𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎

"I can't believe it," Arthur paced the room, wiping his mouth whilst Polly gently cleaned up Maeve's wound. "Can't believe Tom would put Maeve, my daughter, in such fucking danger!"

"Oh Arthur will you shut up," Polly scolded, wiping Maeve's wound with an alcohol soaked cloth. "Bloody hell, Pol." Maeve hissed, biting her lip in pain.

"When i agreed to letting Maeve have a bit more knowledge of what we do, i didn't agree to shit like this!" Arthur continued rambling. Maeve groaned loudly and threw a cloth at him, "he didn't know it was going to happen! It was a wrong place, wrong time kind of situation." She defended.

"Yeah, right." Arthur scoffed.

"What, you think Tom randomly decided , oh let's take my niece to the car garage where Sabini will be waiting for us, that's an amazing idea!" Maeve said in a mocking tone, him. "No, he didn't so shut up and go drink some whiskey or something."

Arthur huffed and threw himself down in a chair. The door swung open and John and Isiah stumbled in, laughing their heads off.

"No, you should've seen their faces!" John struggled to breath, hitting Isiah's arm. Isiah shook his head, holding a cigarette between his fingers. "Bloody hell," John's eyes widened, "the fucks happened to you?"

Isiah pulled a face of disgust and blew smoke from his mouth. "Thanks John, real nice." Maeve said sarcastically.

Isiah looked around the room, grabbing a bottle of rum and shoving it into the girls hand, "it'll help, swear."

Maeve stared at his hand for a moment before accepting it, "what've you doing to it?" She raised an eyebrows. Isiah pursed his lips into a straight line, "nothing, it's just rum."

She hummed and took a swig, almost choking when Polly wiped the wound again. "Fucking hell!" Maeve shouted, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Isiah stood in the corner, biting back his laugh at the girls pain. "Isiah Jesus if you don't wipe that smirk of you're face, you'll wish you were never born!" She shouted, attempting to jump from the seat, only to be pushed down by John. "Unless you want to be told to sit like a dog, i'd suggest you stop with your antics." John warned.

"Whatever," she huffed, leaning back into the chair.

-

"So where are we going?" Isiah asked, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "Im going to see Max Montgomery," Maeve corrected him, accepting the offer when he pointed the cigarette box toward her.

"Oh i see how it is," Isiah raised an eyebrow.

"Isiah please don't annoy me, you've don't that enough today and it's only six o'clock." Maeve said, stopping so he could light it for her.

"Come on, Shelby. Don't act like you don't love it."

"I don't." She replied bluntly. Isiah was completely amused by her refusal. "So you don't want to kiss me?"

Maeve stopped dead in her tracks, "who the fuck mentioned anything about kissing, Isiah- but no i don't want to kiss you. Are you utterly insane?"

"Am I utterly insane?" He laughed, "are you utterly insane. You don't want to kiss me,"

"Has anybody ever told you how aggravatingly cocky you are? Whoever gave you the confidence needs to take it back because you're ego is taller than you." Maeve shook her head.

Isiah chuckled and threw his cigarette to the floor, "no, nobody has ever told me that. But what I have been told is that i'm very handsome." He grinned.

"Who told you that, your mum?" Maeve asked seriously.

"No- well..yes. But a lot of girls do as well, what about the Grayson's daughter, she seems to love me." Isiah said.

"The same girl who shagged two boys in a day? Not sure that's something to be bragging about, Siah."

"Siah, new nickname? Are you falling for me already, Maeve?" Isiah teased, poking her side with his finger. Maeve groaned and stopped walking again, "Isiah i swear, for the love of God, please stop."

"Too easy, Shelby, far too easy."

"No Isiah, you're not fair. Cause i'm trying to get better and here you are winding me up every day."

"Maeve Shelby!" A voice rang out, causing them both to turn quickly. Max Montgomery. Maeve had a wide smile on her face as she approached him, automatically hugging him. "You're finally back,"

"I am," he hummed.

"How was London?" She asked, pulling away and fixing a piece of his hair. Max hesitated slightly, "it was good."

Maeve frowned and tilted her head, "just good? I expected a bit more enthusiasm than that, Max." She laughed slightly.

Isiah stood awkwardly behind Maeve, hands in pockets. "Who's this then?" Max nodded toward him. "Oh you've got to know him, it's Isiah, Isiah Jesus. Y'know, the preachers son." Maeve described.

Max looked the boy up and down subtly and nodded slightly, "yeah i know him."

"Thought so. Dad has ordered him to follow me everywhere so, kinda stuck with him. Anyway, where we off to?" Maeve asked, linking with Max and trying to take him away quickly so Isiah was left to catch up to them.

"Garrison?" Max suggested. Maeve shook her head. "It's been blown up, we'll have to go to the Marquis." She said, biting her tongue.

Max's first choice was never the Garrison, not since it became Arthur's pub. Something was definitely off about him.

-

"So you're telling me that you didn't shag one bird whilst you were in London?" A peaky boy asked Max. Maeve sat uncomfortably in her chair, her arms crossed. Max glanced at Maeve for a moment and shook his head. "No, nobody."

The peaky boy squinted in disbelief. Isiah nudged Maeve's knee and nodded at her as if to ask are you okay?

Maeve shrugged, "why wouldn't i be?"

Isiah shook his head, not wanting the other boys to catch onto his and Maeve's conversation. Isiah wasn't stupid, he could tell that everything that was being said by Max and the other boys was annoying her.

"Anyone want a drink?" Isiah cut in sharply, trying his best to change the subject. Max looked at the boy harshly, "no i'm alright thanks." Max replied bluntly.

"Right then- Maeve?"

"She doesn't want one." Max spoke before she could. Isiah raised his eyebrows and looked at Maeve. "Fucking excuse you?" Maeve questioned him.

Max shrugged. "When have you ever said anything or decided anything for me?" She asked. Max suddenly regretted what he'd done and shrunk in his seat. He'd completely forgotten who he was speaking to.

"Yeah, shut up or we are going to have issues. I'll have a whiskey, Isiah- on that note, i'm going home after this, you've pissed me off." She snarled at Max and followed Isiah to the bar, slipping a few coins into his hand.

Clearly she wasn't in a good mood, Max had pissed her off with one sentence.

-

"Alright trouble?" John smiled as Maeve entered the house, "No im not alright." She huffed, throwing herself down next to him.

John tilted his head.

"Max is being a total dickhead."

John stood but Maeve rolled her eyes and pulled him back down. "That doesn't mean you take his eyes, John. God." She muttered.

"Sorry but it's habit," he excused, sipping his drink. "Where's Isiah, isn't he supposed to be watching you?"

"At the Marquis, told him i was going home. He tried coming with but i said i'd take his tongue.." she trailed off, regretting that she'd admitted it to John. "Maeve," John sighed, "thought you were told no more of that bullshit, in or out of school." John reminded her.

"Yes, yes i know but i can't help it!"

John grinned and shook his head, totally un-phased by her actions. "Only messing with ya, i don't care." He threw an arm around her shoulder.

"When does Tom get back- heard he's went to London." Maeve said, throwing her legs over the edge of the couch. John looked up, thinking, "tomorrow, i think."

"Pol's birthday, perfect."

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