Step by step

Chapter Seventeen

I stayed until five in the freaking morning trying to contact my so-called best friend who I haven't seen or heard of since Wednesday night. My eyes were already so tired and strained, I could picture myself in broad daylight, looking like a sick vampire.

"He-yo! Looks who's up this early." Tom's footstep landed with a loud thud by my doorway, his hand gripping the doorframe.

My neck weakly turned to him and I was immediately washed over with caffeine when I noticed the giddy smile he had on.

"You just got home, didn't you?" I asked, sitting up and throwing my phone to the side.

"Yeah. You?" He practically skipped and plopped down on my bed, hugging his briefcase like a high school girl.

"Wha-what do you mean? It's five. Of course I was home all night, where would I have been?" It was a semi-surprised and semi-guilty answer. I had only gotten home some time after eleven.

"Oh I don't know, out with friends? That Emmett, maybe." For someone who's inquiring, he doesn't seem really inquisitive or interested.

"Hold up. What is up with you?"

He turned to his side, propping his cheek to his elbows, "I've met somebody."

I groaned as loudly as I could while letting my body fall onto the bed, quickly pulling the sheets up as my back hit the soft mattress. "I don't want to hear it!"

"Aw come on, Ellie! She's really, really beautiful!" He tried to remove the sheets but I kept a firm grip, "Come on, you baby! At least give her a chance."

"What's her name?"

"Maggie Livingstone." He sighed dreamily. I took a peek and saw him sitting on the foot of the bed, his eyes were twinkling and was staring at nothing. His smile was in a simple curve but I could tell it was something sort of a fairytale kind of smile.

"Livingstone?"

"Yeah. She's a Livingstone. Is that something you don't like?" Tom pulled out of his daze to stare into me.

"Well.." The Livingstone was part of the issue concerning animals. The news went on something that they were using real life animals to create their couture and they were doing it so inhumanely without anesthesia to the animals or killing them off first for the reason that the skin or fur should look lively. "You know the issue."

"But it was never proven." Tom pursed his lips. We were drowned in silence before my phone lit up and a ring escaped its speakers, "And that is my cue to leave." He leaned in and kissed my head, "Get some sleep, Ellie. I know you haven't been sleeping right." And with that, he disappeared into the dark hallway, leaving my door wide open.

Emmett calling.....

"Is this a hobby of yours? Calling at dawn?" I giggled, earning a chuckle from the other end.

"I cannot, for the life of me, know why I'm calling you and expecting you to not always answer." He continued to chuckle.

"Psychology says, you unconsciously miss me." I lowered my sheets to my waist and found a position to settle with.

"Well that is true. When am I gonna call at dawn and you won't answer?" I heard a shuffle from his end, "Speaking of, why are you awake this early?"

"Real question would be why am I still up." I sighed, slouching more into the bed.

"You still haven't slept?"

"Mhm." I slightly nodded, closing my eyes.

"Let me guess, it's about Matt. Isn't it?"