Webs And Wishes - Tom Holland

Chapter 6.

Day 6 continued.
Lily's POV

I don't know if you've ever seen a sixteen year old who has free drinks on tap in the company of stars, but she generally doesn't stop at one, two or even three drinks.

So there I was just two hours later having had at least five drinks - I lost count pretty quickly. Tom kept trying to calm me down, book me a taxi home, but who cares what he says? My drunk brain told him he was soooooo hot and I wanted to kiss him right now. It told him I didn't think anyone like him could even look at me, never mind...

I broke off, one sober second I was so glad for. Most people had either gone or moved away, but Tom had stayed to keep me safe. Then all hell broke loose.

"You know..." I slurred. "Being drunk is something... I'm not supposed to do. Hicc. I'm pretending to be... Eighteen to these people. You're not one of them... Are you? I don't think so... Anyway. But I'm only... Sixteen so I'm being... Bad right now. Hicc!" I giggled to my drunk self, not noticing Tom's horrified face.

His jaw clenched tightly. "I think we should leave. Now." The force in his voice sobered me up just enough so that I did exactly that.

We left, and I don't remember anything after that. I tried to kiss him, but he pushed me away and I blacked out.

Day 7.
Tom's POV

She was laid looking quite peaceful, sleeping. It was about 10 am, and I still couldn't process what she had said yesterday. Sixteen? How could she be sixteen? Five years younger than me... Five years... I didn't know who she was any more. I knew I had rushed into this. A week? What was I thinking? Three years difference, that was fine, but five years seemed so long, especially at our age. I don't know, the press would go insane if they found out. It was still legal, in England at least, but the press would go mad for that kind of story. I could lose so much. I still loved her, damn it, but I didn't know if I could risk that. Even for her. I really couldn't do that. Sixteen... I wondered if she had ever been this close to anyone before. If she was still a virgin. Oh God, what if I hadn't found out and... I couldn't even think about that. I can't risk it. I can't.

But you will. You will because you love her.

No, I do. That much was true. I really did feel things for her that I had never felt for anyone else before. But was it worth risking so much for?

She awoke.

"Oh lord..." She groaned. I sat silently, my eyes narrowed and lips sealed. "How much did I have?"

"Too many."

"Tom?" Her face lit up, her eyes wide. "I can't remember much. What happened?"

"You told me. You told me..." My voice cracked. "You're sixteen."

Lily's POV.

"Oh f-"

"Yeah."

My brain felt like it had just exploded, whether from this or the alcohol.

With a speed I didn't know I was capable of in this state, I ran to the bathroom and promptly threw up.

Definitely the alcohol.

Splashing a little water into my face, I slid down to sit with my back against the tiles. Tears began to stream down my face.

Stop crying Lily, you baby! You need to face this!

My breath shuddering, I tried my hardest to pull myself back together. Tom stood in the doorway, so tall, strong, like a Greek God from my position.

"What... What are you... Going to do?" I managed to say through sobs.

"I..." He stopped, his eyes still narrowed. " I don't know yet." He confessed. "I love you Lily. I do. I still love you, no matter how old you are."

My heart lept. Did this mean he might forgive me? Or even better, stay with me?

"But," That one word sent my world crashing down faster than the Titanic. "I could lose so much. It could mean so much. I... I've been working since I was 12, and I can't risk that. You understand that, don't you?"

Of course I do, I wanted to yell. Ever since my parents started leaving me alone at home when I was 13,  I worked in every way I could, paper rounds, car boot sales, everything, just to get to acting classes. Then there was the cost of my agent to cover, and I had been working for this for as long as I could remember. Of course I understood. Yet... That didn't mean I wanted him any less.

I ducked my head, knowing that whatever came next wouldn't be good. However, I couldn't have anticipated his reaction.

He let out a frustrated groan, then grabbed my chin and raised it up to his lips. I could taste my tears and desperation, his anger and frustration, yet also raw lust and best of all, love. I knew he still loved me, and this gave me hope over everything else.

Pulling away he whispered, "I need time. To think this over. I need to go to filming. We'll..." He paused, his eyes drifting to my lips again. "...Talk later. Don't go anywhere. Oh and be careful. You've got a pretty bad hangover there."

He sprinted out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I totally screwed up. That much was clear. Yet he told me he loved me, and I knew I loved him more than anyone else. My age didn't change that. Love is always supposed to prevail, right? This wasn't a fairytale though. It worked quite differently in real life. I just had to hope and pray that he wouldn't leave me. I had everything yesterday - I was a sixteen year old acting with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, dating Tom Holland and earning my very own fortune. I didn't want to lose that. Leaning back again, I sighed.

And threw up again.

Wonderful.