Tom Hardy Imagines

Alfie Solomons live and learn

October, 1913.

The walls were thin. The sounds carried. The cracks embedded deep into the surface allowed every single heart-breaking sound to hit your ears. It broke your heart at first, to stand a floor below beside the front entrance and listen to the ecstasy drenched groans that left your boyfriend's lips. It would've been easy to convince yourself that he was merely pleasuring himself. The jet black coat that hung on the stair railing with a flower pin stuck through the shoulder gave it away that a woman was present. If that wasn't enough, the aroma of lavender-scented perfume was evident in the small house, along with a discarded pair of tall tan heels that were lopsidedly laying on the floor. The heavily beating artery in your chest was beginning to ache excruciatingly. Climbing the stairs to prove yourself right would bring you a world of hurt, but you had to see for yourself. Was Alfie Solomons, the man you'd been dating for months, cheating on you with some bimbo on the morning of his birthday?

The recently polished stairs were silent beneath your careful footsteps. The navy blue flats you wore carried you up the length of the staircase, unbeknownst to the man tucked away inside the bedroom. Framed photographs hung on the floral wallpaper, a feminine touch from Alfie's recently deceased mother. Your fingers traced the pink petals as you passed, pad of your thumb gliding along a dusty photo of the man you could hear, grunting like a beast. Another sting in your heart confirmed that the man was in fact buried inside of another girl when you heard a soft whine leave her lips. Your eyes fell shut and bile rose in your throat. The man you'd given your heart to was a pig just like all the rest. You still needed to approach the door. You needed to throw the wood open and reveal yourself to him. You wanted him to see the look of pain on your face and drown in guilt for the next weeks to come.

The rusted door knob was cold in your palm. It noisily turned which meant that you had to move fast. The door opened before slamming against the wall behind it. The loud bang made the girl beneath Alfie scream in surprise. The man jerked his head over his shoulder to inspect what on earth had happened and the sight he was met with hadn't been one that he'd initially worried about. Stood in his bedroom doorway, his girlfriend of more than six months resided. Your lower lip trembled, threatening to give away just how bothered by the scene you were. Giving the man the satisfaction of seeing you cry would be giving him too much power. The girl on the mattress clearly had no clue who you were for she wore a puzzled expression. She slapped Alfie's arm before pushing him away.

"Who's she?" The broad's thick accent flooded the room. Her chipped nails brushed her blonde strands away from her eyes, clearing her vision as she inspected the boy who sat on the mattress. He clutched a sheet close to him, shielding his groin from any wandering eyes. His gaze was locked on you, unsure of what to say, for he already knew he'd fucked up. There was a loud thud from his left, a sign that the girl, who'd previously been pressed against the mattress beneath him, had climbed out of bed. She snatched her dress up and off of the floor before slipping past you with an apologetic look in her eye. Alfie adjusted himself on the mattress.

"Pet, I.." He attempted to speak, but you cut him off the second his lips started to move.

"No." You whispered breathily. "You don't get to speak. You don't get to try and explain yourself or try and make this right." You didn't look at him. The peeling carpet was much more interesting to stare at. "I'm done." You said simply. Nothing he said or did could make his actions right. Withdrawing the small box from your coat pocket, you threw the neatly wrapped present at his chest. "Happy birthday." With nothing more than a soft sniffle, you spun on your heel and hurriedly retreated down the stairs. Alfie threw the sheet to the side before jumping off of the bed and racing after you. He was completely bare and probably looked an absolute fright, but he didn't care. The second you left the house, you expected him to give up, but he came rushing out into the cold after you. The surrounding neighbors gasped at the sight, completely baffled by the Solomons boy who stood in the grass outside his home with nothing on. His poor attempt to explain to you what you'd walked in on had actually just been an attempt to lie his way out of the situation. You weren't a fool. Ignoring his pleas and apologies, you carried on down the road with your head low and your eyes watery. Alfie Solomons meant nothing to you anymore. He'd betrayed you in a way that you'd never thought he would.