Forbidden Love

Chapter 40

"I liked them." I said once we left Alex and Eimear and were by ourselves again.

"Yeah, I thought you would." Joe took my hand and look around as we walked through the streets, "let's go somewhere." He sounded restless.

"Where?" I asked, "I didn't even tell my mum I wasn't coming home till late, I can't be too late." I warned.

"You won't be." He promised pulling me in the direction of the bus stop, "let's just go into town for a little bit."

"Ok." I agreed, "but not too long."

"Good." He hooked his arm around my neck as we walked, "I've missed you. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"I know." I sighed leaning into his side, "you've been so busy it's been hard to see each other."

"Well I'm not busy now." He said as we arrived at a bus stop he sat down and then pulled me flush against his body and kissed me until the bus pulled up.

We got on the bus giggling at the disapproving look the bus driver had given us.

"Shhh!" Joe said suddenly pushing me into a set of seats and then sitting next to me turning his body to block me from the rest of the bus.

"What is it?" I asked straining to look around him at the rest of the bus.

At the back of the bus was a group of loud older men about my dad age, in front of them was an elderly couple and on the other side a woman with two young kids. I couldn't see the problem.

"My dads here." He said quietly, "he must be coming back from the pub."

I looked back at the group of men and right in the centre sat Joe's dad, talking and laughing loudly with the men around him.

"Stop looking." Joe said to me.

I turned back around.

"Do you want to get off?" I asked Joe, not sure what the best thing to do was.

Joe shook his head, "we're coming up to his stop, we'd only get off with him. Just keep your head down. Hopefully he won't notice us."

We sat in a tense silence until the next stop, Joe's body was twisted towards me as if to shield me from the men at the back of the bus.

At the next stop, the one closest Joe's house most of the men stood and made their way to the front of the bus to get off.

They walked straight past us.

I kept my eyes down, willing them not to look at either of us.

One of the men turned when he got to the front of the bus at the open door and shouted something to the men left at the back causing them all the laugh.

Just as he was about the step off he hesitated, "Joey?" He said stepping back into the bus and taking a step towards us. I would have smiled at the nickname if I wasn't so scared for the outcome.

"Are you staying or leaving?" The bus driver asked annoyed at the delay.

"Staying." He stepped down the aisle of the bus and the doors closed.

I looked up now. It was Joe's dad. I looked straight back down.

He came and sat down in the seats directly in front of us ignoring the shouts from his friends left at the back of the bus. They were acting like teenagers I thought.

"Are you not going to say hello to your old man?" His dad smiled at Joe.

"Hello." Joe said plainly, looking at him as if daring him to challenge him.

"You're still being short with me then, are you Joe Joe?" His dad asked with a pout and a laugh.

"You're drunk dad. Go home." Joe replied shortly.

His dad dismissed him with a wave of his hand, "where are you going anyway?" He asked then he turned to look at me. He smiled knowingly, "quite the little ladies man, aren't we son?" He winked at Joe,  "did I say she wasn't worth your time. This one looks lovely." He smiled at me, "what's your name, love?" He asked me.

"That's enough dad." Joe said standing up out of his seat and trying to help his dad out of his, "I think you should get off the bus. Walk home. It'll sober you up."

His dad pushed him off, "I'm trying to talk to your bird!" He said defensively.

Joe stumbled back as the bus continued to move. I looked at him concerned.

"He's fine." His dad said to me, "I asked you what your name is."

Joe was still standing just looking at his dad.

I ignored his dad. "Are you alright?" I asked Joe. He turned to look at me and nodded coming back over and sitting beside me.

"What did you say?" Joe's dad turned towards me, a look of realisation written on his face.

"Let's get off the bus." Joe said quickly seeing a stop approaching.

"We're in the middle of nowhere!" I said.

The more I spoke the redder Joe's dad face grew.

"Maybe you should stay in the bus." Joe whispered to me pressing the button telling the driver he wanted the bus to stop.

"By myself!" I whispered back panicked, "it's late! And I don't know where I am and it's going to get dark soon and what if something happens!"

"Ok," Joe said standing, taking my hand, "stay with us, I'll keep you safe."

I followed Joe very closely off the bus. His dad followed close behind us.

"You're going to tell me what's going on right now." His dad demanded suddenly seeming a lot less drunk and carefree than he had when he had first sat down in front of us.

"We were just going into town." Joe shrugged.

"Don't you even try to be smart with me." He warned in a deep scary voice.

"Well dad I think you already know." Joe clearly wasn't scared, or he was doing a good job at hiding it, "this is my girlfriend, Olivia. She's from Belfast as you already know from her very cute accent. I know you and mum don't want me seeing her but there's nothing you can do to stop me. You've already tried and as you can see we are very much together. So you can keep trying or you can accept us. Your choice."

I smiled from where I stood holding onto Joe's hand, stand behind him slightly.

His dad's face grew red and he took a quick step towards his son.

I didn't know what was going to happen and I didn't need to know. In that moment I reacted. I stepped around Joe and stood in front of him so I was standing in between the two much larger men, "stay away from him!" I said protectively wrapping my arms around him from in front.

His dad froze. The anger seemed to drain from his face and he took a step back as if he had been struck.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly and sincerely to Joe, "I'm sorry son."

I dropped my arms from around Joe but still stood in front of him, not sure what was happening.

"I'm sorry." He repeated again.

"Why?" Joe asked.

His dad was looking straight into his eyes, "for everything. I should have trusted you more. All I ever want is for my family to be safe. For you and Andy and your mother to be ok. You know that, don't you? Just there your girl was the one trying to keep you safe from me. I don't want that ever again."

"Ok."

"And she can't be that bad," he tried to joke, "even if she is Irish."

"She's not." Joe wrapped his arm around me and stepped forward so he was standing next to me.

"I'll speak to your mother."

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