How Could This Be Real?

112. I Promise You That

I stared up at the person standing in front of me, my heart threatening to pound out of my chest. Wh-what?! Why?! I-I... I just gaped at them, physically incapable of any thought or movement. I never thought I'd see them again, yet... here they were.

The man smiled at me, sticking his hands in his back pockets. "Hey, I'm Tom."

Tom... Just hearing his voice brought me back to that day, the one I'd tried so hard to forget and almost had... But now it was back to haunt me once again.

He tilted his head a bit, probably confused as to why I was gawking at him like a fish. "And, you are...?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and thought, He doesn't recognize me... Well, I guess that makes sense, I do look completely different from two years ago. Plus he was drunk when he saw me, so... yeah...

I still wasn't able to form any words, so we just continued to stare at each other awkwardly. After a minute, he smirked. "Oh wait, you must be David's new little girlfriend, huh? Well, I'm his brother."

"I-I know..." I squeaked, scared that he'd remember who I was at any moment and try to finish what he'd started back at Minecon.

He got an almost embarrassed look on his face and said, "Oh, yeah, he's probably told you about me, huh? I know what he's probably said but I'm really not a bad guy." His eyes twinkled mischievously, "Or at least, not anymore."

My stomach flipped and I had to swallow a wince.

He laughed though and waved it off, "I'm kidding. Geez, you really can't take a joke, can you?"

"Angel, who's at the door?" Ash called and I heard a pair of feet bouncing down the steps.

Tom's eyebrows furrowed at that and he studied me for a moment, looking confused and curious. I mentally cursed Ash for saying my name, knowing that Tom would put two and two together soon enough.

I glanced back at Ash with a scared look in my eyes, but he didn't notice since his gaze was fixed on the tall, bald man behind me.

Ash grinned, "Tom! How you been, mate? Long time no see!"

Tom finally broke his gaze away from me and smiled at Ash, bro-hugging him. "Not too bad! You?"

"Never been better! Want some help with your bags?"

My stomach dropped to my feet and I gaped at him. "B-b-bags...?" I stammered nervously.

Ash glanced down at me with a grin, "Yeah, I invited him to stay here with us for a while."

My ears started ringing and the world seemed to spin around me. David must not have told him what he did... "B-but, Sq-Squid..."

He dismissed my protest with a wave of his hand, "I'll deal with him later. Come on Tom, let's get your stuff in here."

They walked out the door and I just stayed there frozen for a few moments, completely stunned. After a good minute, I finally started to come to my senses again and turned around, stumbling up the stairs.

"D-David!" I panted, struggling not to pass out. My brain was fighting with itself at the moment. Half was telling me to stop being such a wimp and just let go of what happened in the past, while the other half was screaming and running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

I managed to make it to the top of the steps without fainting and yelled, "David!"

"I'm recording!" he yelled back from our room, the door now closed, but right now I didn't care what he was doing. I had to tell him what was going on this instant.