A Wicked Twist (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfic)

The Reception - Part 2

Hi all,

There will be more but maybe not for a couple of weeks. I've got a hectic time at work coming up and a number of social engagements to attend at weekends. Hard life eh? I'll do my best to get more up soon, but hope you enjoy this in the meantime.

Pad x

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Walking back into the main room I'm hit immediately by the warmth and it catches in my throat. Without saying anything to Tom, because I'm trying not to choke, I make my way over to my table to retrieve the drink I'm sure I left there. Tom doesn't follow, instead he turns and heads off towards the bar, where waiting for him, and ready to pounce is Chrissy. Attempting to ignore the scene at the bar I reach my chair pull it out before sitting down and taking in the party and the guests around me. The band is playing a pop song and there's lots of laughter and drunken dancing happening on the dance floor. As I scan the room I see that Ben is currently dancing with him mum whilst Sophie is with Tim. I smile watching the two couples move around the floor when its clear that Tim has said something to make Sophie laugh, as she has thrown back her head in pure laughter. She looks so happy, no they both do, and I couldn't be more pleased for them both.

I think back over the last few years and how lucky I've been to meet Ben, have him still want to be my friend despite the 'blip' we had and how Sophie has become a good friend also, despite said 'blip'. I remember the conversation Sophie and I had, about three months after her and Ben became official, which became the turning point in our friendship. We'd been at a 'family' gathering at Ben's parents' house and to my discredit I'd let the green eyed monster take control after one too many vodkas. I'd been really short with both Ben and Sophie, something I still to this day regret, and she had been equally as hostile. After a couple of hours Ben had stuck us both in his old room and told us not to come out until we'd sorted out our issues because he was sick of his two girls fighting. Left alone in the room we had both sat down at opposite ends of the bed and said nothing to each other. I'd finally caved after about ten minutes of silence and told Sophie I couldn't go on like this anymore and that it was slowly eating me up. She had assumed I'd meant I still had feelings for Ben so had launched into this tirade about how I'd had my chance, and Ben had picked her not me so I needed to just leave them alone and get over him. I'd burst out laughing, probably not the best thing to do at the time, but I'd told her that was certainly not what I meant, and that in no way did I still want to still be with Ben. I clarified my original statement by telling her that whilst I did love Ben it was purely in the platonic sense. I think I summed it up with that I'd been there, done that, and had no desire to go back. What I had meant was that I'd had enough of trying to get Sophie to like me because, due to Ben's increasing work commitments, the only time I saw Ben was with her and I felt like I was going to have to give up Ben as I couldn't take the tension between the two of us. She had then come clean and told me that she was jealous of me and felt like at any moment Ben was going to realise he still wanted me. And ultimately that was what I wanted so I would take him back and she would lose him. At this point I had looked her straight in the eyes and promised her that was never going to happen, he was just my best friend and that I'd been nagging him for months to ask her out. After our massive heart to heart we'd emerged laughing from Ben's room, an hour later and only after sharing some silly anecdotes about Ben, and he had just looked at us warily. Ben told me a month later that Sophie had eventually told him the gist of our drunken conversation and had called me a "prat if you think you'll get rid of me that easily". Once Sophie was sure I wasn't trying to steal her man and I was sure I wasn't going to lose Ben we'd hit it off and become good friends. Sometimes I'm glad for his stubbornness and alcohol.