Till Death Do Us Part

~Chapter thirteen~

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~London~

!TW! !Strong Language!

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*Three weeks later*

Ivy sat in the back of Tommy's car with John by her side. Arthur sat in the passenger seat while Tommy drove. They were off on the road, heading to London. Arthur and John were laughing and joking as usual and Ivy overthinking during the whole journey.
They had gone through the plan multiple times before they left. Guilt consumed her as she replayed it over and over in her head.
If the boys found out the truth of events Ivy really had planned tonight, Tommy might murder her himself...

Every now and then when she heard John laugh louder than usual she would think about the wedding. None of that sat right with her still but, she had accepted now that it was her fate.
Her heart would still sink and fill with dread when she thought about Esme and John together.
Yet, he felt like home to Ivy, in every way possible. She couldn't ever walk away from John even though she didn't trust him.
She'd always known when she was younger, she and he had a spark she'd never had with anyone else. It still replayed in the back of her mind when it was all destroyed by her mother who forced her to move away.
She hated her mother for it. However, in the end, it had some how worked out. That's what she'd made John and everyone else believe. She had sugar coated the reason why she'd left.

Ivy had a child, a little boy but she was far too young to have kept him.
Her mother thought highly of how the family looked to everyone else and it wouldn't have looked good if everyone knew her fifteen year old daughter was pregnant. Even worse, by a dead man that she and Tommy had beaten to death.
Ivy was forced to give the baby boy away shortly after giving birth. She hadn't a clue if he was alive or what his name was or even where her mother had taken him. Deep down, Ivy craved the thought of having him back.
Nobody other than herself and her own blood knew.
She felt she could never speak a word about it to John. She had never spoken a word to anyone about it, not even to those who were in the know.
The boy was Ivy's dirty little secret.

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After what felt like hours they had finally arrived in London. All the boys instantly exited out of the car. Ivy hesitated before she got out.
"You alright Luv'?" John asked concerned.
He'd noticed she had been quiet, practically throughout the whole journey.
She nodded, looking all around her taking in the surroundings.
She felt completely overwhelmed but didn't want to worry John because he would have called off the plan.
He placed Ivy's black, suede case next to her feet. She could feel her breathing getting heavier.
Tall buildings encompassed her. Ivy thought if she stared at them any longer or harder, the buildings would cave in and crush her! She felt like a lost puppy trying to find her way out, except she couldn't escape and there was no going back. Ivy only ever travelled the countryside and wasn't used to seeing so many people as she could now. Small Heath felt tiny compared to London. It was something she would need to get used to.
"How's my favourite niece, ey?" Johnny Dogs asked Ivy with a smile plastered across his face.
He walked closer to her and Ivy smiled back at him. Her heart began beating faster, was she really in London and plotting to kill someone?

Johnny spoke with the boys. Only small talk, before he quickly grabbed Ivy's case wanting to get inside.
"Blimey, how much did you pack, ey?" He joked, slowly walking ahead, leading her to the entrance of the hotel where they'd be staying.
"Where is everyone?" Ivy asked ignoring Johnny's question about the heavy case.
"They've all made their way back. There's only me and a few others staying." He replied.
She nodded in response, taking a deep breath before tagging behind Johnny with the three boys not far behind her. She was feeling very reassured that Tommy was going through with her plan.