Chapter Seven
Morning light leaked through the curtains, burning Maddie's eyes and pulling her from a deep sleep. She was alone in bed, and the sheets had gone cold indicating Tommy had left a while ago. It didn't come as a shock that he had wanted to leave before she woke; the moment they had in the early hours of the morning would be soon forgotten, and they would both continue as though it had never even happened.
Easing her aching body upright, Maddie dragged herself out from the warmth of the bed covers and padded down to the kitchen where she knew Polly would be waiting. "Morning Pol."
A knowing smirk danced across the older womans face behind the newspaper she was reading. Polly didn't need to ask what had happened when Tommy had come home, it was already made clear by Tommy's swift exit early in the morning. "Sleep well?" She asked, not hiding the humour from her voice. "Toast is on the side."
Ignoring Polly's unabashed amusement, Maddie grabbed a slice of toast and joined her at the table, slathering butter and jam on her toast. "One word Pol." She warned when Polly glanced up from her paper and opened her mouth to speak. "This never happened, and more to the point nothin' actually happened."
"So why did Tommy practically sprint out of here this morning?" Countered Polly, her newspaper forgotten.
It was too early for the conversation Polly so desperately wanted, so Maddie quickly redirected the topic. "Where's Ada? Still in bed?" It had been so long since Maddie had spent anytime with Ada that she had completely lost track of what was currently going on in her bestfriends life. The last thing she had known was Ada was sneaking around with Freddie Thorne behind Tommy's back, but that had been awhile ago.
"You don't know? I'm surprised Ada hasn't told you. She's in hiding with Freddie, got herself pregnant and you know how that went down with Tommy. Last night she was visiting 'cos Tommy wasn't here." Polly explained sadly. "I worry for her Maddie, you know Freddie's got her in some fucking hole. Its not good for her or the baby."
At least she wasn't the only one with a problem with Tommy, it had felt like Maddie was the only one Tommy had a personal vendetta against for so long it was almost comforting to hear that she wasn't the only one he treated like dirt. "You know where she is?"
"No, won't tell me. Thinks I'll tell Tommy, says being a Shelby is a curse. I'm beginning to think she's right."
The closer Maddie looked at Polly the more she noticed how tired her surrogate mother looked. There wasn't a woman on earth stronger than Polly, but there was only so much one person could take on, and with the way Tommy had been acting recently Maddie could see that Polly needed a break. "I'll speak to her, see if I can talk her round. She knows Tommy and I aren't exactly friends."
Again Polly smirked. "You're not fooling me love."
Maddie rolled her eyes so hard she feared they would get stuck at the back of her head. She was severely regretting asking Tommy to stay if this was what she was in for for the weeks to follow. Finished with her toast, Maddie plucked a cigarette from Polly's box and got to her feet. She had things that needed to be done, like going home and getting into clothes that were actually her own. "I'll see you later Pol, I'll see if I can find Ada and talk some fucking sense into her."
"You're an angel Maddie," Picking her paper back up, Polly went back to reading one of the mundane articles. "You're to stay here tonight." Polly called before Maddie made it out of the door, immediatly the brunette trapsed back into the kitchen to fight her on the matter. "Don't shoot the messenger, Tommy's orders."
"And where is Tommy?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Replied Polly, not looking up from the newspaper.
Maddie didn't doubt Polly, it seemed lately no one knew what Tommy was thinking or doing, but she'd be damned if she was going to take orders from him because they shared one moment of tenderness. Who the hell did he think he was? Fuelled by a new onset of outrage, Maddie left the Shelby house in search of Tommy, a change of clothes could wait.
After what felt like hours of searching, Maddie finally spotted Tommy's car pull over beside Lizzie who then climbed into the vehicle. It was common knowledge with the women in Maddie's profession that Lizzie serviced Tommy quite regularly, but the last that she had heard Lizzie was sweet on John so the fact that Lizzie was alone with Tommy was puzzling to Maddie.
Hanging back, Maddie waited till what ever exchange was going on in the car was done, the last thing she wanted was to see something going on between the pair. Lighting a cigarette she watched as Lizzie flew from the car, her face contorted with anger, apparently Tommy was on a role with upsetting women. With Lizzie out of the picture, Maddie quickly trotted down the pavement and opened the door which Lizzie had just rushed from.
"Thomas Shelby, I've had quite the day lookin' for you." Slamming the door shut, Maddie turned to Tommy, who was staring intently out the windshield as though she wasn't there, and shoved his shouder as hard as she could. "I am not one of your men, you can't give me orders Tommy."
"It's for your safety." Tommy replied bluntly, still not wavering his gaze from the road ahead of him.
"My safety?!" Screeched Maddie indignantly. "My safety is only at threat because of you! Fucking hell Tommy, is your goal to make me hate you? If it is, you're suceeding." It was taking all of Maddie's will power to not slap Tommy's stoney face; he had always been closed off, even before the war, and she had always hated it. "Fucking look at me!"
Agonizingly slow Tommy turned his head, his piercing blue eyes locking on to Maddie's espresso ones. "Come with me to a family get together tonight." It wasn't a request, when he had Grace invite Ada to the wedding she had returned with a clause, that she would only attend if Maddie did, so Maddie's attendance was manditory. "Ada will be there, I know you two haven't been seeing much of each other."
Tommy had utterly blindsided Maddie. Polly hadn't spoken a words about any family get together and if anyone was going to invite her it would be Polly. "Where?"
"The Lee's. Wear somethin' pretty."
"Pretty? Thomas, what am I six?" Although she knew it would be petty, Maddie couldn't help but take a dig at Tommy. "Was Grace not available? Or are you whoring me out like the last time you invited me somewhere?"
Tommy's jaw clenched, the woman knew how to push him, if he'd had it his way he would be attending John's wedding alone but bridges between him and Ada needed fixing and Maddie was the key to that. "John's gettin' married Madeline, if you won't do it for me do it for 'im."
"Fine," Maddie conceeded. "But you try pay me for this, I'll beat that copper to killing you. And I'll be going alone, I'll meet you there." Tommy couldn't have everything his way, and Maddie was going to make sure that came true in anyway she could. "I'll go, but I won't go with you." Leaving the car in a similiar fashion to Lizzie, she scowled at Tommy. "You're like poison Thomas, is it any wonder your own sister can't stand to be around you."
It was dark when Maddie arrived at the Lee's, the ceremony had already taken place and the festivities were in full swing. In a large group of dancing men and women, Ada danced happily with her swollen stomach looking the happiest Maddie had seen her in a while.
"I didn't think you were comin'." Tommy spoke lowly beside her. "Thought you'd want to see the ceremony, I know you've always liked our John."
Maddie had wanted to be at the ceremony, seeing John married and happy again was something that she had wanted for him for a long time, but the air between her and Tommy was so toxic that Maddie was afraid her presence would interfer with the wedding. Missing the ceremony was the right thing to do, if they argued while every one was piss drunk it didn't matter. "I told you I'd be here, and here I am."
For a moment, Tommy's face was concealed by a plum of smoke as he lit himself a cigarette. "We guna talk abou' last night?" He mumbled, turning to face a startled Maddie. "Or are we returning to where we started?"
"We both know how this ends Tommy," More than anything Maddie wanted to talk about what had happened in Tommy's bedroom, but they were incapable of having a civil conversation and it would only end in another fight. "Isn't it best to forget it, and just try and get along for everyone elses sake?"
If possible Tommy's face grew colder, it had not been the responce he had been hoping for but if he was honest with himself he couldn't hold it against Maddie, he had been pushing her away for so long her reaction was only natural. "And if we don't want 't forget it?"
Although the air was freezing cold, Maddie suddenly felt overwhelmingly hot and uncomfortable. This was not their default, they didn't speak about their feelings unless they were ones of anger and it was making Maddie panic. Like a zombie, all Maddie could do was stand still and watch wide eyed as Tommy reached out his hand and gently brushed at her lips with a coarse thumb. "Tommy." It was barely above a whisper, but it was all Maddie could manage as she silently prayed that he would stop before he did something he would regret.
Tommy's sharp eyes locked onto Maddie's, his left hand coming to rest on her slim waist as his thumb made a trail from her red lips to her jaw line. He had made a promise to himself that the next time they kissed it would be because Maddie initiated it, but she had been swimming around his head all day and the touch of her lips still burned him. Promise be damned, Tommy pulled Maddie to him and placed a searing kiss on her full lips, relieved when she immediately returned the kiss with the same passion. It was exactly how he remembered, a struggle for dominance, but when he nipped at her lower lip Tommy couldn't help but smirk when Maddie let him lead the kiss. Somethings never changed.
"Tommy we have to stop." Maddie gasped, when Tommy moved from her lips to placing hot kissed down her jaw to the long column of her neck. God she didn't want him to stop, but anyone could see them and the last thing Maddie wanted was all the Shelby's witnessing their moment. But Maddie's protests were short lived when Tommy steered her backwards until her back hit into the side of a caravan, within seconds he had pushed him self between her legs and hooked one over his hip as he started a new assault on her lips.
"The baby's coming!"
The yell barely registered in Maddie's head, she was far to preoccupied with Tommy's skilled fingers toying with the top of her stocking, but when other voices joined the first it snapped her out of the spell Tommy had her under. "Tommy," She breathed, managing to pull herself away from Tommy's lips. "Ada's having her baby!"
Clenching his jaw, Tommy dragged himself away from Maddie's inviting body and gently placed her leg down. An smug look danced across his handsome face as he took in the brunette's unkempt appearance, red lipstick smudged out of place and her dress askew. If he ever saw anyone else leave her in that way, he'd kill them. "Go with 'er, she'll want ya there." For the second time that night, he brought his thumb up to Maddie's lip but this time to wipe away the smudged lipstick. "Go."
Maddie didn't need telling twice, running to the large group of people that had swarmed around a screaming Ada she quickly turned to shout at Tommy. "Get Freddie! Do the right thing Tommy!"
