Too Close For Comfort - A Peaky Blinders Story -

17: Freya

2 Weeks Later

"Get on the bloody horse!" I stood in the middle of Charlie's yard yelling at Finn to get on the black stallion, but Finn's face just screwed up every time I asked him to get on the horse. He was scared of Secret, acting as if he had never grown up in a family that quite literally revolved around horses. "You won't hurt Finn, Will you Secret?" I whispered to the horse while looking at Finn.
Rolling his eyes, Finn looked at me, "Are you chatting shit about me to a horse?"

"Maybe..." I smirked, walking around Secret while running my hands along his silky coat. Tommy said I could start riding Secret, although I think he was just compromising with me not to tell Polly or John about him and Bonnie.

"I don't appreciate that." Finn chuckled as he walked behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as I ran my hands along Secret's fur.

Looking over my shoulder at him, I giggled, "Sorry Secret is my best friend, I tell him everything."

"What about me?"

"Secret doesn't complain or snore."

Finn's nose wrinkled up as he rested his head on my shoulder, "How do you know if I snore...?"

"I have my ways," I continued to brush secrets fur out, "And my way is John at the breakfast table."

"What about Bonnie? Isn't she your best friend?"

"I prefer Secret. He doesn't sleep on my couch for four weeks and has a mental breakdown every minute over a wet shirt."

Finn gently pecked my cheek, but I wriggled out of his grip and pointed to the stallion. "I know you Finn Shelby...now get on the fucking horse!"

Finn smiled, "Someone is a bit feisty."

"You want feisty?!" Quickly running up behind him I began to aggressively shove him onto Secret saddle, "Now you don't want to ride side saddle so you have to put both of your legs on either side of Secret."

"Why is his name secret?" Finn asked as he struggled and clambered onto the horse.

"Dunno," Pushing his leg up to help him onto the horse I continued to talk, "Tommy named him...Grace's Secret is his full name."

Finn laughed, "You mean his name is Grace...?!"

"Yeah, but he is a racehorse so-"

Finn cut me off, "A racehorse?!" He began to try clambering off the horse but I grabbed his legs not letting him get off, "I can't ride a racehorse...it will kill me, Freya!"

"Yeah, you can...C'mon" I pushed him back onto the horse as I took hold of the reigns and began to lead Secret at a gentle trot. Looking up at Finn he was quite literally shitting himself. His face was bright red and his eyes were darting between me, the horse, and the ground. After a few minutes of a gentle trot, I began to lead Secret into more of a cantar.

"Freya...Slow down."

Giggling I walked faster around Charlie's yard, enjoying being in control of Finn's mindset. Tugging secrets reign his hoofs trotted faster, speeding him up more. My laughter was draining out Finn's yells for me to slow down. Finally, I slowed down, stopping the secret outside his stable. "Did you enjoy that?" I laughed looking up at Finn who was clutching for his life onto Secret.

As he clambered off secret he said nothing, but his face said it all. His face was emotionless, yet almost twitching from fear, "I'm never riding a horse again..." his voice trembled from fear.

Laughing, I helped him off Secret, grabbing Finn's legs to pull him off the stallion. "We can do horse riding another day?"

"No-" Finn snapped, backing away from me, "I am not getting back on that horse."

Rolling my eyes I opened Secrets stable door, "Yes you bloody are." Grabbing secrets reigns I lead him back into the warm cosy stable, protecting him from the bleak winter.

***

After leaving Charlie's yard, Finn and I walked along the canal hand in hand. Barges and narrow boats would pass us every few minutes, with families carrying goods along the canal.

"Always fancied living on a boat." I finally said to Finn.

He smiled at me, "You know what people call those who live on boats?" I shook my head as he laughed, "Everyone calls them boat gipsies-"

"And...it looks better than living in Birmingham."

"Maybe when we're older," Finn clutched my hand, "And we can leave the smog of Birmingham behind us..."

Crossing the bridge, Finn let go of my hand as we got closer to Watery Lane. He was taking the whole keeping it a secret thing seriously. He would always try to be pleasant to me at home, but ignore me at the same time. But whenever we were home alone, we would sit on the couch with a drink and gossip until someone was back. Finn was my best friend, the trouble was everyone else saw and him more like siblings. Even though we were not related in any way.

Reaching Watery Lane Finn held the door open for me, walking inside I hoped nobody would be in. "Is anyone in?" I shouted as Finn shut the door behind me.

"I am -" came the voice of Polly Gray from the living room, walking in to greet her she was sitting on the couch with a newspaper in her hand and the usual smirk on her face. Finn sat on the armchair as I sat next to Polly.

Polly sighed, "Freya and Finn..." Oh god, she knew. "Shoes, off, now."

The knot in my stomach untwisted as I looked at my shoes that were caked in mud and more than likely horse shit.

"Your friend Bonnie" Polly sighed, she hadn't liked Bonnie since she walked into Polly's family dinner with a see-through shirt on, "Your friend is out drinking, with bloody John and Arthur."

Great. She was down the garrison almost every night since the announcement of her engagement. It could've possibly been due to forgetting that she was engaged in the first place, but every night, she came back steaming and smelling of booze. Her nightly routine was usually to come home, shout at someone, throw up in the toilet, and then pass out on the couch.

"Shoes Now!" Polly yelled at us both as we rushed up. Forgot how much Polly scared me.