Nothing Will Change

Chapter 25

In the Garrison, Rose sat staring down the black star. It was only a couple weeks away and yet, she did not know how ready Tommy was for the act. She hoped sometime soon he would tell his family his plan, that she would not be left with the burden of his grand takeover. However, she had no trust that that was to happen, as they were still nowhere closer to uncovering who sent the police to Freddie's door. Signs pointed at Grace, though Rose felt too spiteful to blame her. The only other new woman to the town and Rose wanted to blame her for something so serious... It was not her best move.

"Hello Grace," Rose greeted as Grace passed to pour pints for the men surrounding them.

At first Grace completely ignored her, pouring the drinks for the men, but then she rested her hands on the bar and glared at her, "what do you want Rose?"

"I want to apologize," she said, "it was wrong for me to think that of you. You're my friend, I shouldn't have done that."

"Did you tell Tommy?"

"No."

Grace nodded and poured more drinks for the patrons waiting. She appeared to be debating something in her head, flicking her hair from her face like there was more in her mind than on Rose's apology. Asking if she told Tommy did not surprise her, as she too would want to know something like that. But it felt a moment before she actually looked to her to accept the apology, if Rose was allowed to expect one so soon. Though it was not as simple as "apology accepted" as she would have thought the blonde would give. She simply nodded again, silent with no attempts to speak about it further. As the patrons dispersed from the bar with their drinks, Grace then had time to stand with Rose cleaning the surface as a way to avoid the other woman's glances.

But her gaze must have been on her diary, as she asked, "what's the black star for?"

"Um- an important date..." Rose fumbled, not closing the book to keep from looking suspicious, though her sudden stuttering was already doing so.

Grace smiled briefly, "what's the important date for?" She glanced up at her and caught the redness at her cheeks, "something to do with Tommy I assume?"

"Oh- oh no... It's um... My father's birthday," she lied. His birthday was in October.

"Oh... Why are you so nervous about it?" Grace questioned as she continued wiping tables.

She continued to lie, "I want to make sure it's a good day for him..."

Grace rolled her eyes playfully, "I'm sure it will be."

It seemed all the anger Grace had to Rose was diminished once she was convinced Rose no longer thought of her as the culprit. After all, there was little to implicate her, and going off just jealousy was hardly how Rose wanted to go. They sat and chat for a while as the pub was still emptier than the coming evening. Grace would tell her stories of Ireland and Rose would give some about her village. She would continue to ask about her father's birthday, and so Rose had to continue to lie about when and what they were doing. Not that it was too difficult surprisingly, Rose making up events like her father wasn't the quiet, stay at home type.

"What happened after I left the other night?" Grace then asked which stumped Rose even more. She had no reason not to lie about that, so she leaned in closer so no one else could hear.

"Two IRA men came for business with Tommy... I don't know why but there you go. Let's say the deal didn't go so well... They won't be coming back," she told her as vaguely as she could.

"Why did Tommy make you stay?"

"He trusts me," Rose shrugged and Grace gave a shy nod.

Rose managed to stear the conversation away from Tommy, away from his business and what they got up to. The more she spoke about him, the more she thought of how she told Ada she loves him. Tommy was not quite the man she imagined to love, though Luke was not exactly appearing from thin air to court her. She did not even imagine he was right for the word, that he loathed it and if she told him she loved him he would break her heart where she stood. He was hardened, stoic, serious, but so were so many men in her stories. Maybe that was why she should tell him, so she can break that concrete wall he was holding himself behind, and see that man from their date again. It was not like they had time for another date, as every time she saw Tommy he was in the middle of something.

It was not like love was easy. Admitting to Ada that Luke was her first love was the first time she acknowledged she loved him. Suppose the stories make love seem so outrageous, so crazy to change your life completely. When in reality, it was hardly as controlling of your existence. When Luke never came back, that was her first heartbreak, as it turned out love was not strong enough for him to come back. Though no matter what, she was not angry at him. As he gave up everything to save his country, and she was just an ambitious girl from his village. Love was consuming, in so many ways. There was no defining way love was consuming her. Rose believed she only fell for men like Luke, so Tommy is showing that that was completely incorrect to think of.

Mr Brown said that trouble will continue to follow the Shelby's throughout it all, and Polly said that Tommy could never be what she needs. That was the fear. Although he had given her the first steps to her dream, it hasn't been without fear, without danger. And that was why the words "I love you" were confusing, because everyone told her one thing, that meant something completely different. They told her to run, but gave her opportunity to get closer. They call her the beauty and him the beast, but they don't stop her falling for him. Because he needs her, so maybe they were willing to risk her. Rose was willing to risk herself, as what was hiding inside him was too beautiful not to see another time.

At some point Grace was singing, but Rose wasn't paying attention. Buried in her own thoughts, she had not noticed Tommy walk inside, pausing to watch Grace sing. He stood by the entrance watching her sing as wonderfully as she could, and caught a smile on the blondes lips. He let the song run through, not to disturb it with his entrance. He did not hate singing as much anymore, as it was not the drunk men echoing the walls with their bellows. Once she finished, Rose broke from her thinking and applauded her, which then got Tommy to turn to her. Grace frowned.

Tapping her shoulder, Tommy broke a brief smile to Rose as he leaned on the bar next to her. He flicked his head to the storage room and she soon followed him inside, leaving Grace to go back to cleaning glasses without the blue eyes watching her. As he shut the door behind them, Rose looked up to see the bruises starting to fall from his face. She was lucky to have a grazed arm and a bruise on her cheekbone, as it was him who took the most.

"I'm going to have to lie low for a while," he said.

"Why?"

"Lost my bargaining power," he explained, "this copper, it's just me and him now. Did you tell anyone about the grave?"

Rose shook her head, "of course not."

"Good. When I get back... I'll tell you some things."

"What things are they?"

His eyes flickered around her full face like capturing a memory. Before he could say another word however, Finn came bursting through the door.

"The police are in the lane, Tommy," the young boy said frantically.

Taking his hand, Rose said, "come with me."

Rushing through the Garrison and grabbing her coat, Rose caught a look from Grace, and silently demanded her not to say a word. The other woman made a gesture for them to go, and Rose soon had Tommy's hand again and was pulling him through the alleyways. Avoiding Mr Brown's shop as much as she could made it so she learned much of the back roads that lead back to her her flat. It was unlikely to be the best hiding spot for him, though Mr Brown's would be obvious to the inspector, and she did not want him to be hurt by her any more. The Shelby's was a no go, along with Ada's, and she did not want to involve Grace.

In the dark fog they dodged lit pathways and stuck to the shadows, Rose gripping his hand tightly like he could slip away if she did not hold on. And in the dark, all men with peaked caps looked the same, it would only be the fawn haired woman that stood out, and she feared that she would be a target to the inspector as well. She had no clue what had happened to Tommy that meant he had to hide, though there was little time to pin him to a wall to ask. Halting by the corner of her street, Rose leaned out to check for any coppers, hearing Tommy's steady voice behind her. When she sure, she gripped his hand and ran for her front door, keeping her head down so no other neighbors could see it was her, although it could be obvious.

As they got inside Rose panted as she dragged him up the stairs to her flat. They passed her landlord on the way, Tommy slipping him money to keep quiet, and seeing the notes in his hand would get the landlord to agree to anything. They were safe she believed, cornered in her tiny flat where the inspector would surely not enter. That was the hope at least, as there was little left to escape to.