'.....it's complicated....'

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"You ok?" Chris laughed as Laney came flying back to the table. "You look....spooked."

"Spooked?" Laney forced a smile and sat back down. "Uh this one," She jerked her thumb towards Holland, "Scared me." It wasn't a lie.

Holland shrugged looking down at his watch, "We should probably go. It's after 11."

"Really?" Chris wrinkled his nose. "Guess we should call it a night, not all of us are off tomorrow." He glanced at Laney.

"Huh?" Laney's mind was scrambled, her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it pulsating in her ears.

"I said we should probably go cause not everyone is off tomorrow."

"Oh right." She agreed absentmindedly. Her eyes shifted up as Tom walked back to the table adjusting the sleeve of his bright blue button down linen shirt. His eye caught hers and she couldn't seem to look away.

Looking between the two, Holland noticed the spell Laney seemed to be under, "Right, well Laney you look knackered. I'll pay the tab."

"Here." She dug in her bag pulling out a twenty and a ten-dollar bill. "Let me know if you need more for my share."

"How much exactly did you drink?" Tommy looked at the money in his hand.

"Shush!" She pushed him away to go pay.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Chris asked her again.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I think the alcohol is hitting me all at once. And as Tommy said I'm knackered." She tried to laugh. The room started to spin a little and she wasn't sure if it was the liquor or it was her run-in with Tom.

"Will you walk out to the car with me? I think I could use some fresh air." She placed her hand on her stomach willing it to stop churning.

"Yeah," Chris jumped up, reaching out he helped her stand. "Holland." He called, "We're walking out to the car. We'll meet you out there."

Tom gave a thumbs up from his position at the bar waiting for change.

Laney looked back at Hiddleston whose eyes hadn't left her. He tilted his head to the side, bringing his lower lip in between his teeth, he gave her a helpless shrug. She didn't break eye contact with him until she walked out the bar door welcoming the cold winter air. Sucking in a deep breath she felt a little steadier.

Outside of the bar was much quieter and it took a second to adjust. As the cold air whipped around them they walked to where the car waiting to take them home was parked.

"I had fun tonight." Chris lightly bumped his shoulder into hers.

"So did I. Till those last few shots anyway. They're not agreeing with me right now."

"Uh oh...do we need a trashcan?"

"No." She laughed.

"We should do this again, with less alcohol, just me and you." Chris fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket nervously. "I mean if you want to. I know it's awkward because of-"

"Don't say Tom." She warned.

"Of things." He finished. "But....I like spending time with you."

"I like spending time with you to." She smiled shyly.

"LET'S GO!" Mackie burst out the door followed by Holland and then the rest of the crew.

Holland skipped over to Laney grabbing her by the arm, "I'll get her home." He grinned at Chris pulling open the car door.

"Ok...." Chris stepped back as Holland practically shoved Laney in the car and hopped in behind her slamming the door shut.

"They are just friends, right?" Chris asked no one in particular.



"What are you doing?" Laney braced herself against the door of the car stopping herself from face-planting. "You do know I have about $30 worth of liquor in me, right?"

"What am I doing? What are you doing?" Tom frowned at her.

"At the moment? Trying not to throw up." She gave him a dirty look.

"You know what I mean." He raised his eyebrows in anticipation.

"I told you I shouldn't be alone." She looked away smoothing her dress down.

"I tried to stop you. But I thought it was fine until I realized he was gone to. And that's when I walked around the corner to his tongue down your throat."

"Oh it was not!" Laney reached out shoving him.

"Well it would have been had I not interrupted."

"Thank you for that. But you didn't have to shove me in the car. I didn't even get to say bye to Chris."

"Sorry. I was just more concerned about finding out what I walked in on."

"Bad judgement." Laney's stomach burned. "On many levels. I shouldn't have taken that last shot. Last couple shots." She leaned her head against the cool pane of the window.

"So...what was that? With Tom?"

"I don't know. I'm clearly not thinking straight. I knew I wouldn't be able to-"

"Not kiss him?" Tom offered.

"Yes thank you. I don't know what his problem is." She sighed.

"Maybe he wants you back..."

"No I think he's jealous of Chris." She chewed on her lip.

"Brings me to my next question. What's with you two?"

"I think he was about to ask me out." She reached up running her finger along her collarbone where she swore she could still feel Tom's lips.

"Just now?"

"Yeah before you and the rest of the circus came outside."

"And 5 minutes before that you were sucking face with Hiddles."

"Ugh what is wrong with me?" Laney groaned hanging her head in her hands.

They rode the rest of the way to Laney's hotel in quiet.

"Why did you pick a hotel so far out?" Tom yawned pulling his leather jacket tighter around him.

"Scarlett recommended it. I didn't want to stay where I stayed last time. Tom's probably there."

The car stopped in front of the hotel and Tom jumped out with Laney walking up to her room.

"Laney I'm gonna be completely rude and invite myself in and to crash here tonight. I can't take that car back to my hotel I'll pass out before we arrive."

Laney smiled "OK you can stay. But you're on the pull out." She poked his chest.

"Wouldn't have it any other way love." He followed her into the suite yawning yet again.

"You got any of my shirts or shorts here?" He wondered out loud as Laney flipped on the lights.

"I let Tom borrow your shorts." She cringed.

"You GAVE HIDDLES MY SHORTS? Which ones were they? Not my black ones. Delaney." He scolded.

Laney shrugged. "Sorry." She dug through her clothes. "I have a t-shirt. It's pretty big. At least you won't smell like beer and cigarettes." She tossed him the clean shirt.

"Ok but I'm sleeping in my knickers. You've been warned."

"As long as you keep a blanket over it and stay on the pull out I don't care." Laney laughed. "I'm changing in the bathroom, have at it out here."

10 minutes later after Laney had changed and washed all the makeup and scum from the evening off she slipped out of the bathroom.

Tom had fallen asleep across her bed still in his jeans, shoes and jacket.

Laney shook her head with a smile before cutting the lights out and plopping down on the pullout.

Only Heart *Chris Evans*✅Where stories live. Discover now