Love Will Tear Us Apart - Tommy Shelby x Reader

Chapter 28

*3 days later*

*Emily's POV*

My eyes fluttered open as my brain slowly adjusted to where I was. It looked like I was in Tommy's room, but I couldn't be sure. The room was dimly lit, the natural daylight of the sun being blocked out by heavily drawn curtains. I stretched my tired body, my limbs feeling unusually stiff and rigid. The last thing I could remember was arguing with Tommy in the shop, but apart from that, everything else was black.

What the hell had happened?

I sat up in bed and rubbed my puffy face. Looking down at my hands I noticed they were all cut-up and bruised.

Had I been in a fight?

Despite how awful I looked appearance wise, physically and mentally I'd never felt more well rested.

That must have been the first decent night's sleep I'd had in weeks.

Just as I was overanalyzing everything and anything, the door to Tommy's bedroom opened, revealing the aforementioned Blinder carrying what looked like two cups of tea.

He smiled warmly upon noticing I was awake.

He sat down next to where I was sitting on the bed and handed me the hot drink. He reached forward and ran a soft hand through my hair, his eyes enlaced with worry and concern.

'How are you feeling?'

I nodded sipping my mug.

'I feel better than I've felt in ages'

'I should think so' He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. 'You've been asleep for the past 3 days'

Well, that explained why I felt so refreshed.

'I don't remember anything after we had our fight in the shop' I said looking down at my brew, knowing he was hiding something from me. 'What happened?'

He sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid my questions forever.

'You had a meltdown' He said, rubbing the side of his face. 'When I took away the coke you turned to alcohol, a lot of alcohol. Zelda got worried and came to get me, but when we reached your apartment you'd already destroyed half of it' I closed my eyes as he continued. 'You completely zoned out, I couldn't get through to you. You kept saying that you couldn't do this anymore, that you couldn't do any of it anymore. It wasn't until I got my arms around you that you eventually calmed down. After that, I brought you up here and you instantly feel asleep, so I decided to let you be after seeing how mentally and physically exhausted you had become'

I nodded at his words, taking into account the damage I had caused.

How could I have let things get so out of hand?

How could I have let MYSELF get so out of hand?

In the space of 3 weeks I'd become the person I vowed never to be: my brother.

I let my head fall into my hands, the reality of all that I'd done finally catching up with me.

'I didn't want any of this' I sighed, the truth of my feelings finally coming to light. 'I came to Birmingham to give myself a new start and get away from the gang lifestyle, and now here I am, the leader of one of the most notorious gangs in England' I looked up, tears now streaming down my cheeks. 'I couldn't handle the pressure. The turf war, George's death, and everyone turning to me as the leader of the Kings, it was too much. I spiraled'

Tommy lifted my chin up, his eyes full of love and compassion.

'You don't have to do this by yourself anymore. We're a team and I'm not gonna let you go through this alone. We're gonna get through this together'