look, i've been studying the competition, their schemes, their systems. Look at that" he handed him a piece of paper.

"He's up to no good" Lottie whispered to Isaiah who stood behind her, his head on her shoulder. "You going to say something to him?" he asked. She shook her head. "Can't do that to Arthur, he clearly wants to talk to him"

Isaiah nodded slowly.

"Well why don't we go down to the Garrison, come away from here" he suggested.

She agreed, holding onto his arm as he lead her away from the gym.

"He left when i was 4, why has he came back now?" she asked, looking up at the boy. "I'm not sure" he shook his head. "I don't understand why he just turns up thinking everything will be okay" she ranted.

He grabbed her shoulders, stopping in front of her.

"Relax, yeah?" he raised his eyebrows. "He'll be gone soon enough" he laughed.

Deep down, Lottie wanted to talk to her father, tell him everything he missed out on. But she knew that if she did that, she'd betray Thomas, she'd betray John. She could never betray them, especially not John.

No matter how badly she wanted to spend time with him, she was too stubborn to even try.

Isaiah and Lottie sat inside the Garrison, drinks in hand. "I think you've had enough" Isaiah laughed, taking the drink from her hand as she lay her head on to the bar.

Her emotions were getting the better of her, something she hated.

"What did me and my brothers do so wrong that he had to abandon us?" she asked, squeezing her eyes shut. "Look, here's John and Thomas" he rubbed her shoulder, helping her stand up.

They both joined them inside the snug.

"Why is he here" she asked, pulling at her hair. "I want him to go away, leave like he did ten years ago" she stuttered, staring at the wall as her eyes filled with tears.

Her brothers looked at her, concern painted all over their faces.

"Who the fuck can leave their children the way he did" she asked, hitting the table and covering her mouth, trying to get her breath back.

"Hey, hey" Tommy whispered. "Come on" he wrapped his arms around his younger sister as her knees grew weak.

This had only happened once before where she got too overwhelmed, things got inside her head. She'd become a mess, unable to control herself.

"You're okay Lottie" he whispered, holding her head. Her hands gripped the fabric of his shirt.

"Isaiah, go home" John instructed.

"Come here Lottie, girl" John whispered, taking her from Tommy's arms. "Everything will be fine, i promise you, yeah?"

She held onto John as if he was going to disappear.

Johns eyes got glossy, hating the sight of his sister being so distraught.

He rubbed her back. "He's nothing okay? Your a fucking Shelby Lottie" he let out a small laugh. "You can handle him, don't let a prick like him do this to you"

Tommy returned with a glass of water.

"Have you been drinking today Lottie?" Tommy asked. "Tommy fuck off, doesn't matter if she's been drinking can you not see what that man who's supposed to be our dad does to her"

Eventually, she calmed down, still holding onto John as if she was a small child.

John wiped her hair from her face. "Let's get you home, you can get to bed" he suggested, looking at her eyes.

She nodded slowly.

She hated being vulnerable but it was something she couldn't help when it happened. Lottie would get herself in such a state where her body would shut down.

John walked her home, she stayed quiet.

"We can make sure he doesn't come near you" he said, anger in his voice. "If that's what you want, he will never come near you again"

Growing up, it's not like her father had done anything to her. He left them. He left her thinking that it was her fault, she grew up hating the kids who had a dad at home. And she hated the thought of the man.