Tilly
I knock back the seventh shot of vodka, clinging onto the edge of the bar so I don't fall off the stool. I'm back at the bar Levi and I came to the other day, feeling like my world just ended. The sting of the alcohol numbing the fracture in my soul only a little. I need something stronger. Something to forget.
A figure slides onto the stool beside me, the pills sitting in the palm of his cupped hand. "Interested?" he says, voice so cold.
I stare at the butterfly design drawn on the top of the pill, knowing it'll numb me. My fingers linger on it, extremely tempted to shove it in my mouth. But, I know I'll feel twice as bad in the morning. "No, not this time."
"It's free," he says, sliding his hand closer to my body.
I turn my back to him and order another round of shots, handing over the money to the barman when he slides the tray my way. One by one, I drink away my sorrows, inwardly cursing when the clear liquid does nothing to help.
"Tilly?"
Oh effing hell.
I keep my gaze on the top of the bar, trying to act like I didn't just hear my uncle speak my name. It's hard. I pull away when his calloused, bony hand wraps around my shoulder, pulling me so we have no choice but to stare at one another.
The yellowing in his eyes intensifies when he moves into the light, the tone in his skin taking on the same shade. Years of alcohol abuse seems to be getting to his kidneys. I don't flinch when he grabs one of my shot glasses, knowing it would end badly if I took it back.
"Thought you were too good for this place?" he says, downing the drink in one.
"What do you need?" I respond, knowing he's after something.
"Money," he goes to help himself to another shot. "A warm place to rest my head. You gonna let me stay at your place?"
"I can't. In the contract it says only I can stay there. They don't allow people to stay over."
"Like they would know," he slams the glass down.
I flinch back, feeling my heart boom. "They have wardens there twenty-four-seven. Of course they'll know. I'm sorry, Jonas. I can't risk losing my flat."
"Selfish. Little. Cow," he gets up in my face, gritting his teeth.
The bar stool wobbles when I move back, trying to escape his anger. There was a time when he was handy with his hands, and I don't want to be subjected to that again.
"Get away from me," my voice wobbles, but I keep my expression firm.
The corners of his dry lips tilt up at the sides, fingers digging into my jaw when he grabs hold of my face. "I need some money and a place to rest my head. You can give me that, right?"
"No, I can't," I spit, narrowing my gaze.
Jonas tightens his grip and pain takes my breath away. "You do as I fucking say. You hear me?"
I'm back to being the scared, young girl wrapped up in blankets, dodging the monsters of the night. "I can't ruin my accommodation."
"I'm family," he says, a lethal look in his eye. "You do as I say."
"Get your dirty fucking hands off her right now."
At the threat, Jonas turns around, dropping his fingers from my face, glancing up at a terrifyingly angry Levi. I rub my face, feeling it sting now the circulation is coming back, never so happy to see Levi's handsome face.
Jonas backs up. "Who're you?"
"The man that's about to squash you like a motherfucking fly. Do one."
My uncle doesn't wait around, knowing when to chose his battles. Levi marches forward, closing me in against the bar, eyes zeroing in on my face. I close my eyes when he runs a finger over my sore skin, looking like he's trying to calm himself down.
"Why the hell are you at this dump?"
I keep my eyes closed. "I got some bad news. It's all I know."
Levi's scent hits me. "Yeah, join the club. But, you don't see me drowning my sorrows in cheap alcohol. Come on, we're leaving."
I almost trip over when he drags me off the bar stool and towards the exit. I speak up. "You got bad news? Is it about Bailey's operation?"
The cool night breeze hits me all over when we step outside, Levi's car parked across the road. "Yeah," he says, sounding devastated. "They got some pretty devastating news."
"They did?"
I climb inside the car, struggling to strap myself in with the poison pumping in my veins.
Levi sees my struggle and helps by taking hold of the seatbelt to strap me up. "Yeah, she's not going to be able to have children naturally."
I frown, feeling a flurry of devastation for them. "Oh, gosh, that's terrible."
"It's not the news we were hoping for. Noah's in bits. Bailey doesn't know yet."
"And he's going to have to tell her," I respond, not able to imagine how he'll do it.
"You got it. The doctors offered, but he said that it needs to come from him. I think he'll tell her when they get back to the house."
I reach out, attempting to hold onto his elbow. "I'm sorry. It's gotta be hard for all of you."
Levi smiles. "It's horrible. But, they'll pull through it. There's other options out there and when they feel less heartbroken and feel like they can move on, I know they'll get their wish to be parents. One way or another."
At the mention of children, my mind goes to Annabelle. My sweet angel, who now won't get the chance to know who I am. I blink back the tears, not wanting Levi to see them.
"Life's unfair sometimes," I murmur, opening my purse to press my finger over the only picture I have of my daughter.
"I agree with you there," he starts the engine, signalling to pull out on the road. "You going to tell me what was going on with that guy at the bar?"
I tilt my purse into the light pouring from the street lamps, seeing Annabelle's petite body wrapped in the baby pink muslin cloth, face slightly swollen and relaxed in sleep.
"Not tonight," I respond.
Levi speeds up when we hit the open roads. "I recognise him from the shelter. An old friend of yours?"
When it becomes to painful to look at, knowing I'll never get the chance to see her now they're moving to Australia, I close my purse. "Not a friend. I'd rather not talk about him. He's a nasty piece of work."
"I thought as much," Levi huffs.
I fold my arms over my stomach. "Thank you for being there for me."
"When I turned up at the shelter, you'd already gone. One of the volunteers said that you were at the bar down the street, so I decided to go and check on you. Damn glad that I did."
I smile, fighting the fizzing in my belly. "I'm glad you did too."
Levi
I try not to make a big deal out of the fact that Tilly has no bed. When we got to her flat complex, she invited me inside for a hot drink. I ignored her when she warned me that it wasn't much inside, not expecting for her to sleep on a mattress on the floor. We sit on said mattress, sipping hot watered down tea from chipped mugs.
"I'm trying my hardest to save up for nice things," she says, not able to look me in the eye.
I notice how she's sobered up, the marks on her jaw still there. I felt volcanic as soon as I spotted the lowlife with his hands on her scared, beautiful face. I was ready to gut him on the sticky, dirty bar floor.
"I can lend you some money," I blurt, wincing at the pain that pours into her expression, anger following.
"I'm not a charity case, Levi."
I sip more of my tea, pretending that I enjoy the taste. "I know you're not. I just don't like the thought of you struggling."
"I don't get paid all that much for working at the shelter. I'm trying to get another job, but it's harder than you'd think. The hours are all over the place, so I'd wind up being rushed off my feet and exhausted all the time."
I glance around the room, noticing how she's tried to put her own touch on the place with its beige blinds, cute plant pots and a fluffy rug near the door. "Do you mind what work you do?"
"No," she shakes her head, hair falling into her eyes. "I'd do anything."
I run my finger along my lips. "I can get you a job. And, before you bite my head off. We need the help."
A small smile pulls at Tilly's lips. "What is it?"
Bailey is going to be recovering for a few weeks after her operation, meaning the deli in Waldorton street is understaffed. "Bailey needs an extra pair of hands at the deli. You up for it?"
Tilly rests her empty mug on her lap. "Yes, I'm more than up for it."
I laugh. "Bailey will like your enthusiasm. It's fast paced and busy most of the time, but Bailey is a fair boss and will probably work the hours around you."
"I could do afternoons. That way I'm not exhausted for work at the shelter."
It seems like she already has it planned in her head. "I'll put it by Bailey when she gets back home."
"When will they discharge her?" she says, a small, concerned frown on her lips.
I check my phone to make sure Noah isn't trying to contact me. "It'll probably be tomorrow. They like to get you out if you're feeling okay. We've got a doctor on call if she needs it."
"I've had major surgery before and it sucks," she says, the colour draining from her face.
I tilt my head. "Have you?"
Tilly gets up, starting to walk out of the bedroom. "Yeah...I'm just going to make another drink. You want anything?"
I stare down at my murky tea. "No, thanks. I'm good. Is everything okay?"
When she turns to give me her eyes, the hurt and confusion in them shines bright. "You better go soon. I wouldn't trust your car in a neighbourhood like this one."
I didn't answer her.
Tilly didn't give me the chance to, as she disappeared out of sight, keeping her lips tight until I left, overthinking everything on the drive back home.
...
Thank you so much for reading!
I've decided to stick to an updating schedule. I'll be updating Love Rush every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
I hope you're all well!
Mwah! ❤️