Bête noire → Peaky Blinders [Tommy Shelby] [ BOOK 1 ]

Twenty seven.

Chapter twenty seven: Incurable sadness

A couple of days after they had arrived back in Small Heath, Thomas and Caroline hadn't spoken much unless it involved business. It unnerved her in the slightest, especially when she saw the way Lizzie Stark watched as he walked past her, so full of longing and desire. It caused her blood to boil and the next time she caught her, she'd rip her throat out and bury her hands in Lizzie's chest and seek out her beating heart and feed it to her, only as a warning. God knows what Caroline would do for revenge.

It was late at night. In the office, Caroline suppressed yawns and as a substitute for sleep, she continued to put pen to paper and sign her name on legalities. It was undoubtedly boring but it provided her with comfortable cash that she'd save up, and by the rate of things, she and Oscar would be able to move out of the city and live in the suburbs in no time. John's vision of a farm with chickens sounded overly inviting, however, she couldn't bare to raise any more animals, for when the time came to part ways with the beasts, her heart would break and she couldn't afford another loss.

In the dimly lit room, Thomas entered, causing Caroline to pause and look up at him through dreary vision. She pursed her lips and ripped her sight away, only to persevere with hard work to evade of any negative thoughts that poisoned her brain.

Thomas's cheeks hollowed as he held within a deep exhale. It was obvious that Caroline was bothered that he hadn't been spending much time with her, whether she'd admit it or not. By oath, she was independent and didn't rely on any man for a connection that would bring her happiness, though that wasn't the case when it came to him, so he understood that he had to make up for lost time, and perhaps he had just the right idea on how to make it up to her.

With harsh scribbles against the sheet, Caroline's voice remained cool. "How has Lizzie been?"

He raised a brow and clenched his jaw. "How on earth would I know? We're just associates. Does that bother you?"

"If you are insinuating that I am jealous, I can assure you, I'm not. It's such an ugly emotion to which I cannot possess because in my opinion, I am above all and-"

"Close your eyes."

"Excuse me?"

"I said close your eyes."

Caroline huffed and revoked her hand upon feeling the touch of Tommy's. Instead of letting it go, he guided it past the desk and when he dropped it, a shiver ran down her spine at the feeling of being exposed. Fully clothed, yet she could not see the unknown and she felt as though this was a disadvantage as she wouldn't have time to prepare for what was to come.

"Open them."

Her features fell from stone cold to mellow within seconds. There, Thomas Shelby was, on one knee, a tiny, delicate, velvet black box in his hand with a glimmering diamond ring placed promptly and safely inside. Nervously, she gulped and her focus darted from the binding piece of jewellery to his eyes, searching for any sign of a joke, but alas, Tommy's love for her was no laughing matter.

"I know-I know what you're thinking. It is crazy, I understand that, but for the last couple of days, I've had time to think things through and after two years, I think it's time that we seal the deal. If you think about it, it's only a little ring and an eventual piece of paper to legally tie us together. I'm no good with this kinda thing, Caroline. So, whaddya say?"