Made From Roses

Hidden

They had stopped at the clearing of a dense woods with light barely filtering through. Before Annabelle could question where they were going he grabbed her hand and began pulling her with him.

"What are we doing here?" She asked as he helped her over a fallen tree.

"Always full of questions" he mused as he squeezed her hand.

As they walked down the leafy path, their feet crunching the winter leaves Annabelle would catch herself stealing glances at him. It was like someone had flicked a switch, he was a completely different person now.

"When me and my brothers escaped Small Heath we would come here with our friends" he started "It's a place I come to when I need to get away, when I need to think"

"Do you come here a lot?" She asked as she looked down the path and saw that it stretched out for half a mile.

"I did. I haven't been in a while" he mumbled with regret.

Annabelle nodded, she could tell that he had kept himself locked away in Arrow house so that he didn't have to deal with the outside world. Trying to imagine him losing himself in these woods was a frightening thought. How could he find his way out?

A light drizzle of rain was starting to drip through the trees but that didn't deter their walk. Annabelle felt warm with his hand in hers but she tried not to think about it to much, knowing what they had was probably going to be short lived.

"Out here were all free" he said as he stopped and turned her towards her "The outside world gets left at the entrance of the woods Annabelle"

"But once we step out of here it all comes back" and she carried on walking, placing her hands in her pockets.

"It won't"

"I need time" she stated gently as she took his hand and looked up at him "This is all a bit much"

"You don't believe me" he accused as he lifted a hand and brushed away a piece of her hair.

"Can you blame me Tommy? I've spent the passed two weeks thinking that you hated me. That you only needed me to fill a hole in your heart"

Rather than fight her on this he decided for once to keep quiet. Instead he would simply prove to her that his affection wasn't based on an emptiness from Grace. That was his new plan.

Leaning down he waited until he knew she wouldn't turn away before gently brushing his lips across hers

——

Polly was waiting at Tommy's desk for an hour before he finally emerged. George had been very willing to spill to her that he had left with Annabelle Thorn.

As she watched Tommy get out of the car, his eyes firmly on Annabelle she knew that things had changed here. Polly wasn't blind, she had seen the undying loyalty Annabelle had for Tommy and Tommy's deep pull to her.... it was unlike anything she had seen with Grace. Grace was a vixen that lured Tommy in with sadness.

"Nice afternoon out Tommy?" Polly mused as she stubbed her cigarette out, her back to him.

"What are you doing here Pol?" He asked as he took off his wet coat and hung it up.

Polly could tell from his voice that he was tense, his secret revealing quicker than he expected. When would he learn this his Aunt was always one step ahead?

"Is Annabelle not joining us?" She asked once he was sat in front it her.

Tommy smirked, sensing that she was teasing him "Get it out Polly, say what you need to" and he leaned back into his chair and clasped his hands.