Love Thy Neighbour *editing*

"You're so SELFISH, Evie McKenzie!"

I was just beginning to doze against Niall, when the door of my bedroom creaked open, and the soft sound of footfalls reached my ears. My eyes opened, looking up into Tommy’s dark eyes.

“Evie,” he mumbled worriedly, wringing his hands, “there’s someone outside shouting your name. My whole body went cold with dread. When was he just going to fucking leave it? Was it not enough that I had completely dumped all of my hate on him? But, then again, I should have realised; it was impossible to have the sober Denny without the drunk one to follow it up.

Some things just never seemed to change.

Heaving myself to my feet, I ushered Tommy out of my room before he woke Niall up; the stress wasn’t going to help him recover. It was with a heavy heart that I made my way downstairs. I could hear Denny jeering before reached the bottom, my heart rate increasing.

“Ah ken everythin’ about yoo, Evie McKenzie!” he bellowed, his words slurred. “They wouldnae think you were such a good wee gurl if they kent fit I ken!” All I could do was roll my eyes and lean against the doorframe, watching him stagger around my front garden, his hand clasped around the neck of a bottle of vodka. He took a couple of unsteady steps towards me, his eyes sliding around.

Just watching him there, reminded me of how he would come round when he knew everyone was out; pissed out of his head and high on something illegal.

Why the hell had I put up with it?

“Yoo even sure that that babby’s half Irish?” he yelled. Incensed, I stormed out of the house, my eyes narrowed. That. Was. It. If he hadn’t got the hint before, he was certainly going to get it now. I reached my hand back and slapped him hard across the face. A mixture of surprised and alcohol caused him to stumble backwards, even though he was at least a foot taller than me.

“Leave. Me. Alone,” I hissed furiously, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. My stomach ballooned in front of me, almost as if it was creating a barrier between myself and Denny. “I’ve told you already; we’re done. I’m never coming back to you. Even if you were the last man on the planet, I would rather die than be with a scumbag like yourself!” I didn’t care that the words echoed up and down the street and I didn’t give a rat’s arse that all the neighbours could hear me.

Let them be witnesses to the fact that I was trying to get rid of Denny from my life.

“Yoo dinnae mean that,” he snarled, taking a drunken step towards me. I matched his stance – though, obviously not inebriated – and glowered at him, my eyes becoming bright and wide.

“Oh aye; I do,” I said, my eyebrows dancing. “Because you know what? I love that lad in there,” I pointed towards the house, thinking of Niall, “and you’ll never know what that feels like because your idea of love is completely warped.

“You use fear to intimidate women into thinking they love you, when in reality, they’re too scared to leave you. That’s the only reason I stayed with you for so long, you stupid prick! I was too fucking terrified to walk away!”

Denny gaped at me, and I stared back, my chest heaving with the effort my rant had taken from me.

But it had been completely worth it.                                                                   

“Evie,” came a quiet voice from behind me, “it’s okay now.” I turned and saw Niall limping out of the house, his face scrunched up in pain but his eyes determined nevertheless. Shite; had my shouting woken him up?

“Go back inside,” I mumbled, looking back to Denny. “I’m nearly done here.”

Niall wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him, kissing the top of my head.