Bancroft - Peaky Blinders Reverse Harem x Reader

Chapter 65

Polly smirks as she slaps her cards down on the table. "And that's a full house."

Ada laughs as I groan, and we push our chips towards Polly. She whoops in delight and laughs drunkenly, lighting a cigarette.

My wrist is still bandaged and the bruises around my neck are just beginning to yellow — thankfully my eyes are no longer bloodshot, and I can walk on my ankle again.

The Shelby brothers and Michael are working in London for the night, so I'd decided to come to Polly's for the evening. Ada's staying here still before she goes back to London. But now, after two bottles of wine and a fair amount of whiskey, it's clear none of us are in any position to drive me home.

"'S alright," Polly says, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes after celebrating her victory. "You can have Michael's old room."

"And you can have a cheque," I sigh, though I'm smiling. "Afraid I don't keep this much cash on me, Pol."

"Don't even think about it," she warns, pointing at me with her cigarette. "This was for fun only."

"You pushed twenty pounds cash into my hands after the first round," I protest, pulling my check book out.

"And I won it right back, fair and square, so we'll call it even," she says. She stands to her feet. "I'm off to bed, before I pass out on this bloody table."

Ada giggles. "Night, Pol," she says, finishing her glass as Polly leaves for bed.

"You're all as bloody stubborn as each other." I push a hand against my head.

Ada raises her eyebrows. "That's coming from you?"

"I'm nothing compared to the rest of you."

She smiles as we sit together in comfortable silence. A few minutes pass and we hear the sound of Polly's snores. Despite the noise, the air between us thickens. There's so many things we've never said to each other, many of them that I struggle to put into words.

"It's our song," Ada says quietly.

I listen. "The one we danced to in the Garrison."

"When you were wearing my dress."

"And you were wearing mine."

She pauses, before glancing at me with her light eyes. "Would you dance with me again?"

I fail to suppress my smile. "Okay."

She reaches out a hand and her palm is soft beneath my own. She spins me round as we move to the centre of the living room, and then places her hands at my neck. My own rest against the soft curve of her waist, the velvet of her gown comforting against my fingers.

Her thumbs rub against the purple bruises covering my skin. "I can't believe he did that to you," she says quietly, her eyes darkening in concern.

I shake my head. "I was fine. It was John who suffered."

"John didn't die on us," she points out. Her forehead creases. "I didn't think you were going to wake up."

"Tommy told me you were the first to find me," I whisper. "The first to try and bring me back."

"Of course I was," she says quietly. "You think I could live without you, Ban?" She pulls me in closer. "You think I would ever want to?"

I'm all too aware of my heart thumping in my chest, attuned to its rhythm since the terror of the adrenaline shot. And beneath Ada's touch, upon hearing her words, I feel an echo of that skipped beat, that rush to catch up once more.