Neighbours

26: I Hate You

WARNINGS: all angst, hurtful comments, family issues, shoving, hitting. it's kinda intense but vital. sorry in advance. i also cried writing this so 😗✌🏼

It had been two days since Toms mum had called. She asked if they could meet up on Saturday.

Today was Saturday.

They hadn't spoke since he left to become an actor. I guess his parents must have seen him all over the tabloids and wanted to talk to him. He was extremely reluctant.

"It's your mum."

"You're not my mum you don't get to call yourself that anymore. Goodbye, Nikki." Tom hung up.

After a bit of coaxing from me, he called her back later that night.

"Tom?"

"What do you want?"

"I just want us to talk. Your father, me and you."

"Will you let me see Paddy?"

"If we think it's appropriate to."

"He's 16."

"He's still a teenager, Tom."

"And I wasn't?"

An agonising pause, "Saturday at the house. Will you come? Please?"

"I'm bringing Bridget. And I'm only coming for Paddy."

-

"Tom?" I called into his flat as I got in, shutting the door behind me.

I sat the bouquet of flowers I had bought on the kitchen island and looked around.

"Tom? It's Bridget! Where are you, we have to be there in 20 minutes?" I called out again.

No answer.

"Tom come on, don't scare me." I sat my hands on my hips, listening to the odd quietness.

I sighed and looked at his messy bed. A bright colour caught my eye and I walked over to it. A post-it note addressed to me.

Out for a run. Be back in time. T x

I shook my head and scrunched the note up then threw it in the bin. I went to the bathroom and peed then washed my hands.

I knew he wasn't looking forward to today but he couldn't ignore them. He wanted to be the bigger person. He was the bigger person. He did want to sort things out with his parents but he had gone through so much loss with them he didn't want to bring any of those memories back - understandably. What he did want to do was see his youngest brother.

I looked it the mirror and inspected myself. I had dressed nicely enough; a floral button down tea-dress with frills and a V neck line with some wedged heels and I put my hair into my usual low bun. It was nice outside, cold and crisp but the sun was shining proudly.

I heard the door to the flat open and I came out of the bathroom.

"Hey," I smiled gently.

He only had basketball shorts on and socks and shoes, his sweaty grey top in his hand. His hair was damp and he went straight to the kitchen to wash out his water bottle.

I licked my lips and watched him nervously, not knowing how he was going to be.

"Nice run?" I asked.

"Average." He shrugged.

I bit the inside of my mouth and watched as he came out of the kitchen then began to strip off to go in the shower.