Nothing Compares To You

Truth

She looked around the table, unable to really comprehend what was happening.

Simon and Joe, looking at each other, then at her, stood up.

"Well, in light of these major developments, I think we all need time to get accustomed to them! We'll make ourselves scarce, text me tomorrow?"

Simon looked at Debbie, and she heard herself mumble. "Ok." Iain nodded, blissfully unaware he wasn't included in that particular request.

Tom stood, dropping Grace's hand from his, and walked them to the door of the restaurant. She could see them talking and nodding before he hugged both Simon and Joe goodbye.

As he walked back, she looked down at her plate, strangely facinated by the chocolate beginning to melt in the heat of the restaurant. It was less of a question mark now, more of a messy puddle. Just like her mind.

He'd not said a word. To her or to Grace. She'd been wrong all along. Tom was going to marry Grace. He'd wanted to be kind. Now she realised it had been aimed at her. Not Grace. He had planned to let her down gently, she was sure. Tom was many things, but cruel wasn't one of them.

She watched from under her lashes as he walked over and gently pulled Grace's chair, urging her to stand.

"It... it would appear we have things to discuss." He said quietly, helping her with her jacket. "Perhaps we can all meet again in a few days?" He sounded almost hopeful.

Debbie didn't look up. She just nodded silently. Iain slipped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"Yes, we'd like that. Wouldn't we, sweetie?" He said in a sickly sweet voice. A voice of smug triumph.

Debbie nodded again. She couldn't trust herself. This was public, after all. The press would have a field day if she made a scene. Although a scene was exactly what she wanted.

One where she screamed and cried and begged Tom not to marry Grace. Where she told Iain to take his obnoxious grand gesture ring and shove it. Where Tom stood up and denounced the proposals, scooping her up and carrying her away like some parody of The Graduate.

But he wasn't Benjamin, and she wasn't Elaine, and this was real life, not the movies.

Tom and Grace left, Tom insisting on paying the bill. Iain didn't even have the manners to protest. She was sickened and embarrassed.

As they left, she turned to Iain and said quietly, "I want to go home please."

"Oh course, sweetie. I realise now what a big mistake this was." He smiled and stroked her cheek. Her eyes flitted up to meet his.

"You do?" She could hardly keep the hope out of her voice.

"Oh yes. With hindsight, it wasn't the best idea." He paused, and she smiled, feeling the relief wash over her. Before she could say anything, he took her hand in his. "I realise I was incredibly selfish."

"You were?"

"Yes." He paused and seemed to be considering his next words carefully. She was almost floating with the barely suppressed joy of knowing...

"I should have proposed in private, not in front of the world and his ex-wife!" He chuckled at his own sad little joke. Debbie felt her world collapse all over again.

He really had no clue.

Tom and Grace arrived home. She had done nothing but chatter all the way about weddings and dresses and rings, and how it would be the single most wonderful day of her life bar none.

Tom was torn. Destroy her illusions and her life in one fell swoop tonight, or give her a few hours of joy, then crush her? He decided there was nothing to be gained by being cruelly honest tonight. What harm would it do to let her dream for a few hours.

They walked into the house together, Tom slinging his keys on the hall table, Grace using hers to lock up. As he watched, he could see the tiny tesseract key chain he'd given her swinging in the low lights. The space stone. If only he could use it to be anywhere else right now.

Grace went up a couple of treads on the stairs and paused. "Coming to bed lover?" She held out a hand expectantly. Inwardly, he shuddered. He knew what she expected. Could he deny her? She'd actually done nothing wrong. Jumped the gun maybe, but then, she wouldn't be the first or last to do that.

"Two minutes," he said quietly, "just going to check everything's locked up." He smiled, and she nodded.

"Don't be long, I'm waiting to celebrate 'Fiancé of mine!" She winked and sashayed upstairs, unzipping her dress as she went.

He turned and walked into the darkened kitchen. Sitting at the table, he pulled out his phone. For a moment, he contemplated texting Debbie, trying to explain. With a sigh, he put his phone down. How do you even begin? He'd let her down. In not wanting to publicly humiliate Grace, he'd abandoned the woman he SHOULD have been protecting. The woman he SHOULD have put first.

His mind raced, and his palms were clammy. What had he done.

Debbie and Iain got home, Iain talking the whole way about how they would move to the States after they were married and how she could start afresh, no ghosts to haunt her.

"Move?" She suddenly was galvanised into speech. "I'm not moving! I want to live here!" Iain looked at her sharply.

"But my job is in America. You know that. So is yours. We're only here on holiday!" He sounded astonished and more than a touch annoyed.

"Iain, I'm not moving. That's final." She looked at him, inwardly adding 'draw your own conclusions, mate!'

Iain looked at her and sighed. "You're tired, emotional, and not a little overwhelmed. I get it. Now, I suggest we go to bed, and it will all look different in the morning. " he held out his hand, and it was her turn to sigh. She had no fight left tonight.

Alone, defeated, and to her mind, abandoned, all she could see was misery. A life without Tom. Was it even worth fighting for?

Slowly, she undressed, showered, and came to bed. Iain lay, expectantly opening his arms. This was all she had to look forward to? No. In the morning, she would face facts. In the morning, she would tell him. She'd rather live alone than a lie.

In the morning.... she turned her back on Iain, who simply spooned in behind her. He really was as perceptive as a jellyfish.

She drifted off to sleep, tears in her eyes, misery in her heart.