𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐆𝐎
chapter 14

The door opened and Harvey raised a brow. "Ada?" He asked — no, Ada was working. "It's just me." He heard John call back as the door closed. Soon John appeared at the living room door and Karl ran to him. John laughed and picked the boy up. "Afternoon.." He laughed at his nephew.

Harvey stood from the spot on the floor where he had been sat, playing with Karl and his toys.

"What're you doing here?" Harvey asked, sitting down on the couch. John put Karl back on his feet. "Thought i'd stop by before I go back to Birmingham." He replied, glancing around the room. "Where's Ada?"

"Working." Harvey sighed, pouring a cup of tea.

"You drink tea?" John chuckled, sitting beside him. Harvey nodded. "Cant be drinking whiskey when i'm looking after my son." He stated. "Would you like a cup?"

"Go on then." John leaned back.

Harvey poured him some tea and handed it to him. "So.." John began, and Harvey hesitantly looked at John. "Did you and Ada fix things?"

Harvey shook his head. "No, actually. We didn't have to— turns out she's leaving me." Harvey said bluntly. John sat up straight and his eyes widened ever so slightly. "She didn't say it like that.." he let out a breathy laugh and John's face relaxed, "she thinks we should spend some time apart." He seemed to mock her slightly.

"And.. how do you feel?"

"Would it be awful of me to say that i'm relieved?" Harvey questioned himself. John shook his head slowly. "My biggest concern is that she'll stop me from seeing Karl.. I mean, she says she won't but I can't help but worry."

"Our Ada might be harsh but she does have a heart in there somewhere." John laughed. "So what now?"

"We go on like nothing ever happened I suppose. As if me and Ada were only ever friends.. close friends." He suggested. John nodded slowly. "And for you? What will you do?" He asked.

"I don't know John." Harvey mumbled. "I've never really known.. have I?"

John stared at him for a few moments. "Esme's saying she wants to go home— back to the camp." He told Harvey. "Says that she's getting sick of this place, sick of me." He pursed his lips together. "Seems that yours and Ada's trouble has ended, mine and Esme's has just begun."

"That's always the way." Harvey shrugged. "How long are you staying for?"

"I plan to be home for the early evening." John  estimated. "Are you alright Harv?" He returned back to their previous conversation.

"Even if I wasn't— there's no changing her mind." He said.

John continued staring and nodded once. "One day we can run off together. How about that?" John suggested. Harvey frowned slightly. "Me and you.. we can leave everything behind. All this trouble and worry and we can be whoever we please."

"John what are you saying?"

"You know exactly what i'm saying." John whispered as if he was ashamed to be explicit about his words.

"No— no, I don't think I do." Harvey argued.

John forced a slight smile and looked down. "Maybe we could be happy together if times changed. If people began to learn that it isn't a crime not to match society's standards." John played with his hands nervously.

Harvey understood. "You understand me more than anybody else ever has John." Harvey whispered.

John stood abruptly and sniffed, looking away. "I best get going." He mumbled, rubbing his forehead. Harvey looked up at him. "Come here." John gestured. Harvey stood and John pulled him into a hug. "You know it'll all end up being okay. It'll all fall into place eventually." He whispered to him.

"I know." Harvey said, "look, it won't be long before I sort out my shit.. sort out where i'll go. I'll be in touch— who knows, I might end up back near you lot."

John seemed to let out a short laugh before cutting it off by a breath. "Listen, Harv.." He began, his tone making Harvey nervous, "I think you should still tell her. She deserves to know."

Harvey scratched the back of his neck.

"She deserves to know why her husband went so cold."

—

There was a knock on the door and Harvey was the one to go and open it, unsure who would be coming to see either of the couple on a Sunday. As he opened the door, he was surprised to be met with the face of Tommy Shelby himself.

"Tommy," He greeted, stepping aside.

"Harvey." He breathed, his eyebrows raised as usual whilst he walked through to find Ada sat reading the newspaper.

Harvey leaned against the doorframe.

"Your Brummie boys are all over the papers. Just one last push, eh? And then you'll go legit. Just one more obstacle to get round and then it'll all be straight." Ada mocked her brother.

He sat. "Actually, yes."

Ada let out a laugh of pity and kept her eyes on the paper. "Personally I find it quite amusing. Men like you are becoming very fashionable around here. No society party in London is complete without a gangster for the girls to go giddy for." Ada and Harvey locked eyes. "Anyway, what is it that you want?"

"I haven't any children, Ada." Tommy began.

"That's one way to start a conversation." Harvey muttered under his breath, moving to stand beside the window.

"So, i've set up a trust fund. The beneficiary's will be John's kids and Karl.. in order for Karl to benefit I need your signature. Or Harvey's." Tommy pulled out a piece of paper, "i've set up an account. The money will be transferred in the event of my death. It will set them up for a new life."

Ada shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Are you sick?" She asked once taking the paper.

"I'm just doing what any ordinary man would, putting my affairs in order." Tommy corrected calmly.

"That's thoughtful of you." Harvey said from the other side of the room, "to think of Karl." He added. Tommy replied with a simple nod of his head. "With no children of my own it only made sense." He sighed.

"Yeah, well give it time." Harvey joked with his same wonky, cheeky smile.

Ada sniggered at Harvey's comment and kept her eyes down.

"That's all." Tommy spoke, placing his hands on his knees as he stood up. "Enjoy your afternoon." He said, glancing around the room. "Oh, and.. don't go answering the door to people so easily. I could've been anybody."

The moment Tommy left, Ada and Harvey shared a glance before both bursting out into laughed.

"He is hysterical," Ada sighed, running her hands through her hair.

Harvey hummed and pushed away from the wall.
"Ada?" He asked. She nodded whilst still reading the paper. "What will we tell people— your family?" He continued to avoid what he wanted to say.

Ada shrugged. "That we grew apart, I don't know. It isn't their business." She sighed, "why do you ask?"

He stared at the window, heart racing. He was so focused on the drips of rain sliding down the glass that he hadn't realised that Ada had asked him a question. She waited a few moments for a response but never received one. "Harvey?"

"Hm?"

"Is everything alright?" She lowered the paper.

"Can I talk to you about something?" He played with his hands,  "And I don't want you to hate me—" his voice was surprisingly steady as he mirrored her own words, "and I want you to believe me when I say this has been making me feel sick and.." Harvey patted his chest, his hand over his heart.

"Harvey you're scaring me." Ada stopped him. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. "Just speak to me." She pleaded. His lip trembled and a tear fell down his face — her eyes widened slightly. What was it that could he so serious?

"I don't love you Ada." He croaked. Her eyes widened further. "You don't.." she whispered. Harvey took her hand again. "Not in the way you want me to.. not in the way that you deserve." He tried to explain.

"What do you mean?" Ada asked with complete hurt.

"And I don't expect you to understand or forgive me and if you don't then that's fine. I can't do anything about that." He nodded as if he was trying to tell himself that.

Ada waited for him to speak.

"Ada I love you— you know that. But not in the way a husband should love his wife. And that's because I don't know how to love a woman." He struggled with his words, unsure on how to explain it to her. Ada's face changed and she frowned. "Ada you're amazing— you know that I think that. Everyone thinks that. But i'm not going to be able to love you.. at least not in the way you would want your husband to love you." He locked eyes with her and watched her face drop.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her heart sinking.

"Ada i'm sorry." Was all he could say. "It makes me sick that i'm like this." He added, "but I can't love you. And it isn't you— not a fault of yours. A fault of mine." He tried to explain.

"Harvey just spit it out!"

"I don't like girls, Ada!" He said with nerves and a sick feeling flooding throughout him. Harvey didn't know how else to put it, how to tell her. What he had just revealed was enough to have himself killed. It wasn't something many people agreed with — they didn't think it was right. Which was absurd of course. But it wasn't safe for Harvey to have his sexuality exposed.

Ada's mouth fell open slightly and she watched Harvey as his eyes welled with tears and breathed heavily.

Silence was all that Harvey was met with.

Harvey felt more tears fall from his eyes and he shook his head. "I made a promise to you that i'd be here for you and Karl. And I don't plan on breaking that— Ada I'm sorry. You know that don't you? It isnt so easy to explain and guilt has been eating me up inside since I realised what was going on with me." He said.

"I won't tell anybody." was all she could manage.

"You don't hate me?" He asked.

"Nobody hates you Harvey.. nobody has ever hated you." She whispered. "And that's the problem— it's impossible to hate you."

And then she was gone, just like that, she walked out — leaving him to wonder whether or not she did indeed hate him, if she was terribly hurt by the news or if she didn't quite understand.

And that was the worst part of it all.. the thought of breaking Ada's heart.

chapter 14
[gracessecretshelby]

authors note: i understand this is a short chapter so i apologise for that