Ada sat there speechless, it was like she had lost any ability to speak. "I d-d-didn't realise." Tears sprung to her eyes at the realisation of her own ignorance. I shook my head and held her in my arms, now it was my turn to console her.
"It's not your fault love, I only noticed the marks on his neck and pieced it together, I wouldn't have realised it otherwise." My arms were firmly wrapped around her, keeping her close to me in a cocoon of protection.
She calmed down after a couple of minutes and stood up confidently- wiping away the final tear that slipped down her cheek. I was proud of how strong she was being and wrapped a coat around my shoulders, then walking down to the Garrison, leaving her safely with Polly.
A sigh slipped from my lips and I watched as the cold made my exhale look like steam. My attention was more on the sound of my footsteps and how my shoes made a small click every two steps. Eventually I arrived at the pub where I worked and pushed open the doors.
Arthur was already sat down at the bar, being served by Grace. It honestly looked like she was interrogating him, they hadn't noticed I had entered so I just sat at a table in the back and listened in. She was asking about business, but something felt wrong so I had to interrupt just in case Arthur- in his current emotional state, told her something that Thomas wouldn't approve of him saying. "I've been sitting here and you haven't even noticed me." I said jokingly throwing my hands up in the air and letting out a small chuckle when I saw their frightened faces.
Grace stumbled back a little bit and began polishing the glasses, I smirked at her reaction and it confirmed my suspicions. Grace was with the police- she was a spy. My blood ran cold when I remembered her talking so flirtatiously with Tommy, my mind flickered back to what we would do in the gang to people like Grace and I saw red. My posture remained calm, but she wouldn't be so happy later and I would make sure of it. Arthur chuckled and waved me over, I sat down to him after grabbing a bottle of whiskey and two more glasses. I spied Grace walking off into another room and rolled my eyes without Arthur seeing. "Tommy told me how he felt about you y'know?" He said, finally breaking the silence that had formed.
"Yes, I'm aware. He told me how he felt this afternoon and-"
"What did you say?" He asked, a curious expression painting his face. His concern for his brothers emotions was adorable, yet I couldn't help but feel sorry for the man before me. It was also clear that Tommy hadn't spoken to him since the last time he spoke to me, which meant he had gone a bit off radar for everybody.
"Nothing, I said nothing," I replied, regret lacing every word that managed to escape my tinted lips, "And I couldn't reply, I didn't know what to say. Arthur I think I love him." My voice was sad and saying it out loud really made it feel real. I did love Thomas Shelby, and I hadn't done anything about it. I told myself repeatedly that it was because I hadn't realised yet, but I didn't think it mattered at this moment in time. Arthur's eyes flickered up to meet mine as soon as those three words left my mouth, he seemed surprised.
"Well why the fuck didn't you tell him?" He looked at me in disbelief, I just shook my head and chuckled, debating on telling him the truth or covering it up with a unbelievable excuse. "Because I'm a fucking idiot that's why, I can't say how I feel about him just in case his feelings aren't as strong. It sounds bloody pathetic." I gazed down my glass at the browning liquid that I proceeded to quickly down, so I didn't start feeling the regret that would follow after spilling how I felt to Arthur. His face softened, then he looked down at his rough hands sadly as if he too were conflicted. I didn't doubt that he was, but wasn't in a rush to ask him and find out any answers.
"Our dad came back in town, Tommy told me not to believe him- but our father had such big dreams of a Casino in America and he told me that he would take me, he did," I sent Arthur a comforting smile when he started opening up to me, I felt apart of the family, I felt trusted, "So I gave him the money and he told me to meet him at the boxing ring so that we could head off to the station to start off a new career. It turns out that he spent the family's fucking money on whores and drink and then left. I didn't think I could put up with myself." He finished and placed an empty glass on the counter, an indication that he was desperate for it to be refilled. I poured him more whiskey and watched him drink it just as quick, releasing a more relaxed sigh from his lips. I hoped that whilst he talked to me, he got some things off his chest and was a bit more happy.
My reaction to his story was obviously surprise, and I also was wandering why Tommy hadn't told me either, just another level of trust I hadn't earned yet I guess. I shrugged off my bad mood and focused on gazing around to see where Grace had gone. When I could properly confirm that she wasn't in the premises, I turned to Arthur and spoke 4 words under my breath that caused a fire to rage behind his eyes. An emotional turmoil that was going to follow the abandonment of his father had already begun.
"Grace is a copper."
YOU ARE READING
The Garrison// T.S x reader
Fanfiction"Trust has to be earned, not handed out to be handed out to those who will eventually misuse it." Mr Shelby spoke, with a cigarette carefully placed between his slightly parted lips.
