Wear Iron//Thomas Shelby

sixteen

Just as I expected, Lizzie comes home late. She doesn't see me in the kitchen as she slips up the stairs. I walk out the front door and see Tommy finishing a cigarette in front of his door.

"I know you still see her," I state. Tommy looks over at me. "At least you have the decency to do it in your office instead of my house."

"Helena..." Tommy starts.

"You have a look about you after you've just fucked," I state. I step closer to Tommy. "She told me she stopped. She promised me when I hired her to be Archer's nanny." I take a breath. "Next time you see her, tell her she's does it again and I'm going to fire her."

"Helena," Tommy says, trying to interrupt me again.

"I pay her more than enough," I assure him. "I let her live here. I let her borrow my clothes." I shake my head.

"I can't come to you for a good fucking now can I, Hel?" Tommy taunts.

"You're not over Grace," I state. "Two bloody years and she still has a hold on you." I laugh bitterly. "I told you to make up your mind and you have."

"I tried to be with you," Tommy reminds me.

"You lied to me," I state. "You said you didn't love her. But you would be over her by now if you didn't."

"I thought you believed me," Tommy says.

"I did," I confess. "For a time. Then you broke my heart."

"Hel," Tommy starts.

"Stop bloody interrupting me," I tell him. "I thought about going to live with Ada before Freddie passed."

Tommy looks slightly surprised. "You were going to run away?"

"I was going to get away from the Shelby family," I argue.

"But you stayed," Tommy states.

"I couldn't take Archie and Olive away from Theo," I explain.

"But you still hang around with us Peaky Blinders." Tommy steps closer to me. "You want me to believe that you're so angry with me and yet a day hasn't gone by in the past two years that you and I haven't seen each other." Tommy steps even closer, his chest almost touching mine. His breath hot on my face. "Haven't been with each other."

I shake my head as I push Tommy back slightly. "You wish that I would be with you. But I trusted you once and I do not know if I can trust you again."

"I will win your trust back, Hel," Tommy insists. "No matter how long it takes."

Arthur and I are outside the betting shop waiting for Tommy. Finally, Tommy pulls up in his car.

"All right, Tommy's here," I shout to John.

"Hang on!" John shouts.

"John!" Tommy yells as he steps out of the car.

"I'm coming!" John shouts.

Arthur takes a small bottle from his pocket and takes a sip from it. "7 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 10 if I'm still sober. I got it from the doctor it keeps me nice and calm."

Tommy grabs the bottle from his brother. He opens it and smells it. "Same thing they gave us in the trenches to stop us fucking wanking."

"Polly and Helena said it's good for me temper. It slows me down, Tom," Arthur explains.

"Arthur..." Tommy pours the liquid out of the bottle onto the street. "There are some things Polly and Hel don't understand. I need you fast. Not slow, eh?"