AESTHETE | derry girls

chapter thirteen!

Emmett approached the table, leaning across Mary and grabbing a knife from the put of cutlery, "Don't mind me, just grabbing a knife. Take it you haven't decided yet?"

"Just leave it with me, son," Joe calmly told the man. 

"Aye, no pressure. Sure, I'll be over here if you need me," Emmett shrugged walking over to his own table and taking a seat once again.

"What the hell does he ned a knife for?" Erin suspiciously asked.

"He's eating his lunch," James answered plainly as the group paused and watched the man eat.

"God, but he has great teeth, doesn't he?" Sarah commented as she watched the man eat his lunch.

"He really does, but to tell the truth...the hair. Can you see a ginger tinge?" Michelle asked, leaning forward to focus on the man.

"Now that you mention it..." Sarah trailed off.

James leaned into Aoife and lowered his lips to her ear so only she could hear his words, "I think your red hair is beautiful."

A red tinge coated Aoife's cheeks at James' words, the blush worsening as he laced his hand with hers once again under the table. James was terrified that Joe would pick up on how close he was to Aoife.

"So, Christ only know what's lurking downstairs and that is a concern," Michelle coarsely added.

"But spending the rest of your life with a fugitive is less of a concern?" Erin sarcastically asked, to which Michelle shook it off.

"Absolutely,"

• • • • • • •

The group sat in anticipation as they watched Sarah deal the cards onto the table. They'd decided to see if Sarah's card reading would provide them with a solution to their predicament. 

Imogen was growing restless, she'd been sat still too long in her Granda Joe's arms and was now trying to wiggle free from the old man. Aoife sighed and held her arms out for her Joe to pass Imogen over.

"Aunt Mary, I'm gonna take Imogen outside see if I can get her to settle down,"  Aoife explained, Mary and Joe slide out the booth allowing Aoife to leave.

"I'll come with you," James mumbled, following after the redheaded siblings.

Aoife held tightly onto the restless toddler's hand leading her the few steps to the door of the diner. James rushed ahead of the two redheads and pulled the door opened for them a loving smile on his face as he watched Aoife with her little sister.
He could never contain the smile that spread on his lips whenever he looked at Aoife.

James followed the O'Malley girls out of the dinner, the three of them walked to the other side of the dinner away from the petrol station and out of sight from the family inside. Imogen tottered on the grass by the petrol station, Aoife and James paused for a moment watching the happy toddler.

"You look so beautiful," James randomly blurted to the girl.

"James-" Aoife blushed, reluctantly peeling her eyes off the toddler.