Coraline Murphy

19.

Tommy's POV

"I can go from here if you want to take Grace home?"Coraline suggested. 

"No," I said immediately. "Watery Lane first." I could feel Coraline leaning more heavily against me; I needed to get her home. 

"Are you okay Grace? That was... intense." Coraline was obviously worried that Grace would be in shock after the incident at the Garrison.

"I'm fine," Grace replied. "I'm just sorry that you got shot."

"Eh it's fine, I've had worse..." Coraline sounded tired.

"Really?"

I chuckled. "Don't even get her started, Grace," I said.

"And you, Tommy?" She looked up at me. Was she batting her eyelids?

"What about me?" 

"Have you had worse?" 

"There's always someone after me. Who knows - maybe one day their aim will be true." 

Grace didn't reply, but she blushed heavily and looked away from me. Odd.

We were so close to the house, and I felt Coraline stumble besides me. "You okay, Rory?" 

"Tom, I'm going..." 

"Oh fuck," I managed to grab her just as she fainted again, her body going limp as I caught her. "Okay, love, I've got you." I put one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders and picked her up easily, her head lolling against my chest. 

The welcoming lights of Watery lane were a sight for sore eyes as we approached. 

"Grace, go ahead and get the door," I said, "yeah, that one," I nodded as she reached the right one, pushing it open. I carried Coraline in and set her down on the sofa. To my surprise, Polly was still in the kitchen, and quickly came running to Coraline's side when she saw me carrying her in. 

"What the fuck has happened?" She gasped as the light from the fire illuminated the little droplets of blood which had spattered the floor as I'd walked in with her. Was Coraline still bleeding?

"She got shot," Grace said. 

"What's she doing here?" Polly looked at Grace, a look of distaste on her face which took me a little by surprise.

Before I could answer, Coraline started to come round, groaning in pain. Polly instantly crouched by her side. "Alright love, you're alright." 

"What happened?"

"You went again love," I said, smiling sympathetically at her.

"Fuck's sake... My arm..." She gasped in pain, her face horribly pale.

"Help me get her coat off," Polly said, and I quickly went over to help, trying to move her arm as carefully as possible. There was so much blood, and I saw quickly that the stitches had torn. Polly inspected Coraline's arm, peering carefully at the ripped stitches. 

I looked at Coraline's pale face before turning to Polly. "Poll, she's not eaten since this morning," I said quietly. "She keeps fainting."

Polly nodded, "alright, I've got this. You take... Grace... home."

I was surprised. She wanted me out? "I can get Arthur to take her home?"

"It's late - don't wake your brother. Coraline will be fine with me."

I trusted her implicitly - of course I did, but I didn't want to leave her. 

Sensing my hesitation, Polly smiled at me. "Look, Tom, I'm going to have to take her dress off to get to the wound and clean it properly. Whether you want to be there for that or not," she smirked and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, "she most probably doesn't."

"Most definitely doesn't..." I heard Coraline joke weakly, and watched as she looked at her arm. "Fuck me, Tom. Those are the worst stitches you've ever done on me!"

"Sorry love..." 

"Now fuck off and take Grace home," she chuckled. I kissed her forehead gently, before indicating to Grace that we should go. 

"So you and Coraline go far back?" she said as we walked through the dark streets of Small Heath. 

"Yep," I replied, never one for small talk. 

"You said she was a soldier?"

"I did."

"Are you... together?" 

I pondered her question for a second. What were Coraline and I? For as long as I could remember, it had been Tommy and Rory, Coraline and Thomas - thick as thieves, tied at the hip. We'd kissed - more than a couple of times... but it had never gone beyond that. So...

"No, we're not." I regretted the words immediately, feeling for some reason like I'd betrayed her. 

"She's missing out."

"Eh?"

"You're a very... attractive man, Tommy."

I looked at her, my eyebrows raised, unsure how to respond. We reached her home, and I waited for her to unlock the door to make sure that she got in safely.

"Thank you for walking me home," she said, her voice sounding shy and bashful.

"Well, thank you for your assistance this evening. I'm sorry if it's caused you any upset." 

"Oh no, it was no trouble," she was smiling at me now, getting closer to me. I could smell her perfume, the sweet scent of her shampoo. 

"Grace..." She cut me off, placing her lips on mine. My brain was screaming at me to pull away, to tell her that she was sorely mistaken and that I was sorry if I'd somehow given her the wrong idea of my intentions. But I didn't. Her lips were so soft, her kiss magnetising, pulling me in and keeping me there. Despite myself, I found my hands reaching to entangle themselves in her soft hair, pulling her closer still. 

"Tommy," she gasped against me, and I took a sudden step back, pushing myself away from her. 

"I'm... I can't..." I was stammering. 

"You didn't like it?" Her big eyes filled with tears. 

"No, I did, I... I just..." Come on Tommy, get it together.

"It's her, isn't it. Coraline?" 

"I..."

"You could do so much better, Tommy. You could have a real woman. A woman like me." She reached in to kiss me again, and this time I returned it, placing one hand on the doorway to keep myself steady as I leaned in. Her teeth caught my bottom lip and I groaned despite myself, a sudden need for more taking over me. 

"Won't you come inside, Tommy?" 

I stood for a second; my head was screaming at me to leave, to head back to Watery Lane and take care of Coraline. But Grace - she was so enticing, her beautiful eyes, her perfect hair, her perfect curves. 

I took a step.