Chapter 9
"You look beautiful," Tommy says from where he was laid in bed, body propped up against the headboard as Rosie weaves braids and small fabric flowers into her hair.
"And you need to get up Mister." She quips, turning her head to look back at him. "Your brother is getting married in less than an hour, you're not out of bed, and he doesn't even know yet!"
"Everything will be fine," Tommy says gently, moving to stand behind where Rosie was sat at her dressing table. The pair had still not agreed that this was the best option for John, but Rosie had quickly given in, realising her argument would not stand against Tommy and his need to do whatever he thought right to help his younger brother. He bends down to press a kiss to the top of her head as she finishes off her hair. "I'm going to get dressed."
"You could just move your things in here ya know?" She suggests as he turns to the door. "You practically live in this room with me anyway."
"You could move into my room?" He replies, leaning against the doorframe.
"Eh, too much effort. I'd have more stuff to move. Plus, my room's bigger!" Rosie says, watching him through the mirror as he smirks and nods.
"Later, eh? I'll bring my things in." Rosie grins at this, rising from the stool. "Will you do up my dress before you go?" Tommy nods, moving back into the room to take a seat on the edge of the bed, watching Rosie as she pulls a dress out of the wardrobe, slipping it on and turning so she was stood with her back to him. Tommy pulls her back towards him gently by her hips, carefully buttoning up the back of her dress, rising to reach the buttons at the top of the dress, bending his head to press kisses to the exposed skin between her shoulder and her neck.
"Beautiful." He repeats, resting his lips on her shoulder, pressing light kisses there.
"Go and get changed!" Rosie jokes, gently nudging her elbow back into his stomach as he begins to trail kisses along her neck.
"I'm going!" He jokes in reply, pressing one last kiss to her cheek before finally leaving her room.
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Later that evening, Rosie was sat perched on Tommy's lap, smiling as she watched everyone dance around them.
"This'll be us one day." Tommy whispers in her ear, placing a kiss on her neck. She smiles turning to kiss him.
"That better not be a proposal Mr Shelby." She teases, kissing the end of his nose.
"Of course not." He replies with a kiss of his own. "I'd have to do it properly or Ada would kill me."
"Just Ada?" She teases with a smile.
"And you." Tommy says, leaning down to capture her lips in his.
"You should tell Ada to slow down." Polly states, interrupting their kiss.
"You think she'll listen to me?" Tommy asks, glancing up at Polly as Rosie searches the crowd for her best friend, brow furrowing as she hears her shrieks of laughter, watching her throw herself around.
"I tried stopping her but she's been drinking. She's been stuck in that little basement for weeks. What do we expect? She's going off like a firecracker." Polly explains. "Oh Christ, Tommy. Please."
"Come on, enough now. Enough." Rosie hears Arthur call, as Tommy lightly pats her hips, Rosie slowly rising from his lap to move towards her friend.
"Alright, Ada, come on. Have a rest. Sit down." Tommy calls out as he follows Rosie towards his sister.
"Ada, love, just slow down a bit, eh?" Rosie suggests gently, walking towards her, laying a hand on Ada's arm.
"Come and look Esme! Look at the family you've joined! Come and look at the man who runs it! He chooses his brother's wives for them! He hunts his own sister down like a rat and tries to kill his own brother-in-law!" Ada shouts, Tommy stepping forward to take Rosie's place, Ada punching her fists against Tommy's chest. "And now he won't even let me have a fucking dance!"
"Ada that's enough." Arthur shouts, stepping into the conversation.
"Not even at a fucking wedding!" Ada continues to shout.
"Sit her down!" John exclaims, appearing beside Rosie, his new wife in his arms. Rosie sends Esme a sympathetic smile.
"And you Rosie!" Ada lets out a bitter laugh. "You've been around for long enough to know what a mess this family is! And yet you still choose to fuck my bastard of a brother. You should have run when you got the chance!"
"Ada enough." Rosie warns stepping towards her best friend. "You're drunk, and emotional. Let's stop now. Eh?" Ada lets out a groan, collapsing into the arms of Rosie, who quickly reaches out to catch her, Polly's arms joining Rosie's around Ada's body.
"Holy shit. Water. Right." Polly states, also wrapping her arms around her niece, silently instructing Rosie to help her get Ada to the cars.
"Bloody hell Ada! You do pick your times!" Arthur shouts as Tommy disperses the party, the men following Rosie, Polly and Ada.
"Oh Arthur, shut up!" Rosie shouts over her shoulder as she helps Ada into the car. "Let's get you home, eh love?" She says gently to Ada, quickly forgetting Ada's previous outburst, wrapping her arm around her shoulder as she slips into the car beside her, Tommy hopping into the front seat of the car.
"Ready?" He asks, looking over his shoulder at his girlfriend and sister, the former nodding and sending him a small smile, quickly turning back to her best friend as she lets out another groan of pain.
"Shh, I've got you." She coos, running her hand gently over Ada's bump, her other hand rubbing up and down her arm as Ada buries her head into her best friend's shoulder.
"I'm sorry!" Ada cries as the pain subsides, leaving her forehead to rest against Rosie's shoulder as Tommy quickly, yet carefully winds the car through the streets of Small Heath.
"Don't." Rosie states, shaking her head. "Forget it. Ok? Focus on breathing, and your baby." Ada nods, tears beginning to stream down her face.
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"Polly wait! Polly!" Rosie looks desperately between her best friend (who was sobbing in the arms of her new sister in law) and Polly who had rushed out of the door. The police had just stormed in, arresting Freddie just minutes after he had arrived to meet his baby.
"Go! I've got her." Esme says, pointing towards the door Polly had just left out of, Rosie giving her a quick nod as she takes off after the older woman. She enters the Garrison just after Polly, throwing herself between her and Tommy who was stood at the bar, confusion etched on his face.
"Polly just wait, please!" She implores, laying a hand on Polly's arm, which quickly gets shaken off.
"How can you bloody side with him?" Polly screeches, throwing a finger up in Rosie's face, Tommy coming to stand directly behind her. "Ada is your best friend! Practically your sister! You've been inseparable since you were babies! And now you fuck him once and that's it? You drop Ada?"
"Woah! Polly! What the fuck?" Rosie exclaims, tears welling in her eyes, a yell of protest coming from Tommy behind her at the same time. "How the fuck could you say that? I just spent hours holding my best friend as she gave birth to her beautiful son, and you're having a go at me? I can love them both!"
"Tell her Tommy, tell her the truth!" Polly shouts, John and Arthur leaving the side room at the sound of their aunt shouting at their brother.
"Tom." Rosie whimpers, turning to Tommy who was stood slowly shaking his head.
"It was nothing to do with me Ro." He says in reply, voice barely above a whisper as he battles internally with his emotions. "I wouldn't do that. You know I wouldn't."
"See?" Rosie replies, turning back to Polly who was shaking her head at the pair.
"You liar." Polly spits at Tommy's feet, shaking off Arthur and John as she storms out of the pub.
"Tommy?" Rosie whispers, turning back to her boyfriend, resting her hands on his arms. "How...?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He replies, cupping her face in his hands. "Go back to Ada, Rose."
"Tom..."
"No, go. I'll sort this. I promise." Rosie nods, pressing a kiss to his cheek before slowly making her way back out of the pub and towards the house.
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As soon as Rosie enters the house, she takes over Esme's position on the sofa, silently taking her sobbing best friend into her arms. They sit in silence for what feels like hours to the pair of young girls, Rosie holding Ada in her arms, rocking her as her sobs turn to silent cries, clutching her baby to her chest. "He didn't do it Ada." Rosie whispers into her hair, pressing kisses there. "I promise you. He didn't. It wasn't Tommy."
"Then who was it?" Ada spits out.
"I don't know." Rosie replies honestly, tightening her grip on her friend. "But we'll find out. Tommy's going to make this right. Ok? He will. You have to trust him."
"Trust him?" Ada scoffs, shaking her head.
"Yes. You didn't see the look in his eyes Ada, he would never do that to you. Never." Rosie states. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" Ada nods against Rosie's chest, brushing her fingers over the baby's head.
"I don't know how to do this Rosie." She sobs, burrowing her head into her chest.
"We'll figure it out, together." She promises, running her fingers through Ada's hair, gently shushing her.
