LONELY| Thomas Shelby

1.5

BETH STOOD AGAINST john, a yawn escaping her lips as they waited for Mr and Mrs. Changretta. Running his hand up and down her arm, Beth could tell by John's face he would rather be any where but the docks. "She was our teacher." He mumbled to himself, his hands slightly shaking as he struggled to keep his strong composure. Grasping John's hand, Beth grinned. "It's okay John, i'll do it if Arthur doesn't. You don't need to do anything. I'll make sure of it."

Beth rubbed her eyes and listened to the sound of the waves behind them, but she began walking as Arthur and John both shared a look and stepped out from behind the pillars. "Thank you officer, that'll be all." Mr. Changretta spoke, as his wife began to cling to him. "John Shelby!" She gasped. "Is that the lad I used to teach? John Shelby i smacked your arse!" Her voice was trembling as she glared at the three peaky blinders.

Beth swallowed thickly glancing between the old couple. "Let him go." Arthur instructed. "Please, please let her go." Mr. Changretta bargained. "Arthur? How many times I looked the other way because of your sweet smile." Arthur shook his head trying to blur out the woman's voices. "He said let him go. He's coming with us." Beth growled, her posture remaining calm even though her hands shook violently in her pockets. "Bethany Clover? You and your brother were always more interested in causing trouble then school. Look at you all grown up."

"I'm not letting go until I know my wife is safe." Mr. Changretta cried. "She's safe. We're not going to harm her. Let's just get a move on." John shouted, hiding behind his cap that he had pulled over his eyes. "Look we're disobeying Tommy's orders just by talking to you. Don't push it, please. Just come with us. Let him go." Arthur ordered. "Let him go too! Say it's done! Say he's in the harbour. He can do you no harm from New York." Mrs. Changretta begged.

"We can't do that Mrs. Changretta. I cant. i'm sorry." Beth spoke. "Audrey! Audrey listen to me! Go to the cafe in Mott Street. Bonito will take care of you." Mr. Changretta instructed. "Let him go too! He's an old man. I gave you sweets and cakes." She hissed. "There are rules. Your husband knows the rules. Let him go." Arthur instructed again. Beth let out a small laugh through her teary eyes and stopped John as she watched him lean into his pocket, keeping true to her word. Pulling out her own gun she cocked it walking towards the old woman.

"We are disobeying strict rules. If you don't fucking let him go, I will shoot you fucking dead! As well as him." She pointed the gun into the woman's face, and bit her lip to stop a sob from escaping. "You have ten seconds or Tommy's rule stands!" Arthur barked. "One!" Mrs. Changretta let out a cry. "Two!" Pulling her into him Mr. Changretta gave her a long kiss. "Three!" Arthur's voice was shakey. "Four!" Mr. Changretta pushed his crying wife away. "I love you forever."

Arthur began to walk away with Mr. Changretta. Beth slowly placed her gun down watching as the older woman flung herself at John who caught her. "America. A new life. A new love." John compromised, letting the woman to fall to the ground as she cried. Linking their arms, Beth began to pull John along through the sand. Mrs. Changretta's cries becoming fainter as the sound of the sea became louder.

•

Tommy had instructed John and Arthur to bring John back to The Shelby manor to where Ada would be before the boys would attend to Mr. Changretta. Leaning over Beth placed a kiss to Johns cheek and grinned. "You doing okay Johnny boy?" Looking over, John leaned his head against Beth's shoulder. "I'm so sick of everything." John grumbled. "I know, I am too. There'll be peace for us in heaven as Calvin would have said." Beth mumbled hugging into John. "Do you really think we're going to heaven after all the people we've killed?"

Pulling away, Beth smiled sweetly and ran her hand over John's face. "I think we will. Tommy not so much but us yes. We're just the hitmen."
She teased. John rolled his eyes and chuckled watching as Beth got out of the car. "Stay safe, make sure Tommy doesn't go insane. Love you." Beth shouted, walking up the steps. John grinned shaking his head and began to drive away. Beth walked through the manor and instantly shivered with the cold.

Walking past the hall she grinned at the maid and walked into the parlour where Ada sat a book in her hand. "Hello Ada." Beth spoke, throwing herself down into a couch. Ada flipped the page and looked up to Beth nodding her head. "Your fiancée called. He was quite hard to understand. Quite the stutter he has." Ada smiled. Beth ran her hand over her face, letting out a huff of air. "Beth? What's the matter?" Looking up to Ada with tears in her eyes Beth unclipped her hair letting it fall down her shoulders as she tugged on it.

"I don't know what I want anymore Ada. One day I want Alfie, the next I want Tommy, the next I want no man. One day I want Cambridge town, the next i want Small Heath. I took a husband and wife away from each other today just like somebody did to grace and tommy and now i'm trying to distance myself from my own husband to be. Regardless of anyone trying to pull us apart I'm doing it my bloody self! I knew this would happen, I'd just end up confused." Beth cried, hugging her arms around her body.

Ada stood up in a rush and quickly sat down onto the couch taking Beth's hands in hers. "It's okay Beth! Your aloud to love two people at once, even if one is more than the other." She comforted. Beth let out an even louder cry shaking her head. "Ada I know who I want but I'm not supposed to want him! No matter what I chose someone's going to get hurt and yet no matter what i chose i get hurt. I just wish I didn't always have to be the one who ends up hurt."

Ada pulled Beth's head into her shoulder as she began to brush her fingers through Beth's blonde hair. "The hardest thing I've ever had to do was walk away from him when I knew I still loved him but i did it Ada and now I don't know if i can walk away again." The front door creaked open, and footsteps could be heard against the tiles. Standing up quickly Beth wiped her eyes and grinned towards Tommy who walked in the room. "As I was saying to Ada, I'll be going up to bed. I'm quite tired."

Ada sighed and reached for Beth's hand but it was too late, she had already walked away.