The Sun Will Rise | T Shelby

thirty one

-SIX MONTHS LATER-

Time had passed quickly for Angelina, Thomas and Max. The days seemed shorter and Angelina had almost forgotten what it was like to live her old life. She didn't work anymore, she stayed home and took care of Max while Tommy worked. She protested at first, but Thomas reminded her that she didn't need to work another day in her life, and truthfully, she enjoyed being with her son every day.

Time has also healed her. She still thought about Alfie, she still missed him dearly, but she didn't feel the pain in her heart as much anymore. The love she had left to give Alfie that had nowhere to go, all of a sudden had a little baby to go to. The heartbreak and sadness from her loss was healed by the child, allowing her to devote all her love and care to him.

Thomas had been working hard. For the first few months, he had kept his word and stayed him with Angelina to help take care of Max, though as the weeks passed by, he started working away from home more often than before.

Angelina had began to feel alone again. It started as just working in the office in Small Heath in the day time, then he'd be away for just one night, and then it ended up being a week until he returned home.

She was lucky that she had Frances around to help with everything. The loneliness she felt when she fell asleep without Thomas beside her was heavy. Some nights she would stay awake for hours watching over Max while he slept, unable to relax when she wondered where Thomas was.

He never told her where he was working or what he was doing, but Angelina never bothered to ask. She didn't want to worry herself even more, she was just thankful that he returned home when he did.

Thomas had been gone for three days. He was due home that afternoon, so he said. Angelina spent the morning in the stables with Max, showing him the horses and taking him for walks around the fields.

She returned to the house just after midday, heading upstairs to change her clothes that had gotten muddy from the fields. As she reached into the wardrobe to pull out a new dress, she felt her finger slice.

She gasped, wiping up the blood from the paper cut on the end of her finger. She held pressure on it and reached back into the wardrobe to get rid of whatever it was that had cut her.

In her hand she found an open envelope with Thomas' name written on the front. She knew better than to get involved with Tommy's life outside of their home, but she couldn't help from wondering why this letter was in their wardrobe and not filed in his office.

Taking a seat on the bed, she pulled out the letter and began reading.

Mr Shelby,
The evening I spent with you was a pleasure. I don't remember the last time a man has made me laugh quite as much as you did.

Angelina felt sick. She couldn't bare to read anymore, her stomach had dropped and she felt like her skin was on fire, but she forced herself to continue.

You made me feel like I've never felt before, it was special. I hope our paths can cross again soon. I'd love for nothing more than to relive our night again.
Yours,
May Carlton

Angelina's hand flew to her mouth as she dropped the letter onto the bed. She choked out a cry, her eyes suddenly filling with tears that spilled down her cheeks and made her I struggle to breathe.

She felt like a bullet had gone through her heart, like someone had stuck a dagger in her chest and was dragging it down her body as slowly as they could so she'd feel as much pain as possible.

"Where's my boy Frances? Where is he?"

Angelina thought she was going to throw up when she heard Tommy's voice echoing from downstairs. She wanted to move, to hide the letter and to clean herself up so he wouldn't know what had happened, but she found herself unable to even stand.

Footsteps grew louder and Tommy's laughter as he spoke to his son made Angelina's skin crawl. She sat still on the bed, her hands in her lap and the letter beside her, her eyes staring out of the window ahead of her.

"Angelina I'm home, I've got-"

He placed Max down on the bed when he saw Angelina's bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks. His eyes fell to the letter beside her and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Angelina it's not-"

"What? It's not what it looks like?"

Thomas rubbed his face with his hands and licked his lips, his breathing became unsteady as he tried to speak.

"What she says in the letter, it's just..."

Angelina scoffed and shook her head.

"I've been sat at home raising our son while you've been out doing god knows what with god knows who? How is that fair, Thomas? How can you treat me like this? You, you promised."

Her voice broke at the end as she looked up at him. He had a blank expression on his face, not even appearing guilty at what he'd done.

"Angelina it was one time, it was a mistake, I'm sorry."

"You don't sleep with someone by mistake."

"Let me make it up to you," he rushed to her side and grabbed her hands, only for her to pull them from his grasp immediately, "Let's go to London for the weekend, you, me and Max. How about that? He'd love to see the river and all the cars."

"London?" Angelina said, "Do you really want my heart to break twice?"

Thomas rose to his feet, his fists clenched and his jaw strong.

"You think I like having your mourn over your ex lover, Angelina? You think I like seeing you wear that fucking chain all the time with his picture inside? You think I like knowing you're thinking about him all the time, when we fuck? How do you think that makes me feel, ey?"

Angelina flinched at his shouting, she wasn't used to hearing him so angry, at least not when he spoke to her.

She felt numb. At first she was upset, but after Thomas emptied his mind and told her how he really felt, her feelings drained from her body and she was left with nothing. This wasn't Tommy. This wasn't the Tommy that she'd fallen in love with, and it certainly wasn't the same Tommy that had made a promise to Alfie.

"Fuck this."

Thomas stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door and making Max begin to cry in the process. Angelina pulled Max into her chest and cradled him, giving him small kisses as she tries to calm him down. She felt his tiny hands grab onto her pendant and she smiled down at the little boy sadly.

"I guess your daddy still can't keep promises, Max."