April Snowdrop (Thomas Shelby)

𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝒮𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃

TOO LATE FOR APOLOGIES

BRIGHT AND EARLY the next day, Deborah joined Polly on her trip to the betting shop. After a sleepless night on the couch, Deborah awoke to a severely hungover Polly and spent an hour explaining what happened the night before. The older women was furious with her nephew, but the pounding in her head held her back from throwing a full rage. John had called and told them to come back to Small Heath, saying Tommy had called a meeting, so now here they were.

"He's a prick, Deb." Lizzie said, as she rubbed the woman's back soothingly.

The four women were gathered in the kitchen as the men spoke of their plans in the sitting room. While Polly leaned back in her chair, feet up and face covered by a warm cloth, Deborah caught Esme and Lizzie up on what had happened. They were all fuming with the news, but manly shocked to hear what Tommy had done. The last man either of the women thought would cheat on their wife was Thomas Shelby, he was too smitten with her.

Deborah leaned her head on her folded arms that rested against the table. "I don't know what to do, ladies. I'm fucking devastated, but I'm more annoyed at myself for believing he wouldn't do it again." She explained, eyes closed.

"You're not going to forgive him, are you?" Esme asked, sounding surprised.

"I don't know." Deborah sighed, head still down. "We need to sort it out for Ronnie's sake." She paused, before letting out a sound of disgust. "I just can't get the image of that whoring bitch in my bed, wearing my husband's coat. I feel physically sick."

Lizzie, who sat beside her, rubbed her back and pushed a fresh cup of tea closer to her. "Drink your tea, love." She suggested. "Are you ready to see him now?"

"I don't think I can even look at him now." Deborah confessed. "But he'll come barging through anyway, might as well have you throw a bit of sass at him for me."

Lizzie chuckled and stood from her seat. While her head remained down and against her arms, Deborah could hear the woman's heels clicking against the wooden floorboards as she approached the door. The sound of it opening was heard and the men's conversation was cut short.

"The Executive Committee of the Union of Bookies and Allied Trades will see you now, sir." Lizzie announced, a smirk on her painted lips.

Tommy raised an eyebrow at her words, but followed her into the kitchen regardless. He was greeted by silence from the four women, his wife and aunt included. Polly was the first one he noticed, as she was the closest to the door and the painful groans coming from her were hard to miss. He then turned his attention to Lizzie, who had taken her previous seat beside a hunched over Deborah. His wife had yet to raise her head from the table, avoiding any chance of him making eye contact with her.