The Gypsy Beauty

Polly's Birthday.

Scarlett's POV

Me and Tommy make it back to Small Heath, both of us not talking. "You okay?" He asks me and I nod. "Yeah." I say quietly and he sighs, his hand gripping my chin, turning my face to his. "Talk to me." He says and I shrug.

"What do you want me to say Tommy? You're gonna love me and leave me, right. You always do." I say and he shakes his head, his hand dropping from my chin. "That's not true." He says and I scoff. "Oh, isn't it? It's always true, Tommy. It's who you are." I say, shaking my head.

"Do you regret what happened?" He asks me and I shrug. "I don't know about anything between us anymore Tommy. I mean, you don't believe me anymore, you side with everyone else and then treat me like dirt." I say truthfully.

"I don't mean to-" he starts to but I hold my hand to him. "Don't. Just don't. It's fine, Tommy. I'm used to being second best." I tell him before I walk away to Polly's house. I don't hear his footsteps behind me and I roll my eyes. It's always other people who have to chase after him.

I walk into the house and see Arthur and John sitting at the table, nursing a cup of tea. They both look up when I walk and their faces drop as I give them a small smile. "The fuck happened to your face?" Arthur asks me as I sit down, taking my Peaky cap off, placing it on the table before I fluff my hair.

"Sabini and his men. Got me after they got Tommy. Although, he obviously got it worse than I did." I tell them and see their fists clench in anger. "Why the fuck didn't Tommy tell us?" John asks angrily. "I thought you knew, considering you knew about what happened to him." I say.

"No, we didn't know. And if we did, we wouldn't have let you go back to London with him." Arthur says as he pours a glass of whiskey and hands it to me. "Thanks." I say taking a sip, before I place it down on the table. "It's okay. I offered to go." I tell them.

"Did anything happen when you were down there?" John asks, his hand coming to rest on my thigh. "Just the deal. That's all." I say, simply before I chug the rest of my whiskey. "You sure?" Arthur asks frowning at me. "I'm sure." I say, sighing.

******

On the day of Polly's birthday, I sit in the betting shop, sitting on top of Johns desk as I talk to Arthur. Tommy went back to London and came back today but we ain't talking again. Mainly, because he stopped talking to me after Alfie had requested I had come back to London with Tommy.

I wanted to go because I didn't mind Alfie, but Tommy said no and left without me. I really feel like punching him all because he's jealous that Alfie likes me and prefers me to him. I had called Alfie to tell him I wasn't coming because of Tommy, and Alfie wasn't particularly happy with him.

"And I threw him in the bloody cut!" Arthur exclaims, waving his hand about as if to show me what he was talking about. I let out a snort of laughter, and glance back at John who rolls his eyes at his brother. John murmurs something to himself and I couldn't hear what as the betting shop breaks into a loud applause. Polly walks through the doors looking around in pure confusion.

Tommy walks over and wraps his arm around her and begins to guide her into the betting shop. "When did you get back?" Polly asks, looking over at me and smiles, and I give her a smile back. "Get back to work!" Arthur grumbles, the room picking up its noise again.

"Wouldn't want to miss your birthday, Pol." Tommy says grinning. "How did you know it was my birthday? Nobody ever knows." Polly asks. "Ah, it's different this year. John, Finn, bring the car around." Tommy instructs. John stands up and presses a kiss to my neck before he walks away with Finn. "Where are we going?" Polly questions. "To unwrap your birthday present." Tommy replies, as I stand up and we walk out to the car.

I glance at the Bentley and notice there isn't going to be enough room for all of us. "I'll wait here." I tell them as I begin to walk back into the house but Polly catches my arm. "Please. I need you there so I don't have a fucking heart attack." Polly pleads and I slowly nod, looking at John. "Come on, beautiful. You can sit on my lap." He says smirking. I take Johns hand and allow him to pull me onto his lap but not before I notice Tommy's clenched jaw.

Tommy begins to drive through Small Heath, Arthur sitting in the front beside him, Finn squashed into the corner right with Polly in the middle and John in the corner, a smug smirk on his face as I bite my lips to stop myself from smirking. The car pulls up along a row of houses and all of us pile out of the car. Arthur glances around as we walk up to a big house and waves at the neighbours. "Good morning!"

We walk up to the front door, Johns arm wrapped around my waist as he whispers naughty things in my ear making me smirk. Arthur unlocks the door, holding it open as the rest of us walk in. Polly walks through it with a smile. "You said you were going to buy Ada a house." She says, running her hand over the silk on the couch.

"Yep. That's right. I did. Just had a bit of cash left over." Tommy replies. I glance around the house, my eyes widening as I feel Johns hand creep under my dress, his fingers teasing the inside of my thighs. "Pack it in." I warn him lowly and he grins. "I'm not doing anything." He says innocently. "You know exactly what you're doing, John Shelby." I whisper. "I don't see you pushing my hand away." He says smirking and I roll my eyes but don't move his hand.

"This is ours?" Polly asks in disbelief. "No, Pol. This is yours." I tell her. "Because you deserve it." Tommy finishes. Polly's smile falls as she looks at each of us, walking over to place her bag on the couch. "What would I do with all of these rooms?" She asks as Tommy raises his eyebrow, huffing a little as he rocks on his heel. "Well, you could relax, for one. Come here at weekends. There's a garden, eh? You love gardens." He says as we walks over to a window and pulls the curtain back.

"You could grow roses Pol, I don't know, have a piano. Have people around and you could have a singsong, eh?" Tommy lists. "God help the bloody neighbours." John scoffs. "Fuck the neighbours." Me and Arthur say in unison before he holds out the key and hands it to Polly.

"Welcome home, Pol." He says as I notice she looks upset about something and it's not this. Something else is bothering her. The room falls silent as Polly slowly sits down. "Arthur, why don't you take the boys and Letts outside? Wait by the car." Tommy instructs.

We walk outside to the front garden, as we stand in silence. "I wonder if she's okay." Arthur says lowly. "Yeah, she'll be okay. She's Polly Gray, after all." I say and the boys nod. "I just hope it's nothing serious, whatever she's telling Tommy in there." Arthur says. "I'm sure it's nothing. She's probably just overwhelmed. I mean, all she's known is small houses in Small Heath, so this is a shock to her system and what she's used to." I tell him and he nods. "Hopefully." He says, looking back towards the house.