BETH GLARED AT TOMMY, sipping on her mug of tea. "Your going out just as soon as I came back?" She murmured tiredly, rubbing a hand over her face. Tommy shrugged, grasping her hand tightly in his. "It's not a business trip love, I've gotten news. Arthur Shelby senior has passed away. He got shot twice outside a bar. A woman wrote to me about it. She said during the night as he was dying he asked for our forgiveness." Beth's eye widened and she squeezed Tommy's hand tightly in hers.
"Oh Tommy I'm so sorry. I know he wasn't nice of a man but that can't be easy." Tommy simply shrugged, scanning her face. "Do you want to come?" His voice was quiet, as if nearly begging her to come but Beth knew that wouldn't be right. "It's a boys weekend Tommy, I cant come. John would want Esme and Arthur would want Linda and Finn would want to bring a woman. Then your weekend would be ruined. Oh poor Finn, my poor baby, should I pack you some sandwiches or something- just incase- yes. Sandwiches yes."
Tommy grinned, grasping Beth's hand in his and pulling her onto his lap. "Finn will be fine, he'll take it on the chin- like a man and Beth if I need sandwiches that badly we have a houseful of bloody maids." Beth learned into Tommy, resting her head against his chest. "Tom?" Looking down, Tommy's eyebrows raised slightly. "Are you going to be okay? You don't always have to be okay- you know that right?" She murmured, lightly tracing her finger tips over his cheek. Tommy leaned down, placing a kiss to the jagged scar Sabani had left on Beth's cheek two years ago.
"I know love, I know."
•
Pushing through a crowd of angry men waiting to place bets, Beth sighed in annoyance when she noticed Linda banging on the door. "It's alright it's me!" She called, glancing towards Beth with a warm smile. The door opened to reveal a scolding Polly who Beth couldn't help but snigger at as she walked behind Linda into the betting station. "Arthur said you'd be short staffed today because they're on a works outing." Linda spoke, placing a basket onto a desk. Beth grinned peering over and taking a sandwich.
"Piss up actually." Esme spat, walking toward her desk. Beth let out a laugh as she sat back onto Esme's desk who in return grinned up at her. "I brought sandwiches and lemonade I made myself. I'll make tea and empty ashtrays but I won't handle money or slips. Arthur says what you do here is illegal or not immoral." Rolling her eyes, Beth bit into her bread to refrain from snapping at the little woman. "Depends on what time you get here Linda." Esme spoke, holding up a blue bottle of Tokyo to Beth who took it into her hands inspecting it.
"And anyway, I thought i'd offer you my physical and spiritual support in your time of need." Linda grinned. Looking up at the woman with a mouthful of bread, Beth grinned crookedly. "If you want to help do me a favour and shut up." She grumbled, earning a slap to the head from Polly who scolded her to not talk with her mouthful, a grin on her lips. "Oh Linda, If you want to help run up to the shop and get me 20 senior service. Lizzie will give you the change." Polly teased, looking up cautiously to see Beth's glare.
"No I won't, it's not Tommy's money anyways considering he's back with Beth. Eh, Bethany?" Lizzie grinned sickly, not missing the growl that emitted from Beth's lips. Swallowing her food thickly, Beth blocked out the noise around her, something she had learned to do from a young age and with shaky hands, poured a line of Tokyo onto the back of her right hand. Looking down at Lizzie and Polly who were occupied with Linda, Beth raised her hand to her nose and snorted the white line of powder.
Esme let out a cheer clapping her onto the back. "That a girl Betty. I won't tell Tommy, if you don't tell John." Grinning Beth nodded, toward Esme who smiled. Placing her head into her hands, Beth felt as if the bolts in her head had begun to tick like a clock, the weight of life being lifted off her shoulders as she suddenly felt as stress free as ever. Feeling a hand on her back, she looked back slowly and grinned at Esme who nodded toward the door. "We're going to the bull ring."
Clapping, Beth stood of the table and pulled her jacket back over her shoulders, and adjusting her hair that sat plaited down her back. Taking a cigarette from her coat pocket, she stepped out onto the cold streets of Birmingham ignoring the men who shouted around her, spinning in a circle she looked up to the sky. Instead of scolding her, Polly took Beth's hand and began to lightly pull her along with her, their arms linked. And slowly one by one, Lizzie, Esme, Polly and Beth's arms were linked as they walked towards the bullring.
•
Beth had been pulled roughly from them bullring by Linda who held her tightly against her as she led Beth towards John's car. "Tommy's sent John to collect you from work, eh?" Linda explained walking her toward the car. Beth only grinned, happily leaning over and placing a kiss to John's cheek when he walked around to open her door. Turning back around, Beth grabbed Linda smiling wildly to the woman she nodded. "Farewell Linda! Have a baby!"
Letting out a snort, John lowered the girl into the car and closed the door behind him. After a rough night in the woods, seeing Beth this drunk definitely put him into a better mood. Rushing around to his side, he climbed in and fastened them both in before beginning his drive. A comfortable silence fell and as they drove past the fields, Beth took John's hand into hers, squeezing it. "D'ya think Tommy will be mad I did tokyo?" John's face paled as he let out a scoff, knowing Esme had given
Beth the powder.
Before John could answer, Beth pointed to the mansion they were nearing. "That's him! That's where Tommy lives! My Tommy, uh-huh." John let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. "How much Tokyo have you had doll?" Shrugging Beth stared out the window as they drove in the driveway. Letting go of John's hand quickly she stumbled out of the car and made a run for the steps up the Shelby manor but instead her legs fell like jelly as John only watched, trying to keep in his laughter.
Eventually, with some help from John, Beth made her way up the steps and made a dash toward the office before John could steer her up to bed. Throwing open the door, Beth's smile dropped when she seen another woman with her hands up to her Tommy's face, touching the skin of his cheek, the same skin that she had touched millions of times without thought, the skin that she wanted to burn off after seeing another woman touch. "Bethany." Tommy began, but it was too late.
Beth's bottom lip stuck out and her eyes watered and suddenly she had never felt as sober. Suddenly there was another woman touching her Tommy and suddenly her Tommy was Graces Tommy and Lizzie's Tommy and May Calerton's Tommy. A hand caught her arm, John stood behind her looking down nervously as he knew Tommy had told him not to let see the duchess. "I'm just- I'm gonna go." Beth murmured, turning on her heel as she began to walk through the manor.
Walking up the carpeted stairs she could hear the echo of steps behind her, she only picked up the speed of her walk. "Beth, oi Beth it's business. Tommy doesn't want her, c'mon." John pried following hot on her tail as Beth walked past all the bedrooms and found Tommy's. Throwing open the door, she stripped from her heels and dress, not caring that John was in the room and took one or Tommy's shirts. Pulling the shirt over her head and taking her hair down from the plait as the tears began to run down her face.
John only sighed, not knowing that to do. Beth however ignored his presence and climbed into Tommy's bed. Pulling the duvet over her as her cries turned to sobs. John sat down onto the bed pulling her into his side as she continued to cry. A drunken cry, a sober cry, a heartbroken cry.
"Why am I never enough John? Why doesn't he just want me?" Beth murmured, her voice wavering as John brushed her tears. "Your more than bloody enough Beth. You wreck my fucking head, make me smile when everything else in life has gone to shit, your the one person I can trust no matter what fucking happens. I love you, eh? Not her, she's just business. C'mon now, you know I love you." Looking over, Beth frowned at Tommy who stood by the door frame, his face crinkled from stress.
Walking over he sat on the other side of the bed as John, looking down at Beth who sat up into the middle of the pair. "Tommy?" Beth mumbled. Furrowing his eyebrows, Tommy looked over at John who only grinned. "Is she fucking drunk?" Letting out a laugh, John turned his face so Tommy couldn't see his expression as he attempted to hold in a laugh but it echoed around the room. "Tom?" Beth repeated. Sighing in frustration, Tommy looked back down to Beth who grinned happily.
"Can we have a sleepover with John in your bed?"
YOU ARE READING
LONELY| Thomas Shelby
Fanfiction"when they're good they're really good, when they're bad they will burn the town to the ground." in which beth returns to the gangster life that she once lived, where everything is the same yet everything has changed. BOOK TWO OF VULNERABLE SERIES S...
