Webs of the Heart

chapter eleven

Tom POV

The next weekend, Crystal was at Zendaya's house doing a fun photoshoot with her friends, and I was working all weekend except Sunday. The days went by quickly, but not as fun without Crystal, then I got Sunday off, and had absolutely nothing to do, since my friends were all gone, and Tessa was the only one there.

I was lying on the couch watching Gone With the Wind, and it was getting near the end when a knock came at the door.

"Come in!" I said loudly, expecting it to be Robert or Jacob. But to my surprise, a pretty black haired young woman came in, making me jump up and run over to her, picking her up as soon as I got to her. Crystal laughed and buried her face in my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my neck and just trusting me to carry her over to the couch.

We sat down and she curled up against my side, covering her mouth with her hands as she yawned, saying softly to me,

"I'm so tired. Me and Zendaya stayed up really late, then I got up early to come here."

"Well I'm glad you're here. It wasn't the same without you." Crystal smiled and looked up at me, reaching up and running her fingers through my hair, which was getting very long and curly without my normal hair gel in it. She tilted her head and told me,

"Your hair is getting so long."

"Do you want me to cut it?" I queried.

"No, I like it long, more than when it's buzzed."

"Well I think I'm going to have to get it cut for Chaos Walking." She wrinkled her nose and made me laugh, leaning down and kissing the tip of her nose. She giggled and rested her head on my thigh, her hair spreading over my legs. I picked up a strand of hair and spun it around my finger, then ran  my fingers through her long thick hair. Crystal took a deep breath and closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly.

I changed the channel to classical music, then I gently moved Crystal's head so I could set a pillow under her head on my lap, then I leaned my head against the back of the couch, falling asleep.

When I woke up, Crystal was wearing different clothes than she was before, and she was finger combing her thick wet hair, sitting next to me.

"Hey sleepy." She said in her soft voice.

"Hi lovely lady." I said, sitting up and leaning on her. She flipped her wet hair off her shoulder and started braiding it, on her other shoulder so I wouldn't be on her wet hair.

"You alright darling, you were groaning a little bit in your sleep?" She asked, gently rubbing my thigh.

"Yeah I'm alright, just a bit sore. My back got a bit twisted yesterday." She twisted a hair tie around the end of her braid and told me to lie down on the couch.

"Why?" I asked, lying down on my stomach.

"I'm going to rub your back, my mother taught me how on my father. Come on, cross your arms in front of you and put a pillow under your arms." She sat down next to me as I did what she said, gently massaging between my shoulders. I immediately started to relax, and Crystal started singing softly, a Scottish lullaby she often sang to Paddy to help him sleep.

Time didn't seem to pass until Crystal stopped, and my back felt miraculously relaxed, and no longer sore. I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, then I heard a click and saw Crystal giggling with her phone in her hand. I groaned and chuckled, leaning forward trying to take the phone from her, but she jumped up and ran away. I sighed jokingly and just sat down again on the couch, taking out my phone and scrolling through Instagram. Crystal came back over and sat next to me, then I randomly asked,

"Do singers really sell their souls to the devil for fame?" Crystal bit her lip and thought for a minute, before she answered.

"Some have, well many have, but I haven't and I never will. I have a code of decency, a dress code and a lyric code, as well as a swearing policy. I try to be as good of a person as I can, and never say or do anything that I wouldn't do or say in front of an innocent little girl or boy, and I ask myself, could I stand in the presence of God with a clear conscience."

I nodded, thinking over her answer.

"Crystal, you don't think we need a chaperone, do you?" She considered.

"No, I'm still way too scarred from past experiences to ever do anything until I ever got married, and I know you respect me too much to ever try anything."

We talked the rest of the day, going on a walk at sunset, comfortable in each other's presence and just enjoying our time together.