SUPPORTING 8

୨୧ ‣ CHAPTER ELEVEN

I WON'T LET GO
TADGH LYNCH

➛ RILEY REFUSES TO TALK. No matter how much we try, which includes sitting at the dining table for an hour and a half coaxing the girl, she didn't fucking budge. Joey and Shan have a good idea of what's happening but they said we can't help them until they admit, so here we are.

"Riley," Edel coaxes, "We just want to help."
Edel has tears pooling her eyes, John beside her as he has a comforting hold on her back.
"What would help is if you guys stopped butting in." Riley snaps, "Wren has enough on her hands, the last thing she needs is you all bombarding us, looking for a sob story none of us want to give!"

"Riley-" Shan gets gut off.
"That girl is so overworked, and dear God would i do anything to take the worries off her hands. But ever since she met you." She cocks her finger at me, "She has been more relaxed then i have seen her in years. So don't you fuck this up because you want to be a hero, Tadgh."

My family sits in silence as she rises from her seat.
"Thank you for letting us stay, by the way." she smiles at Edel and John before walking out the room.
"Well fuck." Joe mutters, holding his head.
"Also Edel?" Riley rushes back into the room.
"Yes, sweet girl?"
"Next time my mam is rude to you, hit her. For Wrens sake." She smiles and exits the room once again.

A minute of silence is passed around, all of us sharing glances as we collected ourselves. Earlier today, we could've brushed Wren's situation as an overprotective sibling thing. But now, after seeing the state the wellsy girls call their mam, i know for sure that something incredibly fucked is up with that .rfamily.

My phone rings, and in one sharp move, i answer it.
I quickly rush out the room, "Hi Wren."
"Hey." She speaks, her voice shaky.
"You okay, birdie?" i ask, hoping the nickname will calm her ever so slightly.
"All good, is Ri okay?"
"She's grand."

"Tadgh?" Wren sounds.
"Yes?" i feel myself inhale.
"I don't want your family worrying about us." She begins and my heart drops out my ass, "Edel has enough on her hands and we are fine, i have everything under controll."
She waits a beat before adding, "I want you to have faith in me. I need you to not let go."

"I won't." i reassure, "I won't let go."
"Promise me."
"I promise, when you get here tomorrow i'll pinky promise even." She laughs at that.
"Was your mam mad?" I ask
"No, more grumpy that she had to pick us up." She jokes, i don't laugh.

"I need you to not lie." I whisper.
"I need you to not try a save us. We don't need saving."
"Wren."
"Tadgh."
"Come to my room tomorrow, please."
She hesitates, "Okay."
"Okay." i exhale, "I'll be seeing ya, birdie?"

"You will." She confirms.
"Goodnight Birdie."
"Goodnight Stud."
And the line goes dead.

⋆˙⟡♡✧˖°

CRIES. That's all i can hear, as Edel, John, Joey and I sit in the living room, not one of us can get the twins to calm down. It's currently 8:00am and for all of 30 minutes, these twins have been wailing for their mammy.

Light treads come from the staircase as Riley enters the room.
"What's wrong guys?" her cheeriest voice is present.
"Mammy." Layla whines, "Mammy sad."
"Wrenny isn't sad Layla, because TayTay is there."
"Ma makes Wrenny cry." Mylo frowns, and everyone is alert
"That's because Ma is upset herself. Hurt people hurt people" Riley claps her hands together.

"Who's gonna come and get ready so we can see Wrenny?"
Both twins immediately waddle to the stairs, and Riley casts a thankful look in our direction.
"Thank you for this." She smiles.
"Anytime, love. You tell your sisters you are all welcome whenever you want." John says.

"Also Wren asked me to ask you to drop us outside our house. To save time." Riley asks.
"I'll do it." Joey offers and points at me, "You can come with." And i nod.
"I'll go get ready then." Riley rushes up the stairs.

"Edel we have to get them out, please." i beg.
"We can't do anything until they admit pet." She replies.
I need them to be okay. I need her to be okay.
"I'll make breakfast." John announces, walking to the kitchen.

Around fifteen minutes pass, and the twins come sliding down the stairs. "Hey!" John smiles at the kids.
"Hello!" Layla waddles past him, walking towards me
"Hey there." I smile, picking her up, "What's your name?"
"Lay-a Wellsy." She beams, her brother running in circles around the kitchen.
"I'm Tadgh."

"MyMy!" She giggles, stopping her twin brother, "Tiger!"
"Lay-a, I busy."  Mylo huffs, causing her to frown.
"He mean, sorry Tiger." Layla holds my face in her tiny hands, inspecting my face.
"Are you hungry?" I ask, and her face lights up.
"We save some for mammy?"

"Do you not have breakfast at home?" Suddenly everyone in the room is alert.
"MyMy, Tay and Ri and me eat, but Mammy never eating."
"Why is that?" Shannon asks.
"So we can have dinner!" Mylo adds, still running.
I feel my heart rate pick up.

I never see her eat school lunch, so how much is she eating? Riley comes down the stairs in the same outfit as yesterday, sitting at the table, "Mylo." She calls and the boy is immediately sitting on her lap.
"Morning." She smiles.
"Wren doesn't eat at home and we know it." Shannon presses and the younger Wellsy girl pales.

"We need you to admit," Edel leans on the counter, and Riley stays silent, "Rile-"
"Okay!" She bursts, "Money is really tight in our house, only da works and it's part time. And Wren would rather starve then see us miss a mean." A beat passes as a lone tear falls from her eyes, "She works three jobs, did you know that? Fucking three Edel. She's our protecter, and whether or not she's happy does not matter to her because the only reason she does this is to see my family smile."

"She buys our groceries because she knows our food preferences off by heart. She knows I hate almonds, and even though she loves them, she places a permanent ban on them." Riley blurts, exasperated.
"How much do you need for groceries?" John asks.
"What?"
"We'll pay for the groceries, how much?"
"No, no.."
"Riley, baby please." Edel pleads, her eyes filled with tears.

"Ask Wren." She mumbles, "Don't tell her i told you anything, if it's one thing that girl hates, it's pity."
Three jobs, and she still gets straight A's, whilst also taking care of an entire family. What the fuck.