𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

12

"Where's Freddie?" She asked, handing Polly a cold towel to place on Ada's forehead. "He will be here, he won't miss it" Ada panted.

"Lilah go down to the Garrison, your dads there" Francis said, not wanting the girl in the room.  Delilah nodded quickly and made her way down to the pub, hugging her clothes to herself.

She swung the door open, the head of the Shelby men turning to her.

"Mum told me to come here" she spoke before any of them could ask questions. "Whiskey, Irish" Delilah sat at the bar, refusing to look at the blonde woman.

"You're too young" Grace said. Lilah eyed her father, raising her eyebrows. "I swear to god" Lilah sighed, holding her head. "Your lucky i've not climbed over this fucking bar and ripped you to pieces" she said. "Slag" she whispered, quiet enough for no one to hear.

"No go on, Grace, she's my daughter" Tommy nodded. "Sorry, i didn't know" Grace said, pouring the whiskey and handing her the glass. "Course you didn't" she scoffed.

"Since when were you allowed to drink?" Arthur asked. "Since i said that she can have two maximum" Tommy said, smoking a cigarette.

"Was Freddie there?" he asked the girl. She shook her head, avoiding his eyes. "Seriously, Delilah?" he asked. "When are you going to talk to me?" he asked. She laughed at him. "You are a complete and utter idiot"

"Business my arse" she said, chugging the drink. "I'm not stupid, dad, i'm a teenage girl and i know how things work, especially from a girls perspective"

Suddenly Polly barged in. "It's a boy" she said, a light smile made its way to Tommys face but it slowly disappeared.

Polly ran at him, hitting his chest. "Pol! Polly. Woah" Tommy said, stepping backwards. "Polly" Lilah squealed.

John and Arthur rushed to grab her.

"But the police came and took his father away" she hissed. "Don't you dare look at me like that"

Polly spat at him. "You liar"

Delilah watched with wide eyes as her Aunt left the pub. "What's she taking about, what did you do" she asked, shaking her head.

"Nothing, Lilah, i did nothing"

Usually she wouldn't believe him, but something was different, something in his voice. He was telling the truth. He didn't report Freddie to the police, he's not the reason he was taken.

-

"Did you talk to her?" Lilah asked as Polly returned, placing the basket on the table. "She didn't talk back."

Delilah sat back in her seat, sighing. "It wasn't him," she said. "What?" Polly asked. "My dad, it wasn't him who shopped Freddie, he's telling the truth, Pol"

"When does your father ever tell the truth"

Delilah bit her lip, not like what Polly was saying.

"Aunt Pol, i can tell when he's telling the truth, i can hear it in his voice. He's really not lying"

Polly hit the table with her hand, letting out a breath. "I thought you hated your father at the moment?"

"Don't you have better things to do than argue with me over your idiot of a father"

"Don't say that" Lilah whispered. "Speak up girl, i can't hear you" Polly tilted her head.

"I said don't say that,"

Polly raised her eyebrows.

"You may not believe him, but i do. And in some cases i think i know him better then you do, which is hard to believe" Lilah scoffed, slamming the door.