Chapter ten: the final day

Thirty days later,

"Kate?"

At the sound of Thomas Shelby's voice, she looks up from her spot on the edge of the fountain where she's reading a book. It was a gloomy day, it was sprinkling and it suited her for it matched her mood. She was upset, confused and had been so since she'd returned, but it had been due to Thomas Shelby. He'd been nice to her, almost too nice by her standards. For the first week, she thought it was out of respect because of Rosemary being gone. When he heard her crying one night, he'd knocked on her door before entering. He hadn't tried anything, he just held onto her as she cried and when she awoke, she awoken in his arms.

After that night, he'd treated her differently. He was gentle and kind towards her, he was still that mischievous, arrogant man, but…things were different. He often put her hand on his arm and held onto her. If there was business in town, he took her along and somehow always found other little activity that kept them out all night. Each night, they wound up in a hotel and Thomas didn't even bother paying for two separate rooms. She always shared his bed and Thomas always managed to seduce her into giving herself to him. Every night she protested, but every morning she awoke naked in his arms.

He never tried anything more forward than a kiss at his home. She suspected that his family had had a word with him, so he'd been on his best behavior. But once they were both out of the careful and sharp of his aunt, he wasn't held back by any further restrictions. That's when he became the man she knew him to be. But she never questioned the different ways he treated her. She ignored it and just continued on as if nothing had changed between them. But the lie they were both living was bound to break at some point.

He cleared his throat. "I arranged for a car to take you home."

She nods. "Thanks."

He hesitates before asking. "You packed?"

She nods again. "Mostly." She doesn't want to say much, for she fears she's about to cry. She doesn't want to leave. She doesn't want to leave this place that had almost become home to her. She didn't want to leave Charlie; she'd grown horribly attached to that little boy. But most of all, she didn't want to leave him and that vexed her. She'd grown used to him, his mood swings and his abrupt mannerisms.

He nods his head as he lights a cigarette and steps towards her. She looks back down at her book, trying not to react as he sits down beside her. There's a strange tension in the air. The kind of tension that warned you that something was going to happen, be it good or bad. He says nothing, just takes a few puffs on his cigarette before glancing at his watch.

"Charlie'll miss you."

Her heart stills at that thought. "Yes." She doesn't add more than that.

"Staff and family as well."

She bits her lip and nods. "Mhmm."

He takes his cigarette out of his mouth and twirls it between his fingers before admitting somewhat reluctantly. "I'll miss you too."

Those words caused her eyes to water and she snapped the book closed. She exhaled and rubbed her eyes. "Why do you treat me like this?" she can feel him start it surprise at her words. "You…constantly manipulate me." She hops off the edge of the fountain and stares him down. "You know it hurts me, but it's as if my pain delights you."

He blinks before dropping his cigarette to the ground. "I don't f**king want to hurt you Kate."

"Well you do!" her voice breaks as she exhales as he stands up. "You always do. You don't care what I'm feeling when we're together! I know it means nothing to you, but you make me feel like a whore when you summon me and f**k me in whichever position suits your fancy that night."

"Then why do you still come with me?" He looks down at her. "You have no problem fighting me, you never had. So why do you come to me?" Kate looks down at the ground, blinking back tears. God, she knew the answer to that, she just didn't dare to speak it out loud. "Why do you never tell me 'no', if you don't want it?" Thomas tilts her chin up, studying her face very carefully. He's silent before stating. "Marry me."

The blood drains out of her face and for a moment she feels as if he's slapped her. "What did you say?"

"I said marry me." She stares at him before hauling off and slapping his face. He grabs her hands. "What are you doing, you daft woman?"

"You bastard!" She shouts at him. "You love playing games and if you think-

"I'm not playing Kate!" He shouts at her, causing her to stop fighting. "I f**king want you as my wife."

"What?"

"I do."

She blinks before demanding. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Maybe, since I asked you after you slapped me!" she inhales and runs her hand through her hair. "Well?"

"Hold on a minute." She shakes her head. "I can't marry you."

"Why?"

"It's a fact of life, never marry your whore!" she exhales. "You bought me for a penny and believe me, you certainly got more than your money's worth!"

"You've never been my whore, Liz held that title. Talk to Lizzie about how I f**ked her in the past."

Her mouth drops. "That's personal! I'm not going to-

"I took her from behind, because I don't want to see her face." She stares at him as he steps closer towards her. "I don't kiss her, I don't touch her and I don't care if I hurt her. With you, I do care, far more than I intended to." He reaches for her face and gently cups her face in his hands. "It was supposed to be a simple f**k that night Kate. But now…I know I bungled things up, but….I can tell you care for me, I can see it and feel it. I tried to ignore it, but…I couldn't stop."

"Stop what?"

"From falling in love with you." She gasped and he stepped closer to her. "And until this moment, I wasn't sure that you'd felt the same way about me."

"Wait a minute!" she places a hand on his chest. "If you loved me, then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I thought that you didn't want more than what was going on." Her eyes bulged. God, this man was an idiot! "And I wasn't going to let you go without letting you know."

She stares at him before declaring. "Good god, you're an idiot Thomas Shelby!" he flinches. "How could you think that I didn't want to be with you? I love you," his eyes light up and it's been killing me to think that you only want to use-

Thomas cut her off with a kiss that nearly caused her legs to buckle. Thomas nudged her backwards, seating her on the edge of the marble bench near the fountain. The pent up tension between them exploded and Kate felt herself clinging to him as the sprinkling rain became a steady stream. Thomas pinned her on the bench as she clung to him, gasping against his mouth as she felt him against her.

He broke the kiss, exhaling deeply. "I do love you, I do. Tried being a gentleman but…f**k, I want you too much."

She shakes her head as she understands now. She strokes his cheek with one hand. "I know…I love you as you are Thomas Shelby. I loved you the moment I saw you all those years ago. Don't go changing into someone that I won't know."

He nods as he leans forwards. "So, will you marry me?"

"You have to," Kate inhales desperately as Thomas covered her face in kisses. "talk to my father."

Thomas exhales. "I know, but you talk to me now. Do you want to marry me?"

She hesitates, she really shouldn't answer him right now, but God, he can be so persuasive. "I can't answer that until you-

"Answer the question." He looks down at her, his blue eyes burning into her. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes." She nods, unable to resist him any longer. "Yes, I do."

"Good. I'll ask your father for you," she inhaled, getting lost in those blue eyes of his. "and your hand in marriage. Soon, if it's agreeable to you."

She bit her lip before whispering. "Yes, it is."

"Good." She wiped the rain from her face. "You'll be leaving soon, then?"

She nods as she sits up. "As soon as I get back to the house." Thomas gently pushes her back onto her back. She shakes her head. "No Thomas." His hand moves to her skirt. "I'm serious, if I let you take me here, I'll never get home!"

"Shh," he says roughly as he moves her skirt out of the way. "I'm not sending you back without something to remember me by."

"Please," she gasps as he slips his finger inside her. "oh god. Please, I want to wait."

"Little late for that." Kate let out as cry as he began pumping his finger inside her. "But I've wanted you from the moment I saw you." She bucked against his hand as he loomed over her. "I'll never stop wanting you."

Kate groaned before whispering. "Take me."

He arches a brow. "What was that?"

"Oh, for God's sake," she groans. "take me you arrogant sod!"

he chuckles faintly, causing her to shiver. "It's going to be fun being married to you."

"I assure you, I'll make you pay for it."

"It'll be my pleasure, now," she moans as he kisses her deeply before thrusting into her hard, compelling a cry from her lips. "let's give you something to encourage you to return back to me!"

"What makes you think I'm letting you get away?" He pauses for a moment. "Do you have any idea how long I waited to get you Thomas Shelby?" He laughed at her before sealing their commitment to each other. Yes, marriage was going to be fun and interesting.