✔️ Midnight Sparks『 T.H. 』✧･ﾟ:*

Chapter 31: Another time, another place

I want to kiss you like the first time

Hold you like it's not goodbye

- Niall Horan

- - -

"You okay?" Tom asked as he flicked the indicator stick and maneuvered his Audi out of the junction.

"Yeah," I replied. "Just jet lagged still, I guess."

"Well, thanks again so much for seeing and talking to Uncle Ollie. You're a star, Ali. Really."

"It was good for me too," I revealed.

Tom looked at me, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah?"

I smiled back. "Yeah."

His focus returning to the road ahead, Tom said, "Oh hey, up ahead is this really good pub. They always serve the freshest pints. Do you maybe want to go and grab a quick one? But I know how jet lags are though, so if you prefer, I can just send you right back to the hotel."

Taking a moment to consider it, I glanced at Tom's side profile. A sight that would always bring me calm, even now.

And in 18 hours, I would be on a plane flying back home, not knowing if I would ever cross paths with Tom again.

"Well, one pint wouldn't hurt," I told him.

"No, it wouldn't," Tom agreed with a chuckle.

Within minutes, we had parked. Tom led us to The Bishop, a quietly stylish pub that was nestled on the banks of the Thames.

It was a breezy afternoon, but the riverside terrace was already half filled up. We joined the terrace crowd and Tom ordered for us from a male wait staff member who had immediately given him a friendly greeting and asked if Tom wanted his usual drink.

I took in everything with silent contemplation, watching Tom in his comfort zone. In his element.

I suppose it was something I would have appreciated more if we were still together at this point. Knowing that this boy represented a home that I didn't even know my heart was looking for, and then seeing him in his actual home turf.

But after all that had happened between us, how do we go on from here? What comes after something that had imploded so magnificently? How do we navigate the broken pieces that lay strewn all around us?

"Here we are," the waiter announced as he placed two pints of frothy amber liquid on our table.

"Cheers," Tom said, lifting his glass of beer.

I brought my glass up to meet his. "Cheers."

"All right?" Tom asked while I took a long gulp, his English accent blooming in full glory for a second.

"This is amazing." I sipped again. "I don't think I can stop at just one pint."

That sunlit smile on Tom's face nearly made me drop my mug. "Good," he replied.

The beeps on his phone caught his attention. He grabbed the phone from the table, and let out a small sigh as he scrolled through his messages.

"My filming schedule got changed. I have to fly in to Atlanta in two days," he muttered, his expression completely void of smiles now.

"For the new Spider-Man movie? That sucks," I responded, knowing how much he wanted to stay with Uncle Ollie for as long as possible, at a time like this.

"Yeah. But it's supposed to wrap up in less than two weeks. Not too bad, I guess."

I nodded. "It'll be okay."