The Falling Man

Chapter 40

Tommy POV

I come into Watery Lane late the following day, I had spent the night at Mays house and left early in the morning, heading straight for the office. I see Polly with the fire lit, reading the paper. I sit in the seat opposite of the couch she sits on. I let out a sigh and light a cigarette, my aunt not taking her eyes off the paper in front of her to look even slightly in my direction. I lean forward pouring myself a glass of whisky from the bottle on the table before leaning back in my chair and looking over to Polly, breaking the deafening silence of just the wood crackling from the fireplace.

"Did you see Ethel? Is she doing all right?" I ask her. My aunt takes her eyes off the paper, sending me a glare before returning her eyeline back to the words in front of her, "I visited her, for a little while, yes." She states in a low voice. "And?" I insist. Polly takes a breath before looking over to me once again, "You hurt the woman, Thomas." "Yeah." I reply shortly before clearing my throat, sucking on my cigarette, and continuing, "This is—This is a bit of dramatics, though." The woman just shakes her head, no longer looking at me again. "Ethel's a very vulnerable person. She would never admit or show it, but I can see through the front. And you did something very unkind, Thomas. What you did I'm not sure, she didn't tell me. But it's not about Ray."

"Mm." I say looking down to the glass as she continues on, "You hurt her." "You know..." I say shooting back the contents of the glass angrily as her words cut through me, "You could've tried to sway her opinion on me, bring her back on my side." I state frustrated. "I don't want her to be on your side." Polly says. I blink at her, taking in her words. "I don't think it's a bad thing that you are feeling bad about whatever you did." She continues on to say. "Okay. Good talk, eh?" I say standing up quickly exiting the house once again. "Thomas.." Polly calls to me but I slam the door shut before she can continue on.

Ethel POV

It's been about a week since Polly came to visit. Three since I last saw Tommy. I had gone out for a walk to clear my mind. There was a meeting today, one that my brothers are insisting I attend. The whole Shelby family will also be in attendance, along with several soldiers from both the Peaky and Squad side. Today was the day the money made from the expansion was to be distributed, which is why I am being forced to attend. The thought of seeing Tommy oddly doesn't get me nervous like it used to. These past three weeks I had realized my worth and realized obsessing over Tommy Shelby a man that has never ceased to play with my heart, mind, and emotions was a waste of time.

Tommy POV

I sit in the meeting, we are still waiting on some people to show before the money made is distributed around. I scratch my chin and smoke my cigarette, waiting patiently. I hear the door open behind me and heels click in. I look over my shoulder to see Ethel, in a pale yellow dress and a big black coat, her hair slightly longer than when I last saw her. I immediately snap my head forward, I hadn't expected her to be here. I shove the cigarette in my mouth, blowing out the smoke to try to release the electricity running through my veins.

I close my eyes, as I hear her walk around the table. I open them keeping my gaze away from her and down on the stick in my hand. I see her in my peripheral vision sit down across the table slightly to my left and take her coat off. I sit back puffing on my cigarette doing everything in my power to resist the urge of fully looking at the woman. "Okay. We have everybody here now, and we can begin." Fred's secretary announces to the room. I barely hear the words though. My mind only on the woman in the yellow dress and how close in proximity she is to me for the first time in weeks.

The secretary goes around passing out contracts, making sure everyone agrees to the amount they will be receiving. I recieve mine flipping through it, reading the amount listed on the paper as everyone else does the same. The money is passed out and then everyone leaves. I never looked at Ethel again, whether she looked at me I was unsure but I don't think so, as I normally felt the burning of her big brown eyes on me when she did. I couldn't look at her again because it would be too much. Too overwhelming of a feeling like when I saw her walk in. I didn't make a move to talk to her because I knew it would be rejected, I needed to move on. After all I was the one who told her we couldn't be together.