Heavenly Virtues

Part 31

"It just doesn't feel right anymore." She stated looking at the twins disappointed faces. They would go along with it, not because they wanted to but because it's what she needed and they had already let her down enough.

"Ye sure this is what ye wan' lass?" "Aye, I mean yer place is so much nicer then ours." She nodded her head. "Yeah, I mean this will always be the place I fell in love with you two, it'll always be the place we shared our first time together, and it will always be the place where you two made me feel most at home. But it's tainted with him. All the love and warmth that lived here has this big ugly cloud hanging over it now." The two sighed.

"I'm gonna miss livin above tha pub." Murphy said as he looked around at the packed boxes and dismantled bed that they had replaced last week to try and rid the space of the lingering presence. "Aye, was nice just stumblin up tha stairs ta bed instead o' draggin yer ass down tha block." Connor joked as he elbowed Murphy.

"Awe shut yer hole ye gobshite I can handle me liquor better then ye." As the boys threw hands and insults back and forth Ashley shook her head at them "are you gonna help me with these boxes or just keep beating eachother up over there?" An echoing "sorry" was heard as they moved to help her carry the boxes down the stairs. "Jesus hun, you shouldn't be carrying these!" Rocco scolded her at the bottom of the stairs.

She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head playfully. "If anyone shouldn't be lifting it's those two." Rocco moved onto the boys to take their boxes "were fine Roc, go grab some o'tha other boxes." Connor nodded towards the stairs. Rocco sighed and trudged up the stairs, grabbing a box.

It took two loads to get her stuff to the boys' apartment and on the third trip they strapped the new mattress to Rocco's roof, disassembled the table and loaded it in his car. With the third car full of her final belongings she gave her granda a huge hug "th-th-this isn't tha las' time ye-ye-yer gonna be FUCK!ASS! Seein me lass." Ashley pulled away and smiled big at him. "I know granda, but I won't be seeing you everyday now. I'm allowed to be a little sad."

"A-a-alrigh' ya three should get goin'. I got some drunk customers I gotta get back ta." Doc gestured to the pub. The car was packed, leaving the three to walk back while Rocco drove.

It was freezing out, with Thanksgiving just a week away the temperature had dropped drastically it made the three glad the walk was only a short 10 minutes. When they got there Rocco was leaning against his car smoking a cigarette. "Alright let's get this done!" Rocco exclaimed as he stomped out his smoke.

How does that joke go? How many men does it take to put together a bedframe? Ashley laughed to herself as she watched the three struggle with it. She could've stepped in 20 minutes ago to help them but she was having too much fun with it. As she sat in the kitchen chair watching them, and looking at the table that still needed assembling she sighed. "Good God men, move over." She said as she took the screwdriver from them.

"I'm starting to understand why you two didn't have bedframes." She laughed to herself as she screwed the frame together. "Our talents don' involve buildin stuff lass." "Aye, our talents lie somewhere else." Murphy said as he brushed the hair from her shoulder and peppered a few kisses there.

Her initial reaction was to jerk herself away, but she stayed planted where she was. Not wanting to let on that anything was wrong, but Murphy felt how she tensed at his touch. She still hadn't opened up to them about what he had done to her, still adamant that nothing had happened. The twins saw it though, the change in her to their touch.

She had been home almost two weeks now, and the quick kiss they had shared as they left the church the day she came back was the most intimate she had allowed them to be with her. They still slept in the same bed together, but even then, there was a little room left between the three.