American Angel

Cursed

A week or so went on and Polly nursed Scarlett back. Her bruising was starting to fade everywhere, but you could still see it on her cheekbone. She quickly got dressed and met everyone at the Garrison. She walked in and Grace stared at her face.
"Run into something?" Grace asked sarcastically.
Scarlett didn't flinch. She kept walking like Grace wasn't even there and entered the private room with everyone but John and Ada. Tommy shot Scarlett a look.
"You should be home."
"The doctor cleared her." Polly cut in.
Tommy nodded and began to talk about what he's been doing. He bought Polly and Ada a house and told them about his plan to marry John and a Lee girl tonight so the war would stop. Any talk of weddings makes Scarlett zone out. It just reminds her of what could've been. Tommy saw her staring at the wall.
"Scarlett......Scarlett." Tommy said loudly breaking her out of her trance.
She quickly looked up at him.
"Did you hear anything I said?"
Polly gave Scarlett a sympathetic look, which she did not want. She didn't want to tell anyone about Hunter and what happened. She hated pity.
"Yeah. I have to be at John's arranged marriage tonight at six and if I see him I can't say anything." She said with no emotion.
Tommy nodded.
"Very well then. I'll see you all tonight."
Everyone started to get up and leave. Scarlett was passing the bar as Tommy put his hand on her arm to stop her.
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
"Just not a fan of weddings, but I'll be there." She said and then left.
She went home and immediately grabbed a bottle of whiskey. She took a long sip as she looked at the picture of her and Hunter. She took a deep breath and then threw the picture frame against the wall.
"We almost had everything!" She screamed as it shattered.
She took another sip from the bottle and turned around as someone came through her door. It was Lane. He came in with a concerned look. He must've heard her scream or the glass shatter.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he glanced at the shattered glass.
"Just going to a wedding tonight." She said.
"Hopefully this one actually works out." Liam said as he walked in.
"Shut the fuck up, Liam." Lane yelled.
"I don't know when you started to hate me. We used to be best friends....I mean what do you want me to do? Apologize for being in love with your best friend and not you? Apologize for coming here to grow the business?" Scarlett said sternly.
"I want you to apologize for getting involved with him! If it wasn't for you he would still be alive. If it wasn't for the Capone family he would still be here." He yelled as he got closer to her.
"And if it wasn't for the Capone family where the fuck would you be?" She screamed in his face.
"I had no choice...he did....and he made the wrong one." He said quietly in her face.
"You're cursed, Scar." He smirked.
She stepped back and just looked at him. Lane pulled him to the door.
"When you see my best friend...tell him I miss him." Scarlett said stopping them.
Liam looked back at her and then walked out with Lane. She slammed her door and then went to take a bath. She got ready and wore an off the shoulder, light blue dress that matched her eyes. She walked to the wedding and sucked on a peppermint so no one could smell the whiskey on her breath. She walked up and stood beside Polly and eventually the boys came over. Polly went to fix John's tie as Scarlett straightened out Arthur's. Tommy has his eyes on her the whole time.
"Well, good luck, John! You look handsome." Polly said.
"I agree." Scarlett smiled.
"She better not be over 50." John said to Tommy.
Everyone laughed and then it was time. Ada walked up and stood beside Tommy and Scarlett was in between Polly and Arthur. John was kneeled down on a pillow and then a girl in a white dress and veil kneeled down. She lifted it up and they looked at each other. John turned around and smirked at the group which meant he must've liked how she looked. The ceremony began and Scarlett couldn't look. She stared at the ground the whole time. Polly looked up and saw Tommy staring at Scarlett. Polly then discreetly squeezed her hand. She looked at Polly and gave her a half smile. The ceremony was over and now they were on to the reception. Scarlett smiled at at John and Esme dancing.
"A good looking couple." She said to Polly who nodded in agreement.
Polly and Scarlett were talking and drinking. She was genuinely having a good time...now whether that was the whiskey or not, she didn't care. Scarlett was finishing up a whiskey when Arthur walked over and asked her to dance.
"Oh I can't dance." She said.
He rolled his eyes and pulled her up.
"Me neither. Let's see how many looks we get." He laughed.
She smiled and walked over to the dance floor with him. She almost stumbled, but he caught her before she did.
"Have you been drinking?" He joked.
"I've only had one or two." She said sarcastically.
Arthur laughed and then spun her. Tommy was sitting with the female leader of the Lee family. He watched Scarlett smile as her and Arthur laughed and danced.
"Is she yours?" The Lee woman asked him.
He shook his head.
"She's nobody's. She doesn't work like that. " He smirked.
"And you like that?" She raised her eyebrows.
"Whoever she lets call her his is very lucky." He said as he kept watching her dance. He looked over and saw a drunk Ada dancing. He walked up to her and was very polite. He tried to get her to go sit down, but she wasn't having it.
"Look what you married into, Esme." She yelled
Arthur and Scarlett stopped dancing and walked over to them. Polly got up and walked over as well.
"Ada." Tommy said calmly.
"This fucking family. They control everything you do. You will never escape now." She screamed.
Just then water hit the floor. Scarlett and Polly looked at each other and then looked at Ada.
"Ada, your water just broke." Polly said.
"Pick your times, Ada!" Arthur laughed.
They helped Ada to the car and drove to Polly's old house that's beside the betting den. The men helped Ada in as the women followed.
"Alright we will be at the Garrison. This is no place for a man." Tommy said.
"It's the place for one man." Polly said.
Tommy nodded and then left. Polly looked at Scarlett.
"Have you ever delivered a baby?" She asked her.
"There were only men in the war, Poll...but they taught me in school."
Polly nodded and they both kneeled at the bottom of Ada. Esme was at her head, holding her hand.
"Alright Ada time to push." Scarlett said.
Ada screamed and screamed as she pushed. Scarlett looked and then looked at Polly.
"It looks like the baby is turned. We need try and turn it." Scarlett told her.
They both put their hands on her stomach and tried to turn it.
"It worked! The baby is crowning. Ada I need you to give us one last push." Scarlett said.
Ada nodded and screamed as she squeezed Esme's hand. They all heard crying and Scarlett handed the baby to Polly because she had the blanket.
"It's a boy." Scarlett said.
"He's beautiful, Ada." Polly added.
They handed the baby to Ada and then cleaned up. She sat in a chair holding him as Freddie came in. Freddie walked over and looked at the baby and they decided to name him Karl. Their sweet moment was cut short as the coppers busted in. Scarlett stood in front of the door as the busted in. They shoved her out of the way as she screamed for them to get out.
"A baby was just born." Esme yelled.
They pulled Freddie out as he and Ada yelled for each other. Polly was holding Ada as she cried. The girls were stunned about what happened. Scarlett knew Tommy had made a deal with the coppers earlier. Another communist instead of Freddie, so how could this happen? Polly looked up and everyone could tell she was fuming.
"Fucking Tommy." She yelled as she bolted out of the door.
Scarlett followed her because she knew Polly was a loose cannon right now. Polly busted through the Garrison with Scarlett on her heels trying to calm her down.
"You liar!" She screamed at Tommy.
"Polly we don't know that he did it." Scarlett said.
Tommy looked at Polly in confusion.
"Well it's a boy and as Freddie got to meet his child..he was taken away by the coppers."
"I had nothing to—"
"Don't act like you don't know. You did this. You have been after him since day one. I hope you're happy now." She yelled.
She started to go at Tommy, but Arthur and John held her back. She shook them off and spit at Tommy's feet.
"Fucking liar!" She yelled as she left.
Arthur and John all looked at Tommy and then followed Polly. It left Scarlett and Tom standing there.
"I didn't do it." He said as he looked at her.
She ran her hand over his arm briefly and pulled it away.
"I know, Tommy. I know." She said and then left to go see Ada.
She got to her house late and saw Tommy sitting on her porch steps. He didn't look at her as she walked up the stairs and unlocked the door.
"Well am I gonna have to carry you in?" She joked.
He took a deep breath and walked in. He saw the broken glass on the floor.
"Uhhh sorry about that. I dropped a picture frame." She said as she went to get them drinks.
She walked back in the living room and saw him holding the picture of her and Hunter. She walked over and handed him a drink.
"Hunter?" He asked.
She nodded as she took a sip.
"You look happy." He said as he downed his drink.
She nodded.
"Does he still make you happy?" He asked not knowing the truth.
She made eye contact with him.
"He's dead, Tommy." She said coldly.
He swallowed hard and looked at her. He shook his head.
"Scarlett."
"You don't have to say anything. It's okay."
"What happened if you don't mind?" He asked softly.
Scarlett told him everything that happened. After she finished her story, he leaned his head back and then looked at her.
"He survived the war, but he couldn't survive me." She said as she shook her head.
He pulled her into a hug with one hand on the back of her head and the other on her lower back.
"Everyone around me..."
"Leaves or dies." He said with her because he felt the same.
She pulled away from the hug, but their hands were still on each other.
"We're cursed, Tom." She said softly.
He ran his thumb over the faint bruise on her cheek and then kissed her on the forehead before pulling her back in.
"I know." He said into her neck.