Angelina woke up in a cold sweat, her brother's face as he kneeled in the road with a gun to his head being the last picture imprinted in her mind before she awoke, bolt upright in a bedroom that took her a minute to recognise.

Her heart soon slowed and she calmed herself down, pulling the sheets up over her body and hugging her knees to her chest. She hated this. She hated not being in familiar surroundings, she hated feeling alone, and most of all she hated the fact that Thomas' letter had forced her to drink an entire bottle of rum before she could sleep the night before.

She'd hidden the letter in suitcase when she unpacked, deciding it was better for her to put away her things than the maid that worked for Alfie.

Once Angelina had come round, she found a note and a cup of tea on her bedside table. She picked up the cup and took a sip, reading the note as she did so.

'Lina,
I've gone to work but I'll be back around 7 tonight. Mary's around to take care of you, I've given her a list of your favourite foods. If you need anything, don't hesitate to give me a ring.
All my love,
Alfie'

She smiled, instantly feeling better after reading the note from Alfie. Though, she missed him already and she'd only been awake a few minutes.

Angelina eventually plucked up the courage to get dressed and head downstairs. She wandered quietly into the kitchen and found Mary cleaning the work surfaces, singing to herself.

"Good Morning Miss Santoro! Can I make you some breakfast?"

She was an elderly lady, early sixties with greying hair and a frail smile. She reminded Angelina of her grandmother, the way she wore her apron tied around her waist.

"Good Morning, please, call me Angelina."

She took a seat at the table and peered at the newspaper that was laying next to an untouched bowl of fruit.

"Angelina, of course. Now what can I get for you? Mr Solomons did give me a list but I thought I'd better ask you just incase."

"Just some toast will be fine, thank you. And another tea," Angelina lifted the empty tea cup in the air slightly with a smile, "If you wouldn't mind."

Once she'd had breakfast, Angelina decided she'd go for a walk. The sun was shining, despite the temperature being colder than it had been the past few months. She pulled on a brown fur coat with a pair of boots and headed out the door, following Mary's suggestion of a walk towards Primrose Hill.

People were a lot friendlier in London, so far. Gentleman tipping their hats towards Angelina as she walked by, some even telling her that she looked beautiful that morning. It made Angelina less apprehensive about her new home, if she could call it that. Part of her wanted it to be permanent, but the other half wished she'd be able to return to Small Heath.

Angelina walked a while longer, eventually taking a seat on a bench when she reached Primrose Hill. She sat for a few moments, taking in the view of London, before she took a double take at a gentleman walking past who she thought for a split second was Thomas. Though it turned out it was just a gentleman walking with the same arrogance and a cap without a blade.

She sighed, closing her eyes and thinking. The words from Thomas' letter hadn't stopped swirling around in her mind. He was in love with her. Thomas Shelby was in love with her. It was hard for Angelina to even comprehend the sincerity of Thomas' words, but it hadn't made her move to the capital any easier.

Angelina had been in denial for a long time about Tommy, but she knew deep down that she had developed feelings for him that weren't platonic. Angelina had found herself falling for him, as much as she resented him and the way he'd constantly ruin any expectations she had, she couldn't stop herself longing to lay beside him and look into his eyes the way they had done only one, meaningful time. Angelina knew Thomas thought about that night just as much as she did. It was the one time she saw the real Tommy. The caring, loving, emotional Thomas that wanted all of her, every last part.

But the world hadn't wanted it to happen that way.

Angelina pulled out a pen and a small notebook from inside her handbag.

'Thomas,' was all she managed to write.

She stared at the almost blank page, endless words were on the edge of her tongue, but she couldn't write a single one down. She was angry, upset, and worst of all, longing to see him.

Angelina didn't know why, she resented herself for it, but she found herself trying to push away the urge to see Thomas, to hear his voice and smell his cologne. He wasn't Alfie, he wasn't near the man Alfie was, but he was Thomas Shelby.

She ripped the page out from the notebook and let it float away in the wind. Angelina was in London, now. She was with Alfie, Alfie who adored her and worshiped the ground that she walked on. Alfie, the man that made her a cup of tea in the morning and told her that he loved her at every chance he could get.

Alfie, the man she was in love with.

But her mind was with Thomas, the man who was also in love with her.

She debated her actions for a long time. She watched the cars drive through London in the distance and watched people walk by, hand in hand, laughing together. This was a happier place than Birmingham. The sky was blue instead of grey and there weren't shadows that loomed over you wherever you walked. But it wasn't her home.

Angelina walked back in the direction of Alfie's house, stopping at the first pub she found. She walked up to the bar and smiled at the barman.

"What can I get you, darling?"

"Do you have a phone I could use please?"

"Oh I'm sorry love, we don't let-"

He stopped mid-sentence when Angelina slid a ten pound note across the bar towards him.

"Just down there, to the right."

Angelina smiled and nodded, following his directions and heading towards the phone.

She pulled out her notebook and flicked to the last page, dialling the number that she had scrawled down.

Waiting anxiously, Angelina licked her lips as she listened to the dial tone.

"Shelby Company Limited, this is Thomas speaking."

"Thomas?" Angelina's voice cracked as she whispered his name, her breath struggling to escape her lungs.

"Angelina? Angelina is that you? Are you alright?"

Angelina shook her head, blinking back tears that had welled in her eyes as soon as she heard Thomas' voice.

"Tommy, I, I read your letter."

"Oh, God, Angelina. Please just tell me you're alright?"

"I'm okay, I'm fine. I just...I'm confused."

She heard Tommy sigh loudly down the other end of the line. Squeezing her eyes shut, she so badly longed to feel him hugging her tightly, telling her that everything was going to be alright.

"I'm so sorry, Lina. I didn't want to upset you, I just want you to be happy."

"I wanted you to make me happy, Tommy."

Angelina was crying now, she desperately tried to keep in her tears and wiped her cheeks dry with the sleeve of her coat.

"You're too good for me Angelina, you deserve someone who can take care of you like Alfie. He loves you, I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you, he'd do anything for you."

Angelina gulped, inhaling a shaky breath.

"I saw the same thing in your eyes, Tommy. I saw it in your eyes first."

"God, what I'd give to be able to look into your eyes right now." Thomas' voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper. It reminded Angelina of the way he'd whispered sweet nothings into her ear as she drifted off to sleep beside him, his fingertips tracing her skin ever so gently.

"Is it true? Did you mean what you said in the letter?"

Tommy paused. All Angelina could hear was him breathing. Both of them were feeling sick, but neither of them knew.

"Yes." He finally answered.

"Then say it."

Thomas inhaled deeply and Angelina held the phone close to hear ear, her eyes closed and her head leaning against the wall, tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I'm in love with you, Angelina Santoro. I always have been, and I always will be."

an;;
double update today!! I love writing this so much, I'm so conflicted about who I want Angelina to be with though!
thank you for reading!
-martials