Rosa screeches to a halt outside Tony's house.

It's easy to tell that it's Tony's as it's yellow covered in seashells and there's a mosaic of what looks like Tony slaying a dragon on the side wall.

The front door is open and I can see that Eddie's bike is sticking out as if he just drove straight through it.

“Oh my god!” I shriek and hop off the scooter.

“Come on Rosa! We need to stop them. We need to get in there.” I go to grab her wrist and get another slap around my face.

“Stop pretending you're stupid!” snaps Rosa. “You made it wrong; you make it right.”

“But I can't do it on my own.”

“Of course you can. Two silly boys aren't something you can handle? Besides I've left a client in the airing cupboard.”

She starts the scooter's engine and gives me one last disapproving look.

“Nice tits, by the way,” she says and she rides off.

I run up to the door and squeeze past Eddie's bike, down the hallway, and into the lounge. A coffee table has been smashed up and a chair and side lamp have been knocked over. Eddie is lying down on the sofa, his hand holding the side of his face. I rush over to him and grasp his other hand.

“Eddie, what's happened? Where's Tony?”

“I am Tony,” he says.

He takes his hand away from his face revealing a black eye. I drop his hand and start slapping him around his shoulders.

“Why did you send that text? I said I'd give you my stuff.”

I'm slapping harder but it's apparent that I'm only hurting my hands as they bounce off his muscles, so I pull myself together and stop. He's giving me an unimpressed look, which I ignore.

“Where's Eddie? Have you hurt him?” I demand.

“Have I hell,” he says “he rams his bike through the door and given me a right hook before I could get a hold of him.”

“Is he okay?”

“There's not a scratch on him. I pinned him very gently up against the wall and once he'd calmed down I played him your message. A very long message I might add, not one that I'd listened to all the way through when I sent that text to you.”

“Where is he?”

“He's gone to the shed to get me some frozen peas for my eye.”

“How's he feeling?”

“If he has any sense, he'll be feeling bloody lucky for getting away with thumping his big brother.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Look,” he continues “I'm actually the good guy in all this. Out of the kindness of my heart, I lend you money knowing there's no way you'll be paying me back on time. And do I hold this against you? No, I don't. Instead, I do my cupid act because I thought you'd be just what my brother needed, and I thought you'd like him.”

“Like him – I love him.”

“Well no need to thank me. Why don't you go and see where he's got to.”

I make my way through the kitchen, out the back, and along the garden path. The shed is at the end and inside Eddie is leaning into the freezer and fishing around inside. He looks around at me.

“Oh hi,” he says “hang on, I've nearly got it.” and he pulls out a bag of sweetcorn.

“I'm so sorry,” I say.

I hang my head in shame and fear of what he'll say.

“Well, it wasn't exactly how I'd thought it was, was it? Not by the end.”

“No it wasn't, it was never about the money really. That was the excuse I used to get me to do it. I wouldn't have dared unless I'd dared myself. I'd do anything to put this right.”

“Anything?”

I look up and see his wicked grin again.

“I'll have to make a list I reckon,” he says. “I guess I'll leave that for tomorrow though. I think everything's okay. Compared to what Tony usually gets up to I guess his heart was almost in the right place this time. He can't do right without doing it wrong. I shouldn't of hit him though, but don't tell him that. He'll be dining out on all of this forever, as it is.”

Eddie takes hold of my hand.

“My brother was right where it matters though. You're the one for me. Come here.”

He pulls me towards him and wraps me in his arms. We kiss and it's tender, it's love and it's true.

The End.