Heart of Gold | B. Gold ✓

24 | Feeling Bullshite

Fawnie felt determined as she and Bonnie walked about London, trying to come up with a plan. They spent the entire train ride doing the exact same thing, but now they could talk a bit more freely without people hearing their strange conversation. "But if we just walk up to her, what would we even say?"

"Maybe, hello, for starters?" Bonnie joked and Fawn pushed his arm away, "I'm kidding! Kind of," She laughed at his attempt to amend the fake wounds. The picture felt heavy in Fawnie's coat pocket as she took it out to show Bonnie for the second time, he hadn't paid much attention despite Fawnie telling him how 'important' the job was.

His eyes grew as wide as glass plates, "Are you sure you're not related because the resemblance is... uncanny." She shrugged and handed Bonnie the photograph so he could examine it. "She must have sent it to your house since there's a stamp on the back, huh, I think I can make out some lettering." He held it up toward the sun and sure enough, there was writing on the back of the photo.

"Bonnie, you're a bloody genius!" Fawn exclaimed, glad they finally made some progress.

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Bonnie took a bite into the sandwich as Fawn busied herself with figuring out the rest of the address on the paper. "It can't have been this easy, I swear it's like we got let off without homework right before exams." She found it a bit hard to believe that their little mission was only a day long, things were never this easy for the Shelby family.

Especially considering what Polly had to say about Fawnie's tea leaves. 

"Why do you think it can't be this simple? What if Tommy gave us the job because it is simple?"

Fawnie got confused, "What's Tommy got to do with this-" She caught herself midsentence and her eyes grew wide as Bonnie seemed to piece it together. "I promise I can explain everything if you just trust me a bit more and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

He wiped his mouth with his hand and nodded, "Whatever you need, I did promise that I'd be all yours, no matter what."

"Thank you, so very much. You have no idea how much your help matters to me." How much you matter to me. Fawnie grinned wider than she had all day as she finally figured out the address... or, the possible address. "That weird letter? I think it's a four, not an A."

"We'd better get to work then, eh?" Bonnie stood beside their table and jutted his arm out for Fawnie to loop hers through it. The pair left feeling optimistic about finding this mystery woman as they made their way toward what they believed to be her address.

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Despite how much Fawn wanted to take a cab to the address, she knew she needed to save the remainder of her money for their train fare back to Birmingham. While they walked and talked, she still managed to overthink everything.

The most unnerving thing being Polly's reaction to the tea leaves, what could have been in those leaves to make her aunt think that Fawnie is a black cat?  Why had Tommy suddenly taken an interest in Fawn's safety? Who was the woman in the photograph and why did Fawnie feel like she knew her? And how in the world did Bonnie Gold seem to know the girl so damn well?!

"You alright there?" Bonnie's voice pulled Fawn out of her train of thought as she instinctually nodded. "What's bothering you?" He inquired with a soft expression, "You know, besides everything else?"

His caring tone made it hard for Fawnie to deflect the question with a blatant lie, so she just told the truth. "Literally everything, it's like my life is both falling apart and coming together... the whiplash is just... so bloody confusing." Fawnie's sheepish smile made Bonnie stop walking beside her, she too stopped and looked up at him with a silent question. Why did you stop?

Brown met blue as he gave her a sympathetic look, "You haven't got to explain why you feel this way, little deer, it's alright to not understand how you feel."

Her lip quivered a bit as she tried to ignore the sudden rush of emotion, "How're you so good at this feeling bullshite?" She asked, truly curious because she couldn't control what happened inside her own head and it drove her mad.

"I've got three older sisters, Fawnie. It was inevitable that I turned out soft." Instead of laughing happily, Fawn found herself beginning to cry at Bonnie's words. There was no reason to really lose it on the pavement in London, but she'd been avoiding crying for weeks now. She hugged Bonnie, fully expecting him to push her away for the sudden touch, but he didn't.

Instead, the young man held Fawnie Shelby together, allowing her to let her emotions out. She gnawed on her bottom lip to hold in a sob as she cried uncontrollably. For some reason, Fawnie knew that there was no turning back from this. Especially after that kiss in the woods, something about her dynamic with Bonnie Gold changed forever.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

Thank you for 18k!! And to psychograyxo for beta-ing the next few chapters!! <3