𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

25

The door opened slightly, Micheal standing beside it. "Can i come in?" he asked. Delilah hummed, staring out of the window. "Polly says you've not eaten, thought i'd come check on you"

"You call her Polly or mum?"

"Both, sometimes"

She nodded, tucking her red hair behind her ears. "Your a nice boy Micheal, get out whilst you can"

He stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry about what happened,"

"Don't be sorry, it's no one's fault but my dads" She shrugged, picking up a slice of toast from the plate he'd placed onto the bed. "What do you want Micheal?" she looked at him.

"Everyone's worried about you, Ada even turned up"

"Ada?" she asked. He nodded. "Tommy hasn't been in the house for three days so he's not here, everyone's working in the den"

"Tell them i'll be down"

He nodded, closing the door open. Delilah stood up, her body shaky. She pulled on a dress that sat in her wardrobe and fixed her hair. She looked sick, she was pale and had dark bags under her eyes.

Delilah slowly walked down the stairs, sheepishly appearing inside the den.

Their heads snapped toward her. "Oh, Delilah" Ada whispered, hesitantly walking to her. "When did you last sleep?" she asked. Delilah shrugged. "Not slept properly in a week"

Ada's fingers brushed Delilah's face. Delilah slightly leaned into the older girls touch.

Ada stepped away, giving her room to sit. "Do we know when the..the funeral is?" Delilah asked, staring at her hands. "It's on Wednesday" Arthur spoke. "Has anybody spoke to Reggie's mother?" she asked.

Nobody spoke.

"I want to set up a fund for his family" She locked eyes with Polly. "Is that possible?"

"It is"

-

Delilah took a deep breath, pushing back her tears as she waited outside the Smiths house. The door eventually opened and Ron stood before her. "Delilah, come in"

"Is your mother home?" she asked quietly, gripping the flowers tightly. "In the kitchen"

She'd never seen Ron so calm.

"Mrs Smith?" She knocked on the door frame. The older woman looked at her.

She was sat flicking through pictures. "Don't come any closer" The woman said. Delilah tilted her head. "Your the daughter of the man who killed him"

"Mum, Delilah is hardly a Shelby, she was Reggie's girlfriend"

"You got him killed" The woman said loudly. "No..no i didn't, i-"

Ronnie stepped next to the table. "She is not a bad person,-" he began. "Ron, it's okay" Delilah nodded. "I came to tell you that my family are setting up a fund for you and Ron, we are covering all costs of his funeral and your family is protected. By order of the peaky blinders" she trailed off, placing the flowers on the table and walking away.

Ron grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a hug. She didn't fight the taller boy, she let it happen. Knowing he needed it as much as she did. "I'm sorry, Ronnie, your brother died trying to help me and i feel awful"

"Delilah, Reggie was his own person, he made his own choices.  That's was not your fault" he said, his cockney accent strong. "Now i want you to look after yourself, yeah?"

She nodded quickly.

"Off you go then," he whispered, pushing up his glasses.

-

Tommy stood watching as his daughter lay asleep beside John on the couch. He watched, realising she was completely and utterly broken. And it was his fault, again. There was nothing he could do but wait and hope that there was still a chance for things to become better. "She's not slept in days, or eaten" Polly scowled, leaning against the door.

"And when she does sleep, she'll wake up screaming, Tommy"

Tommy bit his lip. "Why did you kill that boy?" she asked. "Thomas, why did you kill him?"

"He walked into my house, shouting about how id hurt Delilah, he got aggressive and i lost control, i just so happened to have my gun in my hand. It was an accident"

"Well that accident has cost the health of your daughter and the relationship you once had with her. I'm disappointed in you Thomas"

He kept his eyes on his brother who was also asleep, Delilah's head on his shoulder.

"I don't know what you want me to do, Polly"

"I want you to make things right"

"Polly, how am i supposed to do that? Buy her another fucking horse. I killed Reggie Smith, he's dead, i can't bring him back" he raised his voice. John slowly opened his eyes. "Can you two be quiet, this is the first time she's slept in two days" he whisper-shouted.

"I understand i've fucked up, Pol, okay, but she is my daughter and she is the only thing i have. So forgive me for not knowing what i can do to make this right. I've practically already lost her-"

"She's seventeen, there's only so long she can go without needing her dad, figure it out before it's too late"