#i know that charlie knew he had to kiss mr boss see the tag 'i genuinely thought charlie was going to kiss pim'

[pewpop]

[throws them against a wall]

[poetrusicperry]

the poets and their first summer jobs

i’ve seen some discourse about how rich all the boys/their families are, and of course there would be like very little reason for them to work, but i couldn’t help wondering who would do what for their first jobs (summer jobs bc they couldn’t work while they’re at school). andddd that led me to writing this lol

neil: so neil would have like absolutely zero time for a job between all his normal coursework/extracurriculars and his summer classes (”you know me, always taking on too much”), but i guarantee you he would still take the time to get a job and have his own money to do with whatever he chose. mr. perry wouldn’t care much because it showed neil “taking initiative” or whatever. neil would likely work at a diner as either a bus boy or a waiter. he’s super personable, so he’d always strike up conversations with people sitting at the counter, and he’d get loads of tips bc he’s cute (: he’d bring his summer school work with him to do during lulls in business, which his boss didn’t mind because it’s neil and everyone knows how responsible he is. the poets would come visit him pretty much every day (to eat, see neil, and escape the heat in the air conditioning), likely taking up a whole booth, and making an absolute mess of the area. charlie would be making spitballs, aiming at cameron and knox every time (earning a “charlie, knock it off, i told you three times already! so mature of you, really.” from cameron) and meeks/pitts would try to see how many straws they could connect to make “ultra straw.” todd would come hang out at the counter when neil was closing, admiring his pretty bf as he worked (’: neil would always make todd a chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and rainbow jimmies on the house, claiming, “we have to empty out the ice cream machine anyway” (but really he’d take the cost out of his paycheck, just wanting to make todd happy). his boss would hire him back every summer, loving how much business neil drove in (even if the poets made a mess every time they hung out and ate) and absolutely adoring how much effort neil put into what anyone else would seemingly call a “meaningless” job.

todd: you can’t tell me that todd wouldn’t look forward to working. especially during the summers, it would get him out of the house and away from his parents judging his every move. being the shy introvert he is, he’d likely do things like mowing lawns or gardening for people around his neighborhood. minimal interactions, but still decent pay (as all the people in his neighborhood were likely super rich and could afford to pay him well). the poets’ parents would hire him, after much convincing from their sons (”todd’s just trying to make some money, dad. please?”) and todd would appreciate this more than they ever knew. he’d become super familiar with flower types and he’d become a lot more nurturing after taking care of plants and grass for multiple summers. he’d keep a little journal or notebook with drawings or sketches of the flowers he’d taken care of, complete with descriptions and magazine/newspaper clippings from his mom’s better homes and garden subscription (a lot of his poetry would become nature-related as well). it would be his late night project, or something he’d do if he couldn't sleep (which was pretty common for todd). he’d call neil on the phone some nights and just gush about all kinds of flowers or tell neil how he accidentally got stung by a bee and cried about it because he knew the bee would die (all the while, neil would be listening so intently, taking note about which flowers were todd’s favorites for future use (’: the calls would have to be pretty planned, bc if neil wasn’t working, he was doing school work, or his parents were keeping an annoyingly close watch on him. but sometimes neil would call him impromptu and that made todd just the happiest little camper ever). todd’s nails would be really short (he’d cut them really often because he doesn’t like the feeling of dirt under his nails), which means he couldn’t bite his nails anymore, causing him to pick up a new anxious habit of biting the inside of his bottom lip ): overall, though, todd would like his job, and even find pleasure in being surrounded by little flowers all day. also if/when neil ever got the chance, he’d absolutely tag along to see his sweaty boyfriend in action (come on, neil would go absolutely nuts for todd in a cutoff shirt, 5″ inseam shorts, and converse mowing a lawn looking all manly and tough). 

charlie: obviously, charlie wouldn’t need to work because of his financial situation, but his mom would 110% make him get a job just so he wouldn’t be around the house causing trouble/bothering his siblings for fun (”i’m hosting a lot of book club meetings for the country club this summer, i can’t have you putting spiders in the ladies’ hats again, charles”). similar to neil, mr. charlie dalton would work his summers at an ice cream/custard stand. he’d have to wear a white, short sleeve button up, a red and white striped apron, and one of those white, rectangular hats (his least favorite part HAHA, stating, “my hair is one of my best features and this just takes it all away. it’s unfair.”). the poets would visit often, both for ice cream, but primarily to give him a hard time about his uniform (”i’ll give you twenty bucks to wear this on our first day of classes” meeks would tease, completely gobsmacked when charlie showed up to their first chemistry class in his uniform, earning lots of demerits, but also twenty dollars). charlie would hate it at first, but obviously he’d adjust, being the extroverted/personable person, not taking himself too seriously and being one of the best ice cream slingers anyone had ever seen. he’d give the cute girls (and boys) extra scoops of ice cream for free, winking as he handed them their orders. like neil’s boss, charlie’s boss was even more thankful for charlie’s presence because they’d likely be raking in at least triple the income they would in a summer without him. he’d become a sundae expert, spending many dead poets meeting making them for his friends while they read poems and stories. that being said, he’d come to hate eating ice cream, publishing an article in welton’s honor demanding that they remove ice cream from their dessert menu (yes, almost exactly like the “girls at welton” prank, but he’d make the call collect this time. mr. nolan would be fed up to the point where he wouldn’t even punish charlie physically, just suspend him from rowing [which charlie wouldn’t mind at all HAHA]).

meeks & pitts: after their hi-fi success and the fact that they are seemingly inseparable, they both sought out jobs at the local radio station where they were hired as interns/assistants, running errands and picking up coffee or lunch for the station. but sometimes, when they worked pretty late, the night shift dj would let them pick the records and show them how everything worked (: after nights like that, meeks and pitts would go to one of their houses and add modifications to their hi-fi radio, staying up all night modifying and researching (by the end of the summer, they had made another hi-fi (portable) and their og hi-fi would have been morphed into a huge nationally reaching radio that they keep in the cave (since it would be disallowed in their room at welton). another job that the two of them would have would be answering calls for the station about song requests. with this knowledge, charlie and the other poets would hang out at someone’s house, calling and requesting the same songs over and over and over again. their biggest task for the summer would be organizing the shelves with all the records into alphabetical order (”duh, we should go by first name, meeks. which other way would it be” pitts would argue, only to find out that after they had spent about three weeks alphabetizing by first name, they were supposed to go by last name. “now who’s the idiot?” meeks would jeer, beginning to pull the records off the shelves). they’d also learn a lot about music from their night shift coworker, which would help in their quest to woo some ladies the following school year.

cameron: cameron liked spending his summers doing research projects for fun and just reading a whole lot, so you can imagine his displeasure at when his parents asked him to get a job (presumably to help with paying for his schooling). while upset about it, he wouldn’t complain, and took it on the chin, understanding the reasoning. he’d apply to a couple places, but ultimately end up as a grocery store cashier/stock boy. much like charlie, he’d have the same kind of uniform, but with a green apron instead. he’d spend most of his shift ringing people up at the register, being friendly and personable (something no one ever really realized about him !!). the poets’ moms would always see him and choose his register on purpose, using it as a chance to catch up or tell him to tell his parents that “the overstreets say hello!” or “mrs. anderson says hi!” pitts, meeks, and charlie would utilize cameron’s position at the supermarket to buy nudie magazines unembarrassed/slightly illegally HAHA (”come on, cameron! it’s not like you won’t be included in seeing them next year, too. we bring them to the meetings, you know that!” charlie would say, leaving cameron at a loss, reluctantly scanning the magazines and bagging them as pitts and meeks sniggered). charlie would wave, blow him a kiss, and wink as they left, “love you, richardddd.” sure enough, the magazines would make an appearance during the following school year and cameron was glad he had decided to let them buy the magazines lol. 

knox: out of all the poets, i feel like our knoxious would be the least inclined to work (yes, even less inclined than charlie). his parents wouldn’t even make him get a job because he simply didn’t need to, but to everyone’s surprise, he would volunteer at the animal shelter. the poets would later find out that it was a great way to meet girls (which is why he did it lmfao so they endlessly goaded him about it). charlie would visit often, and even took a rescue puppy home, much to charlie’s younger sister’s delight. charlie even wanted to start volunteering at the shelter to also meet girls, but he was too busy at the ice cream stand (plus, he had really grown to like it there so he didn’t want to leave). another effect of volunteering made knox super interested in zoology and animals, which brought out a newer, more nurturing/caring side to him, and who knows, maybe he’d go vegetarian somehow. he’d want to pursue a career in animal science or becoming a veterinarian, but mr. overstreet was hellbent on knox taking over the firm, so it seemed like a pipe dream. knox would continue to volunteer at the animal shelter, well into his career as a lawyer, and would even go to veterinary school in his 30s (when he was a nationally famous, established lawyer) to get certification to work with animals in a broader way (: 

hope you guys liked these. it was pretty fun to write, and i'd pay such good money to see neil, charlie, and cameron in their uniforms (and todd, but that’s neither here nor there). happy thursday !! let me know what you guys think of these <3(:

[wonkasmissstarshine]

Intuition {Willy Wonka x OC}

Based on this request from anonymous: Hi Emma! First of all, I’d like to say I really really love your writing! I read your latest chapter, and when I saw Willy had the feelings that something happened to Rose, I was wondering if you could have an oneshot about this, in Willy’s pov. Like when he starts having the feelings, and how he met Mr Bucket on his way to Rose, what happened during the birth and how much Willy is worried about losing Rose when he saw her in pain when she gave birth to the twins.

Summary: Willy has a feeling that something is about to happen to Rose. When Mr Bucket finds Willy, he tells her that Rose is ready to have the babies.

A/N: This is basically an alternate version of Chapter 42 of The Chocolatier’s Rose which you can read here

Tagging: @holdmeicant @willymywonkers

Willy was in his office. There were some things he had to look over. But he just couldn’t get himself to focus. Something about today seemed... off. Like something was going to happen today. Maybe he was just nervous about the fact that Rose was nine months pregnant and she could be giving birth any day now, according to her doctor, Dr Potts.

Still, even if it was just his overactive nerves, he knew that deep down, there was just something about today. He could feel it in his heart. Rose was in some kind of duress and he needed to go see her. Make sure that she was okay.

Willy dropped everything he was doing. His wife came before his work, no matter how important or unimportant it was. Rose was way more important to him. 

He left his office and turned the corner. It was right about that time that he saw his father-in-law being led by an Oompa-Loompa. Willy noticed the look stitched onto Mr Bucket’s face. That look of nervousness. “Willy!” Mr Bucket called out to his son-in-law when he saw him. 

“Hi dad” Willy greeted him. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s Rose” When Mr Bucket said that, Willy felt his heart sink into his stomach.

“Is she--”

“She’s started having contractions” Willy just nodded as he didn’t quite understand what that meant, and let Mr Bucket continue. “The babies are on their way soon, and she needs you with her right now”

So, he was right after all. Something was going on with Rose. Willy didn’t know for sure how he knew something was up with her, but maybe it had to do with how much he loved her.

But right now, his starshine needed him. And he was going to be there for her.

******

When Willy arrived to the Bucket house with Mr Bucket, the first thing his eyes laid upon was Rose sitting on a chair, a blanket draped over her, and Mrs Bucket and Charlie on either side of her, holding onto her hands.

Willy rushed to Rose’s side. “Oh, starshine. It’s okay. I’m here” Despite Rose’s face being covered in a sheer layer of nervous sweat, he still cupped her face and pressed his forehead to hers. “I was actually on my way over here, because I had this feeling that something happened to you. Then dad found me and said you were having these things called contractions” He explained to her. He was also just talking to her so that she would feel more at ease.

I’m right here, starshine.

I love you, so much.

Everything is going to be okay.

Soon, Dr Potts came by with his wife, Poppy. And just shortly after they arrived, Rose’s water broke, signaling that the babies were coming. It was time to get her to the Puppet Hospital and Burn Center. Willy and Poppy helped Rose up out of the chair

“Okay. Let’s--” Rose screamed when she felt another contractions. She gave Poppy and Willy’s hands an almost bone crushing squeeze. It hurt, but Willy didn’t care. All he cared about was getting his wife to the Puppet Hospital so that she could have the babies. “Willy!” Rose cried.

“It’s okay, starshine” Willy comforted her. “I’m right here” He squeezed her hand this time, although it wasn’t quite the vice grip like she had. “We’ll get you there. And I promise that I won’t ever leave your side” That promise made Rose smile. It put Willy at ease to see her smile like that, considering the situation she was in.

Mrs Bucket gave Mr Bucket a kiss before coming to stand behind Rose. She was to be present for the delivery. Just before stepping out the door, Willy turned, addressing his family, telling them to call their friends and that he’ll send an Oompa-Loompa for them once the babies are born.

As carefully but as quickly as possible, Rose was guided into the elevator. Willy didn’t want to let go of Rose, but he had to so that he could press the button to take the elevator to the Puppet Hospital. Once the button was lit up and the elevator was moving, Willy’s arms were around Rose again. 

“Shh, shh” Willy tucked her head under his chin and started petting her hair. “I’m right here for you, starshine. I’m not going to let you go”

“Willy,” Rose spoke up with a shaky voice. “I’m scared”

“I know, Rose. I am too” Willy said. “We can be scared together”

“What are you scared of?” Rose asked.

“I’m scared of the thought of something going wrong and I end up losing you, or the babies, or both” Willy admitted. He did not want to think about that right now. “But I know that everything will be alright. And do you know why I know that?” Rose shook her head. “Because in a matter of time, we’ll finally meet our two little angels for the first time”

******

Willy will admit, he was completely terrified watching Rose give birth. He couldn’t handle hearing her screams of pain as she pushed not one, but two babies out. It was bad enough that his own nerves were on edge with the thought of something bad happening to Rose or the babies, and her screams were not helping to ease his nerves.

But Willy knew that Rose couldn’t help her screams. He would never understand how much pain she was in right now, but he could only imagine.

At some point, Mrs Bucket had looked over at her son-in-law and saw the frightened expression on his face. She reached over with the hand the wasn’t grasping her daughter’s. She grabbed Willy’s free hand and gave it a squeeze. That caused Willy to look up at his mother-in-law. He saw her give him a smile that said everything is going to be okay.

An hour had passed. The Wonka twins were welcomed into the world. And Rose was now able to take a deep breath of relief. Her skin was shiny from sweat. There were wet streaks painted down her cheeks from her tears. Rose let her body relax and her head fell back against the pillows. A smile crept onto her face as she heard the cries of her newborn daughter and son.

It was strangely calming to hear them cry. Perhaps it was because she knew that babies crying when they’re born is a good sign. Her mother let go of her hand so that she could help out with one of the twins. But Willy refused to let go of her hand.

Rose turned her head to look at Willy, who was already looking back to her. He adorned a proud smile on his face. “W-we did it, cocoa bean” Rose said in a strained voice. Her throat hurt from all the screaming. But it was worth it. “We’re officially a mom and dad now”

“I know. I’m so proud of you, starshine” Willy leaned over and pressed a kiss to Rose’s forehead. 

“Good news” Dr Potts spoke up, making the Wonkas look over at him. “I’ve checked on the twins, and everything looks good. I’ve never seen two healthier newborns”

“Darling, they’re perfect little angels” Mrs Bucket cooed over her new grandchildren. She was still holding one of them in her arms.

Poppy walked up next to her husband, one of the twins wrapped up in a blanket. She had a smile on her face. “Congratulations, Rose and Willy. You have a beautiful baby girl, and a handsome baby boy. I’ve got the baby girl in my arms. Which one of you would like to hold her?”

Rose turned her head to Willy. “Why don’t you hold her, cocoa bean?”

Willy tensed up at the question. He had never held a baby before. And this wasn’t just any baby. This was his own daughter. He cracked a small smile before nodding. “Okay”

Poppy walked around and held out the baby girl to Willy. He took the little precious human being in his arms. As soon as Willy looked down at his daughter’s face, his heart melted and he fell in love with her.

“Starshine, she’s perfect” Willy cooed over his daughter. The little baby girl opened her eyes for the first time. Willy’s face being the first face she saw. Immediately, the baby girl grinned a cute toothless grin, and her violet eyes went wide with wonder. She started giggling. “Oh, she likes me!”

Rose smiled. “Of course she does. You’re her father”

Poppy took the baby boy from Mrs Bucket. “Rose, would you like to hold your son?” 

Rose nodded. She took her son in her arms as Poppy handed him off to her. Rose looked down at her son. He shared a matching pair of violet eyes with his sister. Though he didn’t crack a grin like his sister did, the baby boy still looked up at his mother with wonder in his wide little eyes. “He’s perfect too” Rose whispered.

“What are we naming them?” Willy asked, his eyes still on the baby in his arms.

“Our little girl is Fleur, and our little boy is Dulce” 

“Fleur Wonka and Dulce Wonka” Willy gave the names a try. “I like it” He then made a noise, and an Oompa-Loompa approached. The Oompa-Loompa gave a smile when he saw the two babies that his two bosses were holding.

“They’re perfect, don’t you think?” Willy asked the Oompa-Loompa. There was no hiding the prideful tone in Willy’s voice. The Oompa-Loompa gave a nod. “Can you go get our family and friends? Tell them the babies are here” The Oompa-Loompa bowed and then walked off.

Rose couldn’t help but smile about how excited her husband was. “You’re rather eager for everyone to meet Fleur and Dulce”

“Of course I am!” Willy giggled. “We made two little, perfect, and beautiful angels, starshine. I want everyone to know that”

Forget about all the chocolate and candy Willy has ever made. Fleur and Dulce, his little jellybean and his little gumdrop, were his two greatest creations. Though he was still proud of his work, it would never beat how proud he felt of his children. His wife.

His family.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Dangerous (Part 2/2)

Description: After meeting two handsome men in a club in London and finding out that these two men are friends, you were excited about trying something you've never done before.

A/N: This is sooo inspired by The Golden Rule (The Lonely Island) because I think these two sang it immediately after she told them to meet her outside the club in ten. 👀🤣

Tagging: @missdictatorme​ @yaeji-passion​

Playlist: The idiot dumbass sandwich that stole my heart™

Part 1.

"Can you take Amber home?" - You asked Monica who was already supporting your drunk friend on her shoulder. She first opened up her mouth, but as soon as she saw standing the two men in the rain smoking and chatting, she understood.

That was so wild she giggled with a surprised expression. You weren't sure about leaving with one guy, but suddenly, there were both of them waiting for you to take your time. You never came across as a friend who would like something so... Nasty. Monica never had tried something like that, neither had you, but she understood as soon as she saw both of them.

"I knew you had it in you, you freak." - She giggled when drunk Amber told you threw a hundred times how much she loves you and that you're the best maid of honor on the whole world. - "Show them who's the boss here." - She slapped your ass, making you jolt excitedly - and placing dirty grins on the men's faces. You watched as the two of them getting into the cab, knowing well that once they leave you'll be in the hands of these two men. Which made you nervous.

"Any problems here, ladies?" - Sam strolled next to you, smiling at Amber already sitting on the backseat. She pointed at the man, opened up her mouth and squealed. She knew she already has seen him that night. Monica but a hand over her mouth as soon as she started to frantically mumble something, giving Drake one of those smiles. - "No that I would be aware of one, Mr. Drake. And be careful with her, because I'll find you and cut your weenie off if one of you does something she doesn't like, are we clear?" - She asked sweetly, having both you and Amber looking at her.

Although Sam looked mysterious for a second, soon, he started to laugh. - "Understood, Miss Monica. But trust me, the things on my mind... She's going to love all of it." - He winked at Monica, closing the door behind her. For a second, you were still standing there, Sam was still smoking and watched the cab with your friends leaving. - "Can we?" - The man grinned at you, walking backward to Charlie who was waiting for you, watching you with his palms in the pockets of his jeans.

The ride to Cutter’s apartment wasn't anything special - the bald man had a palm over your shoulder while Drake sat from the other side, having his palm on your knee, smoothing it subconsciously. You were sitting there between the two men, listening to them having a conversation about historical research.

These two weren't only someone who wanted to get laid for the night or some animals without respect to women, otherwise, you wouldn't be clothed when getting out of the cab. They were smart - and you meant seriously smart. Cutter was talking about a specific historical period this thing was supposed to be from and Sam sometimes hummed, responding a few words.

It was a surprise when the cab stopped in front of a huge, tall building in one of the better locations in London. Your friend told you that you'd have to be extremely rich and crazy to live there, which Cutter probably was. Just the entrance hall and a small yard inside the complex made you wonder - it was something built in an antique style with a pool in there.

"You live here?" - You asked when you were taking the stairs to the third floor, still looking onto the yard. Cutter turned his head at you. It was the first time you asked them something since you got out of the club. Normally, girls had a million questions about threesomes - like who’s on the top, who’s the bottom, if they have to do the infamous sandwich and so on... And yet, even if it was evident that you're doing this for the first time, your mouth was shut the whole time. So he smiled at you.

"Yeah. But it’s not because I have money to waste." - Charlie answered with true honesty in his face. - "He's extremely claustrophobic." - Sam said with a neutral expression, making you look at Charlie more attentively. Such a tall man, a macho man if you will, was afraid of small spaces? Yeah, you could see why he liked that place, yet the money he was paying for this place must've been crazy.

The men didn't tear the clothes off you even after the door to Cutter’s apartment was locked. They went straight to the bedroom... But not to fuck you senseless, yet to have another chit-chat and a glass of Scotch. Was the threesome even happening? Or..?

So while these two were talking in front of the big wall made out of glass, you were looking at the things Cutter had there - there was a lot of books, some ancient things you held in your hand for a second, then there was a huge TV with a lot of movies to choose from... And the bedroom looked messy and cozy as hell. Charlie didn't spend too much time thinking about the bedsheets or tidying them up, but it wasn’t smelly or anything.

You heard them bickering when you walked to the stereo, looking at the playlist Cutter had there. You smiled after reading the name of the song - and an idea came across your mind. You pressed play, letting it yell loudly all over the big bedroom.

The men didn't look at you, so you rose your hands above your head, swaying your hips in the bass guitar's melody, having a smile on your lips. That was when Samuel poked Cutter's hip, both of them shifting their attention to you.

You were dancing around, playing with your hair, showing them what you could do. When the second chorus came around, you looked at the men, slowly tugging the wet t-shirt from your body, revealing the bra you had on. Your boobs jumped around when you swayed your hips one more time, pointing both your fingers at them to lure them closer.

Samuel put the glass down, walking to you first. His palms copied the motion of your hips, his pelvis joining yours in the provocative movements. Charlie would be good with just watching Sam kissing you slowly as you danced, yet he didn't miss on the opportunity to press his chest on your back. The bulge on your ass showed you that he's into that as well.

Gently, you let Samuel's lips go, searching for the back of Cutter's head. When you found it, you let him kiss you as well, moaning again at the sensation. Each of you was moving the same rhythm and you were nothing but three bodies slowly destroyed with lust. While Sam kissed your neck and pulled your jeans a bit lower with his fingers, Charlie was kissing you and palming these incredible two girls you had on your chest.

"What about a quick shower before the long night, lovebug?" - Sam breathed out into your neck, slowly getting the pants even lower. Cutter slowly leaned from your lips, having you looking at him like the baby girl you were. - "Mate's idea is great, cutie. Come or we'll show you how bad girls are treated." - The older man agreed with Samuel, taking your hand and leading you to the bathroom. You made sure to drag Samuel along as well, giving him a sweet smile when you did so.

The bathroom was horrendously huge as well. Charlie might have some problems with small spaces in the end. Cutter was there to snap you out of the trance by taking the bra off of you and letting it fall on the ground along with your jeans. You helped him with kicking at away, walking to the shower right after that. You hated the England plumbing system. Once the water poured down on you, you yelled when it was ice-cold, then it suddenly went boiling and it took you almost ten minutes before you found the temperature you were okay with.

It was strange to see one of the men already naked, specifically cutter, but the other one leaning into the counter with a sink, lighting another cigarette up. Samuel loved the sight in front of him. It didn't strike him that your make-up was already smudged and your hair wet, he was in love with the gaze you were giving him. You had the vibe of an animal standing in the lights of a car, partially covering yourself with your hands while showing him these exquisite buttcheeks. Jesus, you were beautiful.

"You're not coming in?" - You asked, already feeling Charlie standing not even feet away from you. To make you more relaxed, Cutter started with massaging your back with some shower gel, earning an honest smile from you. But Samuel shook his head, enjoying the scenery. - "I'm good just here, baby."

There was something wickedly erotic about watching his friend getting a girl prepared, just as something was turning on you when you saw Samuel’s eyes not moving away from you. - "Drake, that cabinet on the right, third shelf. Fetch me the wipes." - Charlie turned your face to him, smiling at you while his fingers smoothed the hair off your face. Sure, your make up was running. - "Am I that ugly?" - You asked both the boys, earning a gentle ass slap from the bald man.

"I don't want you to have some rash or a burned skin in the morning, pet, but if you're into this stuff, I won't be stopping you." - Charlie answered you, putting the showerhead in a different direction, looking at your face. To be honest, you hadn't met a guy who would remember this sort of stuff. And it was nice of both of them. Charlie had some gentle-ass fingers, gently wiping every last shit off your face.

Holy shit, you even had the natural beauty other girls could dream about. That was a thing which made his boner go even wilder. And being the little minx you were, you pushed your belly to meet it, nettling it with all the gentleness. - "You little naughty girl." - Cutter laughed at you, still holding the wipe between his fingers before smiling down on you. It didn't take him long before he leaned in, pressing your back to the wall so you would have a good view on Samuel, who was watching the action with a contained smile.

It was just the way you hoped it would be - Cutter was quick and skilled with that mouth, slipping down on his knees before you could say shit. His palm slipped directly between your thighs, playing with you for a second before he turned his head to Samuel. You had already been smiling and biting your lip because it felt nice to feel a man down there.

"You should feel how wet this pet is, mate." - Cutter his at Drake who was staring in your eyes the whole time. Your expression changed fairly fast as Cutter worked wonders with entering you and slipping out. For a moment, your mouth was opened, then you bent it until touched the wall, moaning into the ceiling and after that, you closed your eyes, moaning Cutter’s surname. When you would swear it couldn't get better, Cutted swung your leg over his shoulder, burying his face between your legs.

At that sight, Samuel licked his lips, feeling himself getting seriously hard in those pants. Both your palms smoothed the back of the Britishman’s head, pushing him further in. Your breasts were rising and falling in the unsteady rhythm of your breathing, you were barely speaking.

For real, your inability to speak was perfectly reasonable. Cutter knew how to work a girl up until the point she goes crazy for the D, although that night, he was aware that you weren't only his plaything. Cutter was holding back and you still screamed his surname soon enough, holding your head in place, staring into Samuel's eyes. The music changed into something edgier and inviting.

There was a moment when you got lost in the moment, holding Cutter in his place, focusing on the rhythm of his tongue. You could feel all the gentles sucks and swirls, making you weaker and weaker. Along with the fingering, it was a heavenly combination. And you got really surprised when another hand-pulled Charlie from finishing you off completely.

"Let's go the bed, I want to play as well, pal." - Sam smiled wickedly, watching you fighting for every small breath. It didn't mean shit that you were all wet from the water because soon enough, your back leaned into Sam's chest. He already took off his t-shirt, kneeling on the bed in jeans.

Charlie took his time to dry the worst off, waking into the room after you with his pants back on, having a visible bulge in his groin. His chin was still provocatively glistering as he kneeled in front of you, smiling at Sam when his palm caressed your inner thigh.

Was this a hell or heaven? It was hard to tell the difference when you watched Cutter kissing the other thigh. Just when you wanted to circle the back of his head again, Samuel kept your palms directly in place. It was making you feel safe to hold and direct Cutter during eating you out, yet the discomfort to use them make you even wetter. You couldn't stop him once you'll cum. Which meant that you'll be at Charlie's grace.

"Look at him, honey, come on." - Samuel hugged your thighs with his knees, holding you in place. You did as you were told, feeling Drake gently biting on your neck. - "I want you to look at this guy while he'll eating your pussy out, be a doll, will you?" - Drake kissed your ear gently and you nodded, staring at Charlie when he dove back inside, making sure that his fingers are all the way in.

"Her throat, mate." - Charlie mumbled with a concentrated face, having Sam understand immediately. Another palm circled your throat skillfully, squeezing it just enough to have you on the edge, yet not hurting you or have you feeling uncomfortable. - "Attagirl." - Charlie hummed before kissing the sweet spot and curling his fingers inside of you. He had you moaning in a matter of seconds. Cutter spread your legs, even more, having a contained smile of a small boy on his face.

They knew what they were doing, which was evident from each move. They might be in the bed for the first together, but their teamwork was undeniable. While Samuel was praising you for being such a good girl, he made sure you won't try to touch Cutter and as a bonus, he was gently holding your throat. Cutter showed you his giving nature, making you cum twice before he was done with you. At the second one, he had you screaming and rolling eyes, and in those moments, you were beautiful.

After that, he gave Samuel a nod. His jaws needed some rest, so it was up to Drake to have his fun with you. Not for too long, of course, but enough time to get the fun started and some time for a cigarette.

You were ready with your eyes closed, sweat all over your body, your legs were performing a straightway spread eagle when Samuel was getting ready. Sam was looking down on you, taking in all of the beauty while Charlie sat in the corner, having a bulge in his pants and juices all over his face. You didn't know why didn't he wiped them off, yet it felt vulgar to see him wearing a piece of you in such an erotic manner.

There was something vulgar and erotic about seeing his friend fucking a woman he was into as well for Cutter. But he couldn't help himself at the moment he got up and got ready the tease the shit out of Drake.

"Are you sure what to do here, mate? Wanna help?" - Cutter broke the silence, walking next to the bed. His palm gently smoothed your hair, traveling down to cup your breast just moments after that. A moan could be heard when he gently teased your nipple.

"What the fuck are you trying to say, you fuck? Of course, I know what to do." - Samuel frowned, being taken back by Charlie's question. It completely ruined the flow inside Sam's head yet at that moment, you weren't that invested in the actual conversation since Cutter's palms were still playing with you, slowly smoothing your skin until it lingered above your pelvis.

"Sure looks like it, punk. Wanna me to show you how to please a woman?" - Cutter looked Sam in the eyes, completely ignoring his friend being naked.

"Excuse me? You have nothin' on me, so fuck off, sit down and watch." - Samuel hissed back, being completely taken away. Cutter rose his eyebrows, smoothing you with the tips of his fingers, slipping back between your thighs.

"Move, nitwit, I'll show you magic." - Charlie gently pushed Samuel away, still working wonders down there. Yet this time, you paid attention since the warmth around your ankles disappeared.

"Magic up my ass, it's my turn. Fuck off." - Samuel pushed him back, not violently, but it was enough for even the palm between your legs to disappear. You pushed them back together immediately, sitting up to look at these two idiots with your mouth open. What the hell was happening there?

"You fuck off, Drake, or should I show you what a man's punch looks like?" - Cutter threw the cigarette to the ashtray, standing up in front of Sam. Your eyes widened when you realized. These two were fighting. So you got on your knees, putting a hand of both naked chests.

"Boys, is this about trying to figure out who can piss further, or will you have some with me? Calm down, act like damn adults." - You mumbled, shaking your head. Were they forty or fucking five? It was hard to tell, yet more likely, they were mentally children.

"She's right. And you should be glad that she’s here because, under different circumstances, you'd get your face punched." - Cutter stepped back again while slapping you asscheek before sitting back into his chair. It could be felt that for Cutter, slaps on your ass are more or less showing a sings of affection - it never hurt and after each of them, he always gave you a heartwarming smile.

You wondered if he does it normally, in his everyday life. You always found it cute when a man caught his loved one's bottom, slapped it gently, or just held it. He sure seemed like that kind of a man.

After a small smile, you put your focus back on Samuel. The music playing was the only thing you heard when you leaned into the man, tugging him in for a kiss. And it wasn't just any kind of kiss - his palm tugged your hair harshly to lay you down. He crawling on top of you in the process. The warmth of his body never left you for a moment, the pressure on your hair didn't disappear either. Samuel was the boss for the moment and you were fully on board with that fact.

You didn't expect the first penetration come with such a force and as soon as it did. This man had it written in his face - the smile was telling you that he's an animal and that soon, you'll scream for God to help you while Cutter will be just sitting there and watching you. The pace of the act was fast; Sam was doing a lot of things, but riding your wet cunt slowly? That wasn’t one of them. It didn't take him even a minute to make you arch your back and to scratch his shoulders when you tried to keep up with him.

It wasn’t brutal or enjoyable, no, but it was a bit rougher than what you were used to, that was all. And you didn't want the man to stop at all, you did all you could to match his pace. There was scratching, begging, moaning, rolling your eyes, sloppy kisses. It was a cute show to watch you two fucking for Cutter. It could be heard that Drake knows what he's doing, especially when he slipped out and pulled back in forcefully.

The most magnificent moment of the whole show came when you rose your knees to circle Samuel’s hips as you turned your had to the other man in the chair. Cutter leaned closer too, gazing back into your eyes. - "Oh my fucking God." - Was a single scream before you came with an animalistic growl, shaking violently under the American, making him chuckle as he stood up.

"I think this girl is ready for the last number of the night." - Samuel kissed your shoulder, looking at Cutter while palming himself. Charlie smiled as well, having a similar position in his head as well.

"Last number of the night?" - You chuckled, still feeling the heights of orgasm crawling inside your body. Cutter licked his lips as his trousers fell to his ankles, gently turning on your belly. These men were something else. Were you ready for one last time? - "Of course, pet, there will be more coming in the morning." - Cutter bit your earlobe as you felt him entering you again. You couldn't see his member properly, yet he wasn’t the smallest at all.

"Use your elbows, honey. It'll be better." - Sam smiled and kneeled to gave you a kiss when he saw your eyes getting teary. Of course, every position was just the question of the time you get used to it, but this was something extremely new. You did doggy style before, but after just ending with one man to have another entering you, that was something. After the kiss, Charlie finally moved inside and caught your hips to let you get used to the rhythm of the sloppy fucking. Sam could see how contained he feels and on the way you put your hands to support your face, it seemed that you're starting to feel it too.

That was also the moment when you realized why Samuel is standing with his dick directly centimeters from your face. And also the comment about elbows made sense suddenly. With a quick sigh, you leaned in to lick at least the tip of it, only for Cutter to pull you back, getting all of him inside of you. The bald man was teasing the shit out of you until the moment you grabbed Sam’s thigh and clenched your nails to keep him close. He, on the other hand, grabbed your hair rather forcefully leading the place.

Sam checked for tears or red flags all the time - if you wouldn't like sucking his cock, he would just jerk it off. If you'd like to vomit, he would stop immediately. But just when he hit the back of your mouth, you slipped even further down, completely ignoring the gagging reflex. At that feeling, he bent his head backward with a lustful chuckle, putting the second hand into your hair as well.

"Jesus, mate. This feels so good." - Cutter hummed, slapping your ass again. Slowly, he was increasing the speed of his tempos, now getting at the speed of a drill. Samuel smiled at his remark, watching his cock inside your mouth. - "This one’s cute and handy. We hit the jackpot."

Not too long after both boys praising the living fuck out of you, Charlie became ruthless, bouncing your ass on his dick roughly to chase the release. Sam knew that this would be too much, so he stepped back whole having one of his palms entwined with yours, finishing himself off.

To be honest, you felt good. You have never felt better. You accepted Sam’s help with getting into the bathroom to clean both of you from the cum, letting Cutter change the sheets since the cum was everywhere there as well. The bald man landed you one of his flannel, old shirts, letting you lay the way you felt the most comfortable on his fucking huge bed, turning on the TV for you so you could watch something before the men finish the rest, like cleaning themselves, changing into fresh clothes and cleaning up the bedroom.

It was nice, even when the whole thing was done. The men were joking, chuckling, and checking on you. They made you even something to eat before going to sleep.

"How you're feeling, missy?" - Cutter asked and smoothed the hair off your face. Your smile was beaming through the dark bedroom. Only a blind person wouldn't see how tired you were, but you were happy. Such good sex... Who wouldn't be happy? - "It’s Y/N."

Sam surprised chuckled from smoothing your back. - "You didn't even know her name? Oh, Charles..." - Samuel sighed, kissing the back of your neck gently before leaning his chin into your shoulder to watch the movie on the TV.

"I still like pet better." - Charlie smiled, getting up from the bed to give you a small notebook. - "Would like to have your number if it wouldn't be a problem." - The Britishman asked and looked at the movie too.

"Why?" - You asked, but you wrote your name, surname and phone number in nonetheless, adding a small smiley-face at the end.

"Drake and I happen to travel the world often these days, and it would be a pleasure to meet you again. I mean, inside of the bed or in it, it doesn't matter." - Cutter disappeared with the small notebook, and you turned your face to Drake still resting his chin on your shoulder. He didn't look at you, but he did smile.

Boys weren't lying to you. In the morning, you had a pretty sweet waking up with Charles between your legs, seeing Mr. Drake in the bathroom right after that. They rode you back to the hotel, saying goodbye with the sweetest smiles and kisses. And soon after you got back home, you already got a text message.

When you're free?

[hazelnmae]

Lies Travel Faster: Chapter Nine

Summary: Sophia Murphy’s life seems to be on the upswing when she takes a job with Birmingham’s notorious Shelby Company Ltd. But when she falls for her boss, CEO and ruthless gangster, Tommy Shelby, she finds herself wrapped up in a tangled web of danger and deceit. After all, lies travel faster than the truth.

Tags: Tommy Shelby x Original Female Character; Tommy/Assistant Trope (it’s a hill I’ll die on)

Warnings: angst; smut; violence; language; rape/non-con; death

CHAPTER 9 (read Chapter 8 or start at the beginning with Chapter 1)

Tommy only made it three pages into the book before his son was asleep in his arms. After placing Charlie back into his bed, Tommy retired to his own. He’d had time now to calm down, but he was still thinking of her. The taste of her lips, the feel of her tongue pulling at his and her soft hands in his hair. He undressed to rid himself of the smell of her and climbed into bed, hoping for sleep, although he feared it wouldn’t come.

The door opened with a slow creak and Tommy turned to see her sneaking into the room. He could only make out the shape of her through the moonlight and expected her to say something from where she stood. Shock pulsed through him as she climbed on top of his body and anchored herself on his lap. He could see now that she wasn’t wearing her night dress, but only a bra and lace panties. Immediately Tommy grabbed at her. He’d dreamed of this moment so many times and had come so close to making it a reality in his office earlier that night. He wasn’t going to let it slip away from him again.

He pulled her down, her chest meeting his, and wrapped an arm around her. His other hand grabbed at her face and slid into her hair as he found her lips with his own.

Sophie.

She was soft but moved roughly. She was passionate. Her tongue fought with his for control of their kiss. She began rocking her hips against his and he felt a low moan grow deep in his chest as his desire crashed against the walls he’d so meticulously put up.

God, Sophie.

Her breath became heavy, growing into deep but quick pants for air. He moved his tongue to her neck, finding the spot below her ear that had been so delicious for them both earlier in the evening. As he reached to untie the ribbon holding her bra closed, she whispered in his ear, “Mr. Shelby.”

Tommy froze.

“Mr. Shelby,” she said in a full voice now. “It’s your brother.”

Something was wrong. He couldn’t smell her perfume. He couldn’t feel the warmth from her body.

“Mr. Shelby, I’m sorry to wake you. Sir, it’s your brother,” she said, looking into his eyes now.

Tommy sat up in a start to find Frances in his doorway.

“I’m sorry to wake you, sir, but he says it’s urgent,” She said now.

“I’m awake,” Tommy replied, rubbing his face in frustration. “I’m on my way,” he grumbled.

Wrapping himself in his robe and returning to his office to take the phone call was a challenge. He was unsteady on his feet, drunk off the dream he’d awoken from.

____________________

Bonnie Gold and Goliath would face off in a fine ring constructed in a large opera hall. Tommy had arranged the purse and was ready to collect and then move on with the next and final step in his plan against Changretta.

The entire Shelby clan poured into the opera hall as Sophie watched from the street.

Two days had passed since the night in his office and she’d somehow successfully avoided Tommy since, despite the fact that she still slept down the hall from him each night and worked right outside of his office each day. It helped that Tommy, too, avoided the situation, deciding he couldn’t handle preparing for the fight, planning to take on Changretta, and falling in love all at the same time.  

Sophie watched until Tommy was out of sight and eventually followed the crowd into the building, choosing to sit with Ada and Linda across the ring from him. They made eye contact a few times throughout the evening, but neither one chose to acknowledge the other.

At the close of the first round, she made a trip to the to the washroom with Ada and Linda. The ladies they passed around their whiskey and watched Linda partake in her husband’s bad habit as she snorted a few lines of snow. She was still struggling to sleep a full night since bringing home their son and, as far as Sophie was concerned, deserved a night out as much as any of them. She found herself enjoying the evening, not thinking of Tommy for the first time all night.

That’s when they heard gunshots.

Sophie stood looking into the mirror, preparing to reapply her bright red lips, when the sound rang out. They ran from the washroom and saw him standing in the ring, shooting his gun above his head.

“My brother is dead!”

It’s all Sophie heard before it was replaced with a deafening ring in her ears. She and Ada immediately caught Linda as she slumped between them. Polly rushed to her side, seemingly from nowhere, wrapping her arms around Linda and speaking quietly into her ear.

In the ensuing chaos, they rushed to help Linda out of the building. None of them noticed the Italians who hurried out with them.

________________________

He’d been betrayed.

There was no other explanation. As he looked around the small room at the family that surrounded him, he found himself thinking the unthinkable– could it have been one of them? He hung his head low as he tried to push the thoughts out of his mind.

Arthur was alive, sitting in the corner drinking whiskey, but was worse for wear. The deep cut along his throat served as evidence of someone’s betrayal.

Tommy searched his memory, thinking about the last few months–wondering who may stand to gain from opening the door to the Italians.

And for the second time since he met her, he found himself suspicious of Sophie.

Polly had told him once before that love could blind him. And it had. He’d been blinded by Grace. Tommy wasn’t one to reflect on his feelings often, but he had been thinking of Sophie more and more. Was that moment of passion an attempt to disarm? Could she have played along in helping with the attack only because Changretta had a bigger plan for tonight?

He raised his head slowly but his heart quickened. Arthur seemed to know what he was thinking when he caught Tommy’s gaze from across the room.  He looked at his brothers, then to his cousin.

Pointing his finger at Michael, he simply barked his order.

“Go find her.”

___________________

Michael found her helping Linda into the car.

“Leaving so soon?” he asked through the smoke from his cigarette.

“Michael, what’s going on? They said someone was killed.” Sophie was panicked now, but tried to contain her voice to a whisper. “Was it Arthur? Where are the boys?”

“Come with me,” he said, grabbing her wrist and leading her back toward the building. He swung the door open quickly and led her into a dark hallway, one instantly familiar to Sophie.

Her mind flashed back to her dream. This was the hallway–the one where Tommy had died, over and over in her nightmare. She tried to steady herself against the wall, but Michael didn’t let her slow down. He just kept pulling at her until they reached a room at the end of the hallway.

“This place, it’s– it’s from my dream,” she muttered, reaching for Tommy as soon as she turned the corner. She searched his body for a wound, pulling his jacket away and frantically moving her hands over his chest, back, and arms.

“Was it a dream, Sophie, or was it a plan?”

It took a moment for her to register what he’d asked. When it hit her, she looked up to find anger in his piercing eyes.

“What?” Was the only response she could manage.

“Someone gave us up,” Michael added now, from behind them. “Someone let Changretta’s men in here tonight.”

“And you think it was me?” Sophie asked looking around the room.

“You’re not denying it.” Arthur added from the corner. He could barely talk, but he managed to get the insult out. How he could possibly think this of Sophie–how any of them could–was baffling. And beyond painful. She’d considered them all family. Thought she’d proven that more than once. Had helped Tommy best Changretta. Risked her own life to do it.

Steeling herself to their reactions, Sophie said, “Well, it seems like you’ve already made up your mind about it.”

She turned to storm from the room when Tommy grabbed her arm, spun her to face him, and pushed her back against the wall–holding her by her chin.

“What, you’ve been in Changretta’s pocket all this time, eh?” he growled, his face just inches from hers. His nostrils flared as he fought the urge to hit her. “All of this was a lie, right? You give me up now?”

“I told you everything I knew,” Sophie managed to squeeze out through his tightening grip on her face.

“That is my fucking brother,” he spat, as he pointed toward Arthur.

She tried to glance in his direction, but could barely see Arthur’s eyes now through the blood smeared all over his face. Tears welled in her own eyes.

“And my fucking brother,“ she countered. “You told me I was family, Tommy.”

Tommy slammed his free hand against the wall next to her head. He loosened his grip, but refused to fully release her. He continued to search her face for an answer.

“Tommy.” John spoke up now and tried to calm his brother. “She’s right. Sophie is one of us, remember.”

“Family doesn’t do this,” Arthur said to no one in particular.

“No they don’t,” John said pulling Tommy away from her.

John stood between them, looking into his brothers eyes. But Tommy didn’t release his gaze until his breathing calmed.

He finally turned away from them and ordered, “Just get her out of here.”

________________________

For all her desire not to, Sophie returned to work the next day. She’d spent the night in her own flat, refusing to return to Arrow House. She’d collapsed on the sofa after downing a few glasses of whiskey and finding herself too exhausted to climb the stairs to her lonely bedroom.

She was desperate for some semblance of normalcy and she knew she’d never move on if she couldn’t pick herself back up after a fall. She also couldn’t afford to quit her job so she decided to hold her head high and walk right into the office like nothing happened.

And she did.

Much to her relief, Tommy never came in that day–or the next.

She had enough work to keep her busy, regardless of whether or not he was in the office. On the second day, Polly stopped by to deliver paperwork to Tommy. Sophie fought the urge to ask where he may be, but Polly offered the information freely anyway.

“Tommy’s in Margate,” she said, after dropping the papers on Tommy’s desk and returning to the open room.

After making small talk she revealed they’d decided it must have been Alfie Solomons who turned on them. Sophie was relieved to be out of suspicion, but Alfie’s guilt didn’t change the fact that Tommy and Arthur had been so quick to mistrust her.

“For what it’s worth, none of us truly thought it was you,” Polly offered.

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

Sophie just forced a small smile and turned back to her work. She no longer had the energy, nor the desire, to give a damn.

____________________

Sophie returned home that day hoping to have one evening without seeing or speaking to any member of the Shelby family–one evening of peace. She sat by an opened window, grateful for warmer spring days that allowed her to enjoy fresh air, though she found herself longing for the clean air of the countryside and not the smell of industry that poured into her flat in Small Heath.

That’s when the knock came.

She opened the door to find Tommy, blood dripping from his hand onto the floor.

He removed his hat but said nothing.

She was tempted to slam the door in his face, but let him in instead–assuming he’d come for help with his injury instead of conversation. She followed his lead and helped him remove his jacket without saying a word.

Tommy had been shot.

Her dream made reality, although the seriousness of the injury was different. He was shot in the arm and he needed her help to remove the bullet.

“Still not safe to visit the hospitals?” She asked, motioning for him to sit on the table and moving to collect the tools she’d need to work on his arm. Her hands worked without the help from her brain, searching drawers for tweezers, sterile cloths, anything she may need to dig into his flesh and remove the bullet. As she moved, her mind raced, replaying the dream she’d had over and over.

Tommy didn’t answer her but it didn’t matter, she went to work.

“Hold still,” she ordered. “I don’t have a proper antiseptic, so I’ll need to douse it in alcohol.”

She poured from a bottle of rum she’d found in the cabinet and dug in. Tommy wrenched forward with a loud, deep groan, but after some work she removed the bullet and dropped it into the small glass jar on the table. Before he could say a word, she poured again from the rum bottle onto the open wound, pulling another moan of pain from Tommy’s throat.

As she got to work on his stitches Tommy finally looked at her. He was panting for breath but he watched as she focused intently on the task at hand.

Still refusing to make eye contact, she cleaned and stitched the wound then worked to move her tools to the sink. All along ignoring the painful silence that lay between them.

“Thank you,” he finally said in his low brum. A few days ago that brum would have unraveled her. Now, though, she was more resolute than ever to fight its pull.

“Of course,” is all she said as she cleaned her tools, back turned to him.

She heard him behind her now, approaching closer.

“I made a mistake,” he said.

And if she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was apologizing–humbled, even.

Finally turning to face him, Sophie replied, “Yeah, I think I did too.”

She hung her head, fighting back the tears threatening to spill and reveal her pain. Instead, she focused on drying her hands on her apron. She saw his feet in front of her just seconds before she felt him lift her chin. “Sophie,” he pleaded.

And just like that, it burst forth. The pain and frustration he’d caused her. The resentment that had bottled up as she found herself drawn to a man who couldn’t trust her, let alone love her back. And just like that, she said it. All of it.

“What do you want from me?” She asked, pushing his hand away. “You spend months letting me in, then–, then you push me away. I spend all of this time worried about you, knowing you’d get shot, which you did by the way!” She was shouting now. “God, these last two days. But then–, But–, you accuse me of working with him. What the fuck is that, Tommy? As if this is all my fault. Did you really believe that?”

Crying, she lowered her voice and continued.  “And now. This. Just. What the fuck do you want? What, Tommy. Please?”

He grabbed her, crashing his lips to hers in a rough kiss. It’s what she’d wanted–what she’d really been seeking for days now. But she wasn’t going to give into it again.

She pushed him away, shaking her head.

Tommy stood still, wanting so badly to close the space between them again, but knowing he couldn’t cross it. Not now.

“You said when this Changretta mess was over that I could come home,” she said, looking away.

“It’s not done, Sophie.”

“No, but this is over.” She motioned to the space between them. “And I’m home. And I just want it all to go back to the way it was. Before.”

“That’s what you want?” he asked, raising his head higher, as if challenging her–tying to call her bluff.

“Yes,” she said with more confidence than she felt.

Tommy just nodded and walked toward the door. As he pulled his coat on with some difficulty, he cleared his throat and said, “I’ll send your things.”

With that, she heard his footsteps make way back down the hall and the door shut behind them.

All of the pain that had been sitting in her throat burst forth with a sob as her tears finally flowed freely.

________________________

Read Chapter 10

Hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you do!