Breaking Free (Tom Holland) Book Two

BFB2 Chapter 6

"We're almost there," Tom said for what felt like the billionth time. I didn't mind though. I was enjoying seeing the many sights as we walked the streets of Westminster. We were approaching a gigantic building in the distance but I had no sweet clue what it was. Suddenly an extremely loud sound filled the air. Tom grabbed my hand and began running. As we got closer I realized why he was in such a hurry. There were rows of marching guards coming towards us. An invigorating fanfare proceeded them. It was truly a sight to behold.

I leaned towards Tom and asked, "What is this?"

"The changing of the guard," he replied.

I stood in awe as another set of guards began approaching from the other direction. It surprised me that they were also accompanied by their own fanfare. We hadn't done many touristy things since my arrival so it was fun to finally see something so amazingly British. When the spectacle was over I was surprised to find that 30 minutes had passed.

"So what did you think?" Tom asked with the biggest grin on his face. I couldn't help but look back at him with a grin that was just as big.

"It was amazing," I breathed.

Tom's grin only grew. "Well you'd better get ready because that was only the beginning."

Before I knew it I was being whisked away on yet another adventure. We went from monument to palace and back again. Luckily we weren't mobbed by too many people and most of the ones that approached us were polite and only wanted to say hi. One girl followed us for an hour and offered to take a picture for us every opportunity that she could. Finally, when my legs felt like they couldn't go any further, Tom suggested we head into a nearby café to rest. We placed our order before grabbing seats close to the window.

"It's beautiful," I breathed as I looked out over the water. Beside us the river flowed in hues of blue and green as the sun set over the horizon. I could see a massive bridge being lifted to give way to boats passing underneath.

Tom gave me a warm smile. "I'm glad you like it," he said softly. He reached out and gently touched my cheek. His fingers traced my cheekbone down to my jaw before resting on my lips. His gaze followed his fingers and fell on my lips as well. There was nothing I wanted to do more than kiss him. Unfortunately the universe had other plans.

"Here are your drinks! Your crepes should be out shortly," one of the bakery attendants said cheerfully.

Tom's gaze was broken and he turned to the attendant with a smile. "Thank you," he replied. Reaching for his drink he grabbed a piece of whipped cream off of the top and playfully wiped it on my nose. I scrunched my face in mock disgust.

"Hey! What was that for?" I pouted.

Tom let out a hearty laugh. "You're so cute." I could not stop the blush that came over my face. My blushing seemed to make Tom happier because his smile only got wider. "I can't wait to see your face for the grand finale."

"Grand finale? You mean there's more?"

"Of course! And I've saved the best for last."

A sweet smell filled our noses. Two crepes piled high with fruit and more whipped cream were set in front of us. My mouth was watering from the smell alone. But I couldn't eat mine yet. There was something I had to do before I dug in. Taking my finger, I dug into my own whipped cream and tried to put some on Tom's nose. He was too fast for me and instead I ended up putting some on his cheek. We both froze for a moment taking in what had just happened. Then we burst into a fit of giggles. Tom leaned forward and gave me a kiss. He ran his hand lightly through my hair. I reached up to caress his cheek and planted my palm straight into the whipped cream on his face. This caused another fit of giggles that went on for some time.

When we finally recovered we managed to get through the rest of our meal without further incident. We cleaned up our table before heading back onto the road. We strolled along the river hand in hand sneaking kisses every few feet. The sun was setting causing the sky to turn murky shades of yellow, purple, and orange.

"Only two more weeks until Zac gets here. Are you excited?" Tom asked me.

"I am. But I'm also sad because that means that we only have two more weeks before you start filming."

Tom's face fell a little. "I know but at least we're not going to be filming anything overseas. Everything is local which means I get to come home to you every night."

I nodded but didn't say anything. I had been avoiding the thought of Tom working because it only made me sad. Sure I was happy that my best friend and his boyfriend were going to be arriving soon but they could never replace the Tom shaped hole that would be in my heart. As we climbed back into the car I did my best to push all of the unpleasant thoughts out of my mind.

"We're getting close now," Tom told me. It was fully dark now and I could barely see where we were. We turned a corner and I immediately saw what I assumed was the grand finale. An enormous ferris wheel shone brightly against the night sky. Flashing lights accompanied whimsical music as we climbed out of the car. I'll admit it; I squealed like a little kid. Tom laughed at my enjoyment. He grabbed my hand and lead me towards the ferris wheel.

The line to ride was fairly long but I didn't mind waiting. The lights from the wheel and its surroundings made the area around it super bright despite it being so late at night. Smells from nearby stands tickled my nose. My mouth watered even though I had just eaten. The line moved quickly and before we knew it we boarded the wheel.

"Let's sit on this side," Tom suggested as we got on. "The view is better over here."

I couldn't keep my eyes off of the scenery as the wheel began to move. Everything looked magical. It was as if I had been catapulted into a fairy tale. "This is amazing," I breathed.

"No. What's amazing is you," Tom replied. Before I knew it we were kissing again. Our kisses started out soft and quick but eventually turned more needy. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. He placed his hands on the small of my back drawing me nearer still. We got lost in each other. Time seemed to slow down as we grew more and more desperate for the other's touch. Kisses were planted on lips, cheeks, necks, and anywhere in between. Hands travelled but not too far. Before we knew it the wheel stopped and our ride was over all too soon.

"I didn't even get to enjoy the view," I pouted on the way back to the car.

"I'm sorry. I promise the next time we come back I'll try to contain myself," Tom chuckled.

"I highly doubt you'll be able to pull that off," I giggled.

"That's why I said I'll try."