The Sun Will Rise | T Shelby

twenty five

Angelina woke up in her bedroom. The sun was breaking through the thin curtains and there was a cool breeze coming from a crack beneath the window. She took a moment, her eyes glancing at the empty space beside her.

She sighed, her hand instinctively clasping the pendant around her neck. She squeezed it tightly before gently unlocking it, smiling at the picture inside. Her heart would break all over again every time she looked at the picture, but she couldn't stop herself from looking at it at least once every day.

Turning her head she gazed at the framed picture of her and Alfie that stood proudly on her bedside table. Looking at that every morning when she opened her eyes was the only thing that gave her the strength to get herself out of bed every day.

She expected the pain to ease, everybody said that each day it gets easier, but for Angelina it seemed like it was only getting worse. She missed his voice, the way he'd laugh at his own jokes and the way his eyes would look at her so deeply she swore he was looking into her soul.

Truthfully, Angelina was in pieces. She couldn't cope without Alfie, it turned out she was far more in love with him than she thought.

A knock at the door before it slowly opened made Angelina pull herself from her sleepy memories. She looked up at the door and saw Thomas.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, noticing that she was still clutching her necklace and looking at the photograph beside her bed.

Angelina shook her head.

"It's fine."

Thomas closed the door quietly and perched on the edge of Angelina's bed. He had so many things he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure if any of them were right.

"How are you?" Was the question he eventually settled on, realising after how stupid it was.

"The same as yesterday." She replied, still staring at the photograph with her knees pulled up to her chest.

Thomas sighed.

"He loved you very much, Angelina. I've known Alfie for the longest time and I'd never seen him as besotted with any woman as he was with you."

Angelina smiled softly. It made her happy to know that she'd shown Alfie the love that he'd deserved all his life, even if it couldn't be forever.

"I was thinking we could maybe take a walk to the stables later? I know you love horses."

"Yes," Angelina whispered, looking at Thomas for the first time that morning, "I'd like that."

It took Angelina a while to get dressed and ready to head out with Thomas, her heart taking a hit every time she accidentally looked at the photo of herself and Alfie. Tommy didn't mind, though, he waited patiently downstairs, Angelina could hear him chatting away with Lorenzo.

It had been a month since Alfie's death and Angelina hadn't done much with herself. For the first week, she didn't speak to anybody. She locked herself in her room and wouldn't let anybody come in, not even Enzo.

She didn't step foot out of the house until the third week, Charlotte had called at the home every day asking if she'd like to take a walk by the canal with her.

Lorenzo had done his best to stay at home, making sure his sister was doing OK. Once Angelina had been out with Charlotte a handful of times, Enzo made the call to Tommy to let him know.

Thomas had visited the house every day since the call, but it had only been three days ago that Angelina agreed to speak to him for the first time. Thomas had spent every waking hour of those three days with Angelina. He'd make sure she bathed, ate, and drank enough water. Most days he'd try to persuade her to take a walk, but it didn't always work. He held her why she cried and he did his best to put a smile on her face, but he knew deep down she was struggling.

Once she was ready, Thomas and Angelina took a long stroll though Small Heath and out to the countryside where Thomas' stables were. The two of them spoke on the way, but Angelina was incredibly quiet, which wasn't anything new.

"I have a gift for you," Thomas said once they reached the stables.

"A gift?" Angelina replied, her lips curving into a tiny smile.

"Yes," he said, pushing open the stable door for Angelina, "Come on, look."

Angelina hesitated for a moment before walking into the stable. The most beautiful white horse stood before her, gazing mindlessly around it's stable with its hooves grating against the hay on the ground.

She gasped, her smile growing profusely as she approached the horse, gently stroking its neck.

"Oh, Thomas, really? For me?"

Tommy grinned and walked over to Angelina, standing beside her and patting the horse's back.

"He's all yours. But he needs a name."

Angelina smiled. She walked around to look at the horse, stroking it's nose as she looked into his eyes. It was immaculately groomed and had the kindest eyes Angelina had ever seen on an animal.

"Solomon."

Thomas looked at Angelina, a sad smile on his face.

"Solomon it is." He nodded, giving the horse a kiss.

The pair watched as the horse ran free in the paddock outside. The sun was shining bright in the midday sky but the air was crisp and cold, autumn threatening to disappear for another year.

Thomas watched as Angelina gazed in awe at the horse. She was totally lost in the moment and he knew that she was thinking about Alfie, whether she'd admit it or not.

It had been hard for Tommy. He was deeply in love with Angelina, obsessed with every inch of her and yet she was still so far away, despite never being closer. He had watched her lose the man she loved, and now had to watch her mourn him every single day. Though he knew that she needed him, he was keeping her sane.

"Isn't he beautiful, Tommy?"

"He is," Tommy's heart warmed at her rare use of his nickname, "He good enough for you?"

Angelina smiled and walked over to Thomas. She hugged him gently, draping her arms around his neck and pressing her head against his chest. Tommy inhaled a sharp breath, taken aback by her action.

Though eventually, he hugged her back. His arms held her tightly and he pressed his lips against the top of her head, closing his eyes as he cherished the scent of her perfume so close to his skin again that he'd dreamt about since the night they'd shared.

Angelina looked up at Thomas. The way she was looking at him set his insides alight and made his heart beat faster. He could see the love that was burning in her eyes, as well as the fear.

Thomas grazed his knuckles gently across her skin, resting his palm on her cheek. He watched as her eyes stayed fixated on his own, though his gaze had flickered from her eyes to her lips more than once. Thomas wasn't sure if he was still breathing, the way he felt inside was like nothing he'd felt before, he so badly wanted to kiss her.

Angelina rest her hand on Thomas' chest, slowly inching her lips towards his own, though at the last second she turned her head.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the breath she'd been holding in escaping from her lips, "I'm so sorry Thomas."

Tommy held her close to him, his eyes closed as he calmed his heart, feeling her shaking in his arms.

"Don't apologise, never apologise."

"I thought I could be ready but-"

"Hey," Tommy took Angelina's face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, "I will wait forever and a day for you to be ready, Angelina. I made a promise to Alfie and hell will freeze over before I break it, alright? And the love I have for you is strong enough to keep it burning until the end of time."