Crown of a Prince (Finn Shelby)

26.

Ailbhe wasn't sure she felt like celebrating her birthday, not when it had been such a tough week. After losing John and all the drama that came with the war with the Italians she was worn out. But Lizzie and Ada weren't taking no for an answer. They had arrived at her house, forcing her into the new dress and shoes they had bought her. Ailbhe found it harder to say no once she had seen the dress. It was beautiful and looked as if it had been made with stardust as it was a beautiful bright gold that sparkled in the light. Lizzie had pulled her hair back and pinned it up for her while Ailbhe did her make up in the mirror. Ada sat on the bed, holding a glass of champagne and looking through the books on Ailbhe's bedside. After only a few minutes Ailbhe was already glad they convinced her to come out.

"Well, I talked to Tommy. He asked me to go for a walk with him" Lizzie admitted as she placed the last few pins in Ailbhe's hair to secure the small gold headpiece. She avoided the two girls' eyes and kept her nervous hands busy.

"And?" Ailbhe asked, putting down her dark lipstick and looking up at Lizzie.

"I don't want to say in front of Ada" Lizzie laughed, her smile breaking through and showing how happy she was.

Ailbhe grinned, feeling the champagne Ada had poured for her starting to warm her and give her that giddy feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. Ailbhe was glad it was working out for Lizzie, maybe Tommy would see sense and realise that beneath it all he loved her just as she loved him.

At the thought of love Ailbhe froze. She hadn't had the time to answer Finn when he told her he loved her. Tommy had interrupted them and while he walked her home they stayed in total silence. Once they reached her door, she had planned to just slip the key into the lock and murmur 'Night Finn'. But he pulled her back by her hand and pulled her into his arms. She was tense at first, not sure what instinct to trust but she gave in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, just inhaling the smell of Finn, the smell of home. It felt so simple when his arms were around her, holding her waist against him and his forehead resting on her shoulder. He knew her guard would crawl back up and block him out so he pulled away from her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and disappeared into the night before she had the chance to pull back up her walls and defences.

"What about Finn?" Lizzie questioned; her eyebrows raised as she tried to catch Ailbhe's eye in the mirror.

But Ailbhe avoided the gaze. She shrugged innocently.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to him" She lied easily, the words tasting like vinegar on her tongue.

She wanted to spin around and spit out the truth. She wanted to tell them that Finn loved her, that he confused her so much it gave her a headache. That she never knew what side of Finn she was going to get whether it was the cocky Finn who knew she desired him and who wanted her to be his and his only or whether it would be the sweet boy she fell for years ago. But she hid her expression behind the glass as she knocked back the rest of her drink.

"And what about Bonnie?" Ada asked, her head tilting knowingly.

Ada was interested in the girls' love lives, mainly because she had such a lack of one herself so she could live vicariously through them. Sometimes, she missed it just as much as she missed Freddie but she didn't trust men anymore, she didn't want them around her or her son when their family seemed to ruin everything they touched that wasn't themselves.

Ailbhe hadn't spent time with Bonnie since they had dinner together and he had walked her home. He was kind and sweet, he had an admirable strength and drive that Ailbhe liked. But he wasn't Finn. Maybe that was a good thing but she couldn't help but compare them. And Bonnie Gold wasn't going to measure up, not when Finn kept tugging her back in.