Too Late To Say Goodbye | Tommy Shelby {1}

6.

She looked down at her glass, "my story isn't for friendly conversation Tommy"

This only peaked his interest more,
"I don't care much for friendly conversations."

Flicking her eyes back up at him, she bit her lip in thought, not knowing what to say to him.

Seeing this he reached his hand out and gently rubbed his thumb against her lip, telling her to stop biting it. Connecting their eyes, Bella thought about everything he's done for her. She can at least try to be honest with him in return.

Starting to take a couple deep breaths, before Tommy spoke again.

"Why do you do that? Take the breaths?" He asked her gently. In the short time he's known her, he's noticed her doing it quite often.

Letting out the one she was holding, "it helps calm me nerves. I use to let them get the best of me, but someone taught me how to breathe in order to collect meself"

Tommy looked at her in curiosity, he's never heard of that before. "If telling me your past makes you nervous, you do 'Ave to"

Shaking her head, "no. You've been nothing but kind to me. Telling you how I got here is the least I can do"

Tommy sat patiently waiting for her. Watching as she took another breath.

"Well starting at the beginning, I had a pretty normal life. I grew up in a tiny village, not too far from here actually. I didn't mind it for a while. I'd spend most of me time with me brother, he was a couple years older than me but never left me behind."

This sparked Tommy's interest, "where is he now, peach?"

She gave him a sad look before taking a drink and continuing, "my dad and brother both went to the war, I lost them both to it. 1917 actually, I was 14 when they left and 16 when they died"

Tommy nodding in understanding, he knew the toll the war had on people. "I too was in the war, in the tunnels"

Bella's head snapped up, she had no idea.

Tommy urged her to continue her story, not wanting to talk about his time in the war, "it's okay peach, go on"

She looked at him for another second, making sure he really was okay, then continued her tale
"Growing up we'd spend a lot of time at church." She told him

"You believe in god peach? Didn't take ya for a church girl" he interrupted, getting more and more invested with every piece of information he found out.

Looking down at her drink, she shook her head no. Speaking so softly Tommy almost didn't hear her, "If god was real, he doesn't give a fuck about me."

Her words surprised Tommy. He's never heard her swear before and the tone she used showed how serious she was. He took another hit of his cigarette.

Looking up at him, "I use to believe in the lord. When I young....but when I was around 6 years old our church started fighting to get me and me brother into foster care, for child neglect, got the crown involved and everything..."

Tommy watched her in a way that told her he was listening. She hadn't talked about her past in a long time, but she felt a sense of protection around Tommy, so she continued,
"They found out me mum was using. Opium poppy actually. She was hooked on it. I know she was an addict but...she was still me mum and she just needed help....but that's not how they saw it and used it to take us away from me parents."

Tommy could tell that this was hard to talk about for her, so he reached out and placed his hand on top of hers.

She quickly turned her hand over to hold his.