Y O U R C R U C I B L E
"May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
Lottie Thorne, sister of the notorious Freddie Thorne, is counted as part of the Shelby family. And her loyalty is...
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"You lied to me"
Their lips crashed together in a passionate craze. Every evening for the past week, Michael appeared outside Lottie's front door. She'd open it with a smile and before the door would shut, their arms would already be wrapped around one another. With her door shut, Lottie trusted Maxim not to interrupt the two as he'd done during their first kiss. It wasn't all lust, though; they spent a lot of time talking and smoking, telling each other their dreams and hopes. Lottie was surprised at how much she was willing to tell him and she was fascinated about hearing about Michael's life and his previous family.
"I think she'd like you, my Mother," said Michael as they sat on the floor beside her small fireplace, leaning on a pile of cushions. His jacket was off, lying somewhere on the floor, and his shirt was unbuttoned slightly while Lottie wore a plain skirt and white shirt that had become untucked.
Lottie smiled as she looked up at him. "Really?" She questioned, unconvinced.
"Yeah," he said. "You've got many admirable qualities, Lotts."
She raised her eyebrows. "Lotts?"
Michael shrugged. "Am I not allowed to give you a nickname? Or is that just something you can do?" He teased.
"I suppose you can give me a nickname," she smirked, leaning up and kissing his soft lips. When she lent back, she rested her head on his chest. "Lotts..." She murmured. "I like that."
"One day, I'll invite my Mother here and you can show her this is where I truly belong," he said.
Lottie crossed her heart. "I'll use all my charm on her. She won't stand a chance."
***
The sun was bright when it shone into Lottie's bedroom, but the day that followed couldn't be any more different. Lottie barely had time to let her eyes adjust to the sunlight when she heard the opening of the front door and the angry sound of Polly's voice. "Where is she?" She demanded.
"What's going on?" questioned Maxim, trying to slow the woman down, but nothing could stop Polly. She burst through Lottie's bedroom door and stormed to her bed, grabbing the girl by the shoulders and yanking her upwards so their faces were inches apart. Lottie's heart thumped frantically, her blue eyes wide. She knew, she must know - about her and Michael. John must have told her. She was ruined. She was ruined, for sure.
"You lied to me!" screamed Polly. Her face was tear-stained, her make up smudged, her hair a knotted mess.
