As the youngest Shelby child and twin to Finn Shelby, Kezia has spent the last 4 of her 10 years locked away for her mental defectiveness.
She returns to Small Heath under the legal guardianship of her brother, Thomas Shelby. Despite knowing she's s...
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It's probably the moment most people reading have been waiting for.
A shorty but important one. The priest and Tommy drama can wait. We got more important stuff to get to. 🖤
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Alfie was restless.
He awoke every night with evil, dreadful thoughts. Of sea salt, popcorn, laughter, and holding hands with a Gypsy girl.
Kizzie remained a constant these nights. So innocent in reality, but in the dreams, they were together. Romantically walking along the nameless pier. And Alfie had no clue why.
Of course she was beautiful. And of course Alfie loved her dearly. But never in a way that made him question himself. They were friends. Their souls were connected in a way that never brought about romance. Thinking about her in a sexual way made Alfie squirm in disgust. Kizzie was barely an adult.
But the harder he tried pushing away the truth, the truth pushed harder: Alfie was in love with Kezia.
The dreaded self-hatred would then take hold of Alfie's heart. She would never love him in that way. Alfie was a disfigured, elderly monster. Twice her age and a thousand times more monstrous.
Damn it.
He wanted to cry. Her rejection was not something he believed he could live through.
Alfie looked in the mirror. His yellowing skin looked dryer from the psoriasis patches that littered his face. Stress made it worse. And Alfie was under all the stress these days. He wanted to cut away every disgusting part of himself, but then there would be nothing of him left.
He could settle for friendship. Her companionship had always been more than enough—it overflowed his very soul.
Doubt wanted to cling to him, though. He knew it would not be enough now. He could lie and even believe the lie if he tried hard enough.
He just wanted her. To be his wholly and completely. To hold hands down a nameless pier and smell sea salt and eat fresh popcorn. Damned the rest that people would think they did. Alfie would never soil her innocence, her beauty, and her intelligence in such a way. He did not need to lay with her to prove his love for her. Nor would he have her do the same.
Love was walking down a nameless pier—
His phone suddenly rang.
Alfie slammed his fist down at the vanity. Anything to make physical his anger.
He stood with a crooked spine and heavy thighs. Made his way over to the phone with ten steps more than need be.
