A Shelby Mistress

Scared

By the time Aurora reached home her tears had dried upon her cheeks. She no longer wept for what she'd lost, instead she now mourned it. A deep sadness filled her and swallowed the broken hearted woman whole, she had felt sadness like this before and hoped she would never have to experience it again yet here she was, frozen within a world of misery and pain while the real world carried on with a mocking salute to her. Aurora could hear her Jane's words in her head, telling her it was just one man, he wasn't worth her tears and she couldn't allow herself to fall into a tunnel of heartache but instead get back up in the saddle and move on. This was a Shelby man though, Jane too had cried over one many years ago and now it was Aurora's turn to. Perhaps the Hayes and Shelby's were too families that simply couldn't be together, each relationship seemed to end in disaster.
Aurora was lost and the only person she wanted to seek comfort in had been the one to cause the hurt she was feeling and the sense of loneliness that was trapping her within herself. She'd be alright in time, she always was but for now Aurora would have to do everything in her power to keep her mind distracted and replace the portrait of his handsome face with something new like a new book or a painting. After leaving Small Heath Aurora had spent the night in a nearby hotel hoping she would hear whispers about a Shelby searching for a woman. All her hope had left her as she sat by the window all night, refusing to allow sleep to take over her. In the end Tommy hadn't came and Aurora made the decision that maybe it was time to go home and get away from Birmingham for good.

Opening the front door Aurora entered her dark abandoned home and put her suitcase gently to the side with a sigh.
"Tommy you idiot" Aurora whispered with a huff as she turned on the lights around the downstairs of her house allowing the walls to become larger and less suffocating. She knew a part of Tommy sending her home came from his fear of her safety. What Aurora didn't understand was why he had decided to finish with her, why did he have to hurt her?
Never had he been so cold towards Aurora. In the moment she'd wondered if she was speaking to a stranger, a stranger who couldn't stand the very sight of her. Aurora's heart was telling her Tommy had done this to protect her but her mind was twisting her heart and telling Aurora that Tommy was simply fed up and no longer cared for her.
"Get it out your head Aurora!" She hissed feeling her anger towards him growing as she pictured his cold hard stare, unmoving and watching her sob in front of him. Aurora was also angry at herself for wanting to fall at his feet and beg him not to leave her yet her pride had stepped in and stopped her before she could. Aurora wouldn't beg for no man, her Mam had taught her better.
Once the house had been brought back to life, Aurora lit the fireplace and bringing her case to rest beside it, she sat down on the soft carpet and opened it up to retrieve a book. As the fire filled her with warmth Aurora did all she could to let her mind drift into the book and away from the world around her.

It seemed to work for a few hours until there was a sharp knock at Aurora's door causing her to freeze and drop her book to the ground. Her first thought was Tommy, maybe he'd came to Middlesbrough to talk to her but then Aurora thought about Campbell. She was vulnerable to him now, Tommy wouldn't know if he was here at her door, Aurora was completely alone. Her only chance would be to take her gun and run to the telephone in order to contact her Dad and brother's yet she found herself unable to move. What if it was Campbell and he saw her move past the curtains?
Every light was on, illuminating Aurora's house and whoever was on the other side of the door knew she was home, there was no hiding.
God, had it really come to this? Was she really scared to be in her own home?
This was Aurora's home, this was her family's town, she shouldn't be scared of the monsters hiding within the shadows not when she had so many people around her who would do anything to protect her as she would for them.

"Rora! It's Lizzie! Are you home?" Lizzie called out causing Aurora's body to sag in relief.
"Y..yeah...m'comin' Lizzie" Aurora crocked back scrambling to her feet and rushing towards the door, elated to hear Lizzie's voice.
Unlocking her door, Aurora placed a smile on her face and ushered her friend to step inside out the cold night.
"Polly told me.....are you ok?" Lizzie enquired, her eyes full of pity and sadness as she wrapped Aurora up in her arms. Lizzie wanted to throttle Tommy and throw his cock in the cut for hurting Aurora the way he did. She was also confused as to why he did it, Lizzie believed that Tommy truly loved Aurora, she had even seen the ring he kept within his pocket.
"Oh don't Lizzie, I'll cry again" Aurora sniffled falling into Lizzie's embrace, her nose stinging as her eyes gathered with tears.
"Let's 'ave a drink ey? Forget about that prick Tommy Shelby" Lizzie cooed rubbing Aurora' arm before she turned and closed Aurora's door, making sure she locked it just in case there was trouble or Tommy decided to make an appearance and cause Aurora further upset.
"Don't you 'ave work tomorrow?" Aurora giggled taking Lizzie's hand and guiding her into the lounge to sit by the fire "Time to warm up Lizzie"
"No, called in sick. Fuck him, let 'im do it all himself" Lizzie grumbled opening up her bag and retrieving a bottle of whiskey which she wiggled with a tempting grin. Pulling the cork from the bottle Lizzie lifted it up to her lips and took a hard drink before passing the bottle to Aurora and raising her eyebrow.
Accepting the drink with a grateful nod Aurora allowed the liquid to run down her throat like a stream of fire, burning her sense and soothing her mind.
"I...just don't understand why Lizzie? You know I spent the night in a cell and all I wanted was Tommy and then when I went to him he kicked me out. We were good...at least I thought we were" Aurora sighed miserably staring down at the bottle with a confused look.
"I don't know why he did it Rora, I wish I did but god knows how Tommy's mind works. He's a difficult man but I do think he loves you" Lizzie confessed reaching over and squeezing Aurora's hand with a reassuring nod.
"Everyone tells me that 'Tommy loves you' but if he did wouldn't he 'ave said it by now. Sometimes I feel like m'hanging onto the thought of him loving me back. Hell if he asked me to marry him tomorrow I'd say yes, isn't that sad? I would marry a man despite him never confessing of his love for me and I've never wanted to be married but for him....well I'd turn the world upside down no matter how much he hurt me. It's pathetic really" Passing over the bottle to Lizzie, Aurora brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them trying to seek any form of comfort.