𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
-𝟎𝟏𝟕-

"Thank you, Isiah." Valerie thanked as she held Francesca's hand. He nodded at her through the window. Valerie and Francesca walked along the gravel and into their home. "It's so lovely to have you home, Mrs Shelby." Mary greeted them at the door.

"It's lovely to be back." She smiled at the woman.

"I had the chef begin preparing dinner when we heard you'd be coming home. It'll be out on the table shortly." She said.

Valerie nodded. "If there's enough you and the others can eat too. I can imagine he's cooked something nice for our return." She joked slightly.

Mary's expression remained serious. "He always does, Mrs Shelby. We all respect you in this house." She said.

Valerie placed a hand on her chest. "Thank you, Mary." Valerie said. "Come on, love." She ushered Francesca along. The brunette girl held onto her mother's hand as they walked to the drawing room.

"Will daddy be home tonight?"

Valerie shook her head. "He's staying with your Auntie Ada tonight, my girl. But maybe he will be back tomorrow." She said, going over to pour herself a glass of gin. "If he doesn't fuck anybody.." She whispered to herself.

-

Tommy opened the door, stepping inside and waiting for Grace to enter before closing it behind him. She walked in cautiously. "Is this your house?" She asked.

"Yes." He lied. "Have a seat."

Grace sat opposite him. "Do I not get a drink?" She asked. He put a cigarette between his lips. "Please." He nodded in allowance. "You want one?" She stood to go to the drinks tray. "Yes." He answered simply. "Still whiskey?"

"Yes."

"What other things have changed? I saw vans with your names on them at the docks." She spoke. "Yes, some things have changed." He said, eyes angled toward the floor. She handed him a drink.

"You're still married?" She asked when seeing the ring on his finger.

Tommy hummed. "I am." He nodded once. "You have a child." She said. He clicked his tongue off the roof of his mouth. "Do I?" He raised a brow. Grace looked away, brushing his answer off and being unsure what he meant.

"Tommy, I really wasn't sure about coming tonight." Grace admitted

"Lit a fire in the bedroom upstairs. My plan was that we would sit here for a while, talk about old times, drink some whiskey.. and I was gonna tell you I hadn't spent a day without thinking about you and we were going to go upstairs and sleep together." Tommy told her. "Just now on the way to opening the door I changed my mind. So just have one drink, tell me how happy you are in New York and then you can go."

"You changed your mind?" She sounded offended. He hummed. "So you can go." He said. She scoffed. "As a matter of fact I am happy in New York and I am married."

"Oh, yes. He's rich, I know."

"And he's sweet." She scowled at Tommy. "And he's kind to me so what makes you think i'd have gone to bed with you after one whiskey and some conversation."

"I was accounting for three whiskeys." He shrugged.

"How dare you." Grace hissed.

"Doesn't matter now cause i've changed my mind." He tapped his cigarette on the ashtray. "I came here cause you asked me." Grace said. "Even though he's sweet and he's kind to you?" Tommy asked.

"And now I feel like an idiot." She whispered.

"Well then go." He said. She muttered something to herself and finished her drink. "But you're still here." He continued.

"Are you so certain?" She squinted.

"That you're still in love with me?" Tommy asked. "I was. But i'm not anymore." He told her. "You're not armed, Grace, are you?"

"No, i'm not armed. I don't carry guns. I don't have to."

"You don't have a sense of humour anymore either." He noted. "What are you talking about?" She retorted. Tommy got up and sat beside her.

"Thing is... I hate reunions. I didn't want to sit here for hours and talk about nothing and dancing around what we really want to say so now I know you're happy in New York. I know your husband is rich and sweet and he's kind to you. I know you're unarmed. You know I'm married and you didn't come here for sex cause you don't love me a more. And it's only three minutes past. Another drink?"

He got up. "I'll take that as a yes." He said. "It's good to see you Grace."

"What's she like?" Grace asked. "Your wife." She couldn't remember Valerie's name. Tommy hummed. "Too good for me." He said truthfully. "Too smart, too." He added. "But yet she stays with me because i'm raising her daughter."

Grace said. "Her daughter?"

"We married because she was pregnant and it was my fault the father wouldn't be around." Tommy said carefully. "And because the father didn't know, I offered to stand in."

Grace nodded. "That's very kind, Tommy."

"I know." He breathed. "But now i'm living with the guilt of stealing fatherhood from my own fucking brother." He turned away to pour the drinks.

Grace's eyes were wide. His brother? She said nothing about that.

"So you didn't light the fire?" She asked.

"You see my real plan was that we go out. I want to impress you. Now, do you like Charlie Chaplin?" Tommy spoke. She laughed lightly. "Yes, I like Charlie Chaplin."

"Good. I bet you've never heard Charlie Chaplin speak."

-

Valerie walked through the house when the phone began ringing. "Just a minute, Mary!" She called out, knowing that dinner was on the table. "Hello?"

"Valerie." Ada spoke quietly.

"Ada? Is everything okay?" Valerie folded her arms in confusion. Ada took a deep breath. "I really didn't want to cause any trouble.." Ada hesitated.

"If something had happened you can tell me." Valerie assured her.

"Thomas and Grace met up tonight." She admitted, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. "And the only reason I am telling you is because I respect you, Valerie. And I feel you deserve to know what he is getting up to before he returns to your bed."

Valerie raised a brow and smirked slightly. "Thank you, Ada. I appreciate it. He won't find out you told me. You have my word."

"Thank you, Valerie. I hope this didn't ruin your night."

"No, not at all. If anything it made it better." She said. "Anyway, goodnight." She said before putting the phone down. Valerie looked over her shoulder before dialling one of the only numbers she had memorised.

It rang for a few moments before someone picked up.

"The Garrison Tavern."

"Is John Shelby there?" She asked. "Who's asking?" Harry, the barman, questioned. "It's Valerie, Harry." She said, almost laughing that he didn't recognise her voice. He chuckled. "My apologies." He said. "I'll get him for you now."

A few moments later, John held the phone to his ear. "Val? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Perfect, actually. Although I need your help. Is there any way for you to get to Arrow House before midnight?" She asked, making sure not to tell him why.

John checked his pocket watch. "Yeah." He said.

Before he could say any more, Valerie put the phone down and walked into the dining room where Mary stood, watching over Francesca as she ate.

"Thomas' brother is coming to stay as a guest tonight." Valerie announced. "Have somebody light a fire in one of the rooms." She said, grinning to herself. Mary nodded once and left them to eat.

"Who's coming, mummy?"

"Your uncle John, love." Valerie said, sitting and beginning to eat. "You'll probably be asleep by the time he gets here but he will still be here in the morning."

-

Valerie stood at the upstairs hall window and watched as the car pulled into the driveway. Francesca had been put down to bed a while ago. She stood at the top of the stairs and watched as the door opened. John quietly closed it behind him.

As he turned, he saw Valerie at the top of the stairs. "Did something happen?"

"No. Well, yes. Something happened." Valerie spoke. He hung up his hat and coat. He began walking toward the stairs. "Grace is back if you didn't know. She and Thomas met up tonight. God only knows what they're getting up to." She grinned.

John ascended the stairs and quickened his pace when she spun on her heels and went toward her bedroom. He followed after her and closed the door.

A fire was lit at the end of the room.

A silence lingered over them but the sexual tension between them both seemed more intense than it had ever been before.

She placed two hands on his chest and slid his suit jacket from his shoulders, folding it over the chair. She held eye contact with him as she unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the white undershirt beneath it.

Moment later, John tried to kiss her and just as he got close, she pulled her head back. He closed his eyes in defeat and she chuckled. She held the sides of his arms and guided him toward the bed, pushing him gently. He sat and held her hips.

Valerie climbed onto his lap and John looked up at her. He used a hand to untie the silk robe that had been tied around her body. As it fell from her shoulders, it revealed her bare body.

His eyes grew wide and his heart quickened as she moved her hips back and forth slowly, creating friction. John swallowed hard and squeezed her sides. Valerie could feel him beneath her and her grin grew wide. He bit down on his tongue as his breathing got heavy.

Seconds later, he lifted her with one arm and flipped her over so she was on her back and he was hovering over her. She gasped and looked at him.

They stayed like that for a moment before Valerie reached for the button on his trousers. She undid it quickly and help him pull them down.

John cupped her face and began kissing her aggressively before she pushed her hips upward. He groaned and kissed her harder, reaching to pull down the undershorts he wore beneath his trousers.

Valerie gasped and placed a hand on the back of his head. He moved slowly. Their bodies moved in sync with each other, fitting like two jigsaw pieces. She tilted her head back but John grabbed her chin, forcing him to look at her.

Their eyes were full of lust.

"I want you, Valerie." John whispered to her, his breath hot on her skin. "You can have me. All of me." Valerie told him. Their hands intertwined and John kissed along her collarbone. "It's you, John. It's always been you." She admitted breathlessly.

-

Valerie and John lay tangled up in the sheets. She had her head resting on his chest whilst his arms were wrapped around her. He ran his hand up and down her arm as they looked at the burning fire.

He kissed the top of her head and she smiled slightly. A slight doubt had dawned on her though. She felt then would be the perfect time to tell John. She just couldn't find the words.

"I don't know what he sees in Grace." John spoke, catching her off guard. "Neither." Valerie admitted. "She betrayed the family and he just doesn't seem to care." She said. "If that was you or Arthur you'd be banished from the bloody country."

"He picks favourites." John told her. "And I'm clearly not one of them."

She sat in and leaned on her elbow. John looked down at her and tucked a lock of her hair behind one of her ears. "I have something to tell you.." she admitted. He frowned. "And I wasn't going to tell you yet but it's been eating me up inside these past few months and you deserve to know. I've kept it from you for far too long."

"You're worrying me." John said.

"When I was pregnant and Tommy offered to marry me.." She began.

"Listen if you're going to tell me that you'd been sleeping with Tommy at the same time you were sleeping with me it's fine. It was your job and that isn't your fault." John said.

She shook her head. "No.." she swallowed. "That's the problem, John." Doubt crept up to her and she backed down. "I still loved you." She said, changing what she wanted to say.

She wanted to tell him the truth about Francesca. She really did. But she couldn't. Something was stopping her.

"Does Tommy know that?"

"Of course he fucking knows, John." Valerie said. "He knows everything. He sees everything. He knows I never stopped loving you. And, correct me if i'm wrong, that you never stopped loving me either."

"How could I have stopped loving you, Valerie?" He asked. "You were the first girl I ever truly loved."

"What about Lizzie? You almost married her?" Valerie joked.

"I was lonely." He admitted. "And she was good company. But then you came along and my whole perspective changed." He said.

Valerie listened to him speak and slowly drifted to sleep. And what she didn't realise was that he had gotten up at one point and sat at the small desk at the end of the room. His eyes lingered over the pile of paper and he saw a piece that held slight colour.

With a frown, he pulled it out and saw a gorgeous watercolour painting on it. It was simple but beautiful. John hummed in amusement. It had been a while since Valerie had picked up the paintbrush which was a shame. She had loved painting even before she got to Small Heath.

It was the only thing that kept her sane whilst living with her mother.

©-shelbysecret-
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Authors Note:

-It's time to say "thank you Ada."
- Also, what do you think of this chapter.
- Get excited for when John finds out about Francesca
- Any ideas for future chapters, let me know.

Any opinions leave here: