CHAPTER TWENTY ; MRS. ADDISON
BETH'S EYES FLUTTERED open and she let out an angry grumble. Tommy chuckled into her ear pulling her body closer to his. He had just stripped and climbed into the bed beside her in the middle of the night, not being able to sleep with the guilt he made his way over to Beth's and crawled into her bed. Tommy placed his lips to her cheek and even though the words were never said Beth knew that was his thank you, I love you.
"I'm sorry for getting mad." Tommy murmured against her skin. Beth grinned reached her hand back to run over his cheek softly. "I know Tom I know." His teeth tugged at her ear softly and as much as Beth wanted sex she couldn't ensure that she wouldn't vomit with the thoughts of the two IRA men she and Tommy had killed fresh in her mind. "Not tonight love, I might end up vomiting on you." She mumbled turning around to nuzzle her nose against his.
Tommy laughed tangling his hand into his hair. "Have you slept at all?" Beth shook her head no. "I was too busy waiting for you." She teased. Tommy grinned into her shoulder. "You sure you don't want sex tonight?" He taunted. Beth let out a loud snort of laughter slapping Tommy. "Okay John, it's time for bed." Tommy growled at the sound of his brothers name and Beth simply pulled him into a rough kiss, which Tommy gladly gave back.
Beth pulled away first panting slightly. "I'm messing with you Tom, calm down. John says thank you." She let out a small giggle turning around and closing her eyes leaving a dumbfounded Tommy. "Goodnight Tom."
•
Beth served a fresh pint of beer to a man at the counter and grinned widely turning to Grace. "It's good to be back Grace." Beth chuckled. "Are you telling me you missed this? I wouldn't have thought that considering you never come to work." Grace joked, sliding a glass of rum towards Bethany. Beth chuckled smiling widely as she pushed the glass of rum to another customer, taking the shillings from his hand she turned around to put the money into the register.
Beth placed the money into the cashier and turned around to see Harry leaned against the counter looking at her. Beth's eyebrows raised as she leaned against the counter. "What's been bothering you Harry?" Harry coughed awkwardly and leaned closer to Beth. "My brother in Digbeth just said the police are coming down from Deritend in numbers. Asking for Tommy Shelby by name." He informed. Beth's happy smile fell from her face and she rolled her eyes. "Fuck sake Tom."
The Garrison doors opened and Beth glared at Tommy as he walked over to the back door and nodded at Beth to follow him. Beth spared a last glance at Harry before following behind Tommy closing the door behind her. "I'm going to have to lie low for a while." Tommy began. Beth gave him a glare and gestured her hand got him to continue. "I lost my bargaining power." Beth's hands instantly found her hair brushing through it in stress. "You mean the guns? The guns that were buried in Danny Whizzbangs grave instead of his body?"
"Yes. This copper, it's just me and him now. When I get back, I'm going to tell you some things." Tommy nodded. "Harry said the police are already in Digbeth." Beth snapped, taking Tommy's hand into her own. "Tom, they're not looking for me you took a massive chance coming here. Why?" Tommy's eyes softened as he squeezed Beth's hand. "I had to see you." The door to the back room burst open, hitting the wall harshly. Finn stood in the doorframe panting. "The police are in the lane, Tommy."
Beth pulled Finn into her side into a quick hug. "Thank you Finn, Tommy you come with me." Tommy followed Beth out the back door of the pub as they rushed out onto the cold streets of Small Heath. "Where are we going?" Tommy asked letting Beth pull him through alleyways. "Well we cant go to Pols and my place is definitely getting searched so I think I know somewhere we can go." Tommy nodded slowly. Beth pulled Tommy down as far as he had ever been to in the rows of houses in Small Heath until they reached the end house.
Beth turned to look at Tommy pressing her hand onto his chest to stop him from walking any further. "Tommy I'm warning you- you better not scare her, she's special to me- okay?" Tommy's eyebrows raised as he looked at Beth quizzically. "Do I scare any of your friends away Beth?" He asked playfully raising his eyebrows. Beth bit her lip and shook her head no. She found Tommy's hand and pulled him to the front door and reached up to knock.
They waited in silence for a moment and Beth nearly got scared that she wasn't home but the door creaked open and an old lady crouched over a cane stood in the doorway. Her wrinkled face gave a warm smile when she realised it was Beth and she instantly stepped back from the doorframe to let Bethany in. "Look at that what a beautiful girl you are Bethany." Beth stepped into the house and pulled Tommy in behind her making sure to close the door when she had gotten him in, Beth turned to the old woman and smiled widely.
"Hello Mrs. Addison, this is my- Tommy, this is Tommy." Beth blurted glancing back at Tommy. "Ah, the solider. I've heard much about you Tommy. I was wondering where Bethany had disappeared to- no wonder." Mrs. Addison laughed waving her hand in the air. Tommy smiled awkwardly squeezing Beth's hand in his own. "All good I hope." Mrs. Addison smiled nodding her head. "What brings you here my love."
Beth's smile faltered slightly. "Oh Mrs. Addison, Polly's cousins have come down from Manchester so Tommy and I were wondering if we could stay the night?" Beth asked politely. Mrs. Addison chuckled slightly and began to waddle into her sitting room. "Of course you can, stay as long as you like. You can stay in the guest room dear." Mrs. Addison grumbled. Beth smiled and pulled Tommy into the room after the old lady. Mrs Addison made them tea and told them stories about her husband who was a solider and how they met until the sky fell dark and they each bid eachother goodnight.
Beth and Tommy found the guest room with ease; a small room with a single bed tucked into the corner of the room and a clothes cabinet with a gramophone. Tommy leaned against the wall and watched as Beth began to brush the dust off the bed. "We should dance." Tommy suggested, walking over to put the gramophone on. Beth's body instantly gave out at the small sounds of a piano playing and she smiled widely turning around to face Tommy.
Her hands locked at the back of his neck and his hands found her waist. Beth stared into Tommy's eyes as they swayed innocently to the piano playing lullaby in the background. Soon before she had known it Tommy had kissed Beth in a slow but passionate kiss that she hadn't realised she had needed it. She had tried to push away sex for as long as she could but when the kiss began to pick up Beth began to realise how touch starved she really was and how much she needed Tommy.
Beth whined into the kiss pulling back to catch her breathe and took her time to examine Tommy's face. His eyes watched her every move and his breathing was heavier than usual. "Tommy I need you." Beth murmured. The mumble of words were all that Tommy took to pull her shirt over her head a pile of clothes beginning to form at their feet the more enveloped into each other they got. Tommy pulled of his jacket and waistcoat and soon his shirt added to the pile and Beth couldn't help but run her hands over his battle scars.
"Bethany, I'm afraid to hurt you." Tommy whispered as he himself glanced down at the scars that laced his body. Beth simply shook her head. "Nothing will ever hurt me as much as the time you left. We'll take it slow Tom." Beth murmured grinning against his lips. Tommy nodded. That night unlike the other times that Tommy had sex with a woman, he took it slow so slow that he could prove his love in the act and savour every moment as if it was his very last.
After they lay in bed together, Bethany tucked into Tommy's side their bare body's mangled together under the bed sheets. Tommy had fell silent for so long that Beth had thought he had fallen asleep but when she glanced up to see him staring at the ceiling her stomach sank wondering if he had regretted being with her. "Tommy, are you okay?" She murmured. "I don't hear the shovels against the wall." Tommy replied softly. It had clicked in Beth's head that he had meant the shovels from the trenches in France.
Beth smiled lightly and traced her hand over his stomach in small patterns. "Will you help me?" Tommy blurted. "With what?" Beth responded. "Everything. The whole fucking thing. Fucking life, business. I found you. And you found me. We'll help each other." Tommy finally glanced down at Beth while a glistening look of adoration in his eyes that made her heart melt; a look that he hadn't given her in years. Leaning forward Tommy captured Beth's lips in a kiss. "I found you. I love." She murmured, grinning. "I love you too." Tommy replied.
Tommy's eyes began to get heavy and unlike every other night they had spent together, Tommy fell asleep before Beth leaving her awake to stare at the man she loved sleeping peacefully, expect this night was different from the rest.
This night Tommy Shelby slept with a smile on his face.