It Was Only Supposed to Be Business

Hope

Hi Everyone,

Trigger warning: there are mentions of abuse in this chapter.

The moment Tommy opened the door to his bedroom, I couldn't wait to curl up in his bed and finally get some much-needed rest. After the hectic life that I had experienced over the past few days, my body ached, and my head was painfully dizzy.

As I stood in the room that knew all of Tommy's secrets, I felt our spirits connect. We were no longer strangers, but being in such an intimate space unleashed a level of connectivity that I had never experienced with someone before. It was as if the walls of his room told me a hundred stories about him that pushed us closer together.

"These are for you. They're from Polly." Thomas whispered as he placed a few toiletries on his night table. I was unprepared to stay in Small Heath. When I left home in the afternoon, I never thought I wouldn't return a few hours later. I only had the clothes on my back and the few coins and lipstick at the bottom of my purse. I hoped I didn't have to stay more than one night, especially since Tommy offered me his bed and room.

"Thank you for everything, Tommy. This means the world to me," I mumbled as he took my jacket and hung it behind his door. I knew he would soon leave me alone, but I wanted him to stay. I craved his presence. Since I met Thomas, he occupied every room in my mind, and now, I was standing in his room with my hair down, my purse down, and my guard down. I was vulnerable but in a good way that let him see me in solace.

"Before you go, Tommy. I wondered if I could borrow a shirt just for this one night?" It took a chunk of courage to ask him, but the instant he placed a white shirt over his bed with a soft smile spread on his face, my heart swelled with admiration.

"Get some rest. You need it, eh?" Tommy whispered as he approached me before leaving the room.

"Goodnight, Adeline." He added as his thumb found my cheek, guiding the rest of his fingers to cup my face in his hands. Being under Tommy's fingertips was a feeling like no other. The warm sensation his hands spread through my body caused my head to blur. I felt like a woman, his woman. It was like I was the only girl in the world.

The moment our lips pressed together in a sweet good night kiss, there was a soft knock on the door, dragging Tommy out of my room for the night. Alone, my mind wandered until I fell asleep.

After sleeping for what felt like only a few minutes, I frantically woke up in a cold sweat, trying to grasp reality. My mind replayed the moment Charles pinned me against the wall after he struck me. I was trying to forget about it, but my eyes obsessively scanned every corner of the room to confirm the bastard wasn't present. After settling my nerves, I headed downstairs for a cup of water, hoping it would help me fall asleep again.

"Tommy? You're still awake?" I gasped, frantically buttoning the top part of his shirt to hide my cleavage. Little did I know, Tommy's shirt just slipped over my behind, covering me sufficiently.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, turning to me as I quickly sat in the chair facing him to cover my legs.

"Bad dream..." I whispered, keeping my head low. It wasn't just a dream; it was a flashback that sent me into a tunnel of doom- a tunnel with no escape.

"Me too." Tommy breathed as he fidgeted with the cigarette burning between his fingers. I watched the fag burn away, shrinking in size with each puff of smoke he took. My life was much like a cigarette's. I was shrinking with each slap, grab and touch from Charles. I was withering away into a cloud of smoke.

As Tommy pressed a cigarette between my lips, tears stung my eyes while I focused on the red embers burning a breath away from my mouth. I didn't want to cry, but suddenly, I felt like a shell of the woman I used to be. Not wanting Tommy to see the grief in my eyes, I thanked him for the fag and turned to the stairs.