Nothing Will Change

Chapter 56

Rose woke with a groan and a splitting headache. It had to have been hours, but she could still see the imprint of horror on her eyes as she blinked. No matter what comfort she tried to combat it with, it was etched into her forever. She was resting on a sofa, the brown leather becoming uncomfortable as she slowly tried to sit up. Remaining in her dress from the previous night, her shoes were collected neatly on the floor, and she squinted as the headache got worse.

"Ah you're awake!" She heard an all too chirpy Alfie Solomons, and by that point she realised she was in his office, sleeping on his sofa as he completed work. Across his eyes were thin spectacles, his sleeves rolled up with a pen in his hand that made him appear a lot let horrifying as the previous night.

"Where's Arthur?" She questioned as she struggled to get herself sat upright.

Putting down his pen and papers, Alfie put his hands together, "he was arrested for the killing of Billy Kitchen."

Shaking her head, she looked around the room for anything that could stop her head spinning. Alfie stood up, noticing her green expression and narrow eyes, collecting a glass from the side and pouring her a drink. She wouldn't assume it was water, she no longer held even a semblance of trust for him. Which he could notice, as he held out the glass for her but she didn't take it.

"Come on it's just bloody water," he huffed, slightly shaking it as Rose gave in reluctantly and took it.

"Arthur didn't kill him, your men did. Where is Arthur?" She insisted, holding the glass not drinking it.

Crashing back in his seat, Alfie threw his hands up, "well he has gone down for his murder so if you ask me he did it. He's in prison and likely is going to hang. Drink up Rosie or you'll be sick."

He was right, because her head began to droop before she took a gulp of the water, leaning her back on the sofa. Her eyes felt tired, and watery, seeing Arthur with the rope around his neck. He was becoming like the older brother she didn't have, the messy type of older brother who still cared. She wondered if Tommy knew, and what he was doing. He had to know. Surely.

Her pale green face matched her dress, now sitting on her unlike how she originally intended it. One sleeve further down her arm than the other, the fabric all of a sudden feeling rough instead of rich in detail. She wondered which colours she wore the most got her in the most danger, and if she stopped wearing them would the danger be gone? But how many colours would she be left with if she did? Tommy had the blue in his eyes that made her feel the safest, and yet he was who got her in danger. Inheritantly, because it had to be her fault. Was blue no longer beautiful and safe?

"What are you going to do with me?" She asked the obvious next. Obvious to her, as Alfie peered up to her surprised to hear her ask such a thing.

He fumbled, "well I'll admit plans have sort of... Shifted. See originally the plan was hand you over to Sabini and that be it yeah? But then you were frozen and your good man Arthur was screaming for you and I thought well... I thought of when we danced."

When they danced and she stared up at the mirror balls. She wished there were mirror balls above them, so she could gaze into them and hopefully teleport to Tommy and be safe again. The mirrors made you see all the right colours, and she would have begged to see the vivid green of grass so that she could be sent to blaze and the place guns couldn't reach. Alfie was never a friend, but there was still the bitterness at what he did, the betrayal, even if his plan changed.

"I thought... No I would be disgusted in myself if I handed you over to a cunt like that," he said.

"So what? I be held hostage by you instead? Like that's any better?" Her voice raised, shaking as much as she attempted to stay put together. He held an affection for her, like she meant something to him. All they shared was two moments in time at his club, two of which were mistakes as she never should have gone. No matter how much his advice stuck with her, and how he said it held comfort, he punctured it.