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*/ Chapter Three - Moth to a Flame
John Shelby's trousers were completed within a day and a half, much earlier than Evelyn had told him. The soft poplin fabric twisted delicately between her fingertips, and a small smile of satisfaction curled itself upon her painted lips. In the corner, barely visible, was handstitched a golden K, for Kelly. She folded it, packaged it, and prepared to have it hand delivered.
If there was one thing she prided herself in, it was her customer service.
The walk down to the Shelby home wasn't unfamiliar to her in the slightest—she remembered it like the back of her hand. It was one of Mike's most frequent places to visit; she would come down here to invite him back for dinner nearly everyday. It would usually be Finn answering the door, excluded from his older brothers' games. It was Finn this time around too, greeting her with eyes that gleamed with recognition.
"Evie!" Finn exclaimed, throwing himself at her. The girl managed to hold the box out of the way, laughing lightly as she patted him on the back. The Shelby brothers, yes, were menaces to deal with—but not Finn. Never Finn. "Johnny said you were back, I didn't believe it, but it's true!"
"Nice to see you again, Finny," Evelyn giggled, patting his hat-covered head. He was sporting a peaky hat just like his other brothers, but when Evelyn subtly flipped it upwards, she was relieved to find that there weren't any razor blades sewn inside. "Speaking of John—could you go and get him, please? I've got his trousers from the shop."
"They're not here. They're working next door," Finn pulled away from her, grasping her hand in his. "I'll take you if you'd like."
"That'd be very helpful, Finny." Evelyn allowed him to tug her in the betting shop's direction, internally connected to their home. But Evelyn felt a little bit like an intruder walking in, so she was grateful that Finn led her outside.
"Johnny!" Finn immediately called as he stepped into the betting parlour. It was busy this time of day, filled with men wanting to place their bets. At the entrance of the youngest Shelby, multiple heads turned to see who it was that stalked after him.
