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« ch. 3 »

i hadn't seen nor talked to tom in well over a week. i was still upset, and i had no idea why. i hated it.

"just give it time, babe. you'll either work things out or you won't. life goes on." jacqlyn sympathetically rubbed my shoulder as we stepped out of the brisk air and into the coffee shop. i was hoping she was right.

i prayed to anyone who would listen that tom wouldn't choose to come to get coffee at this cafe today. this one in particular. i couldn't deal with him.

of course, my prayers were blatantly ignored. i heard his voice before i saw him. he ordered the same thing as last time.

i stood and grabbed my bag. "i'll be back in a few minutes. i'm gonna go get some air." jacqlyn understood as soon as she saw him and nodded.

i did my best to sneak out undetected, but with my luck, he spotted me. i knew he had seen me, but i just continued walking with my head held low. he called my name several times, and i knew he was following me.

i ignored his calls and continued walking, definitely faster than usual. i didn't want to see him. i didn't want to deal with him. i felt my anger bubbling inside me again. the same questions i had been asking myself all week were blurring through my head. none of this was right.

i was walking fast, but he was faster. in my defense, i was a hell of a lot shorter than him. he grabbed my arm, but not violently. it was a gentle touch. much to my own dismay, i knew in my mind that i enjoyed it. i craved it.

"callie, you don't have to forgive me, and you don't have to stop hating me but i just want to talk." i whipped around, giving him a death stare.

"audacious, aren't we?" i scoffed. "a week ago you said you would leave me alone, and here you are, begging for my attention. you could have prevented this. all you had to do was be honest with me from the start."

"please don't be like this. i knew you would react like this, and for that reason it sucked for me to keep this from you, but i also knew you would probably back off as soon as you knew anything." his eyes were pleading, and i couldn't help but to admit i at least wanted to be on good terms with him. i didn't hate him, i was only upset with him.

"alright. first of all, you've got to stop pretending like you know me. you didn't 'know' anything about how i would react, you were just scared." tom looked down at his shoes. i reluctantly added, "however, i understand why you did it. i probably would've done the same thing, so it isn't fair for me to shut you out." he looked back up.

that shit-eating grin returned to his face.

"but that doesn't mean we can be anything more than friends. i'm sure you're amazing, tom, but i don't want to get myself involved in your world. i'm not trying to be rude, but i can't put myself through all of the media, especially not at this point in my life. i'm trying to build a life for myself, and i'm sorry that you would interfere with that." my hands found their way into my pockets. "but if you for some reason wanted to get coffee or see each other every once in a while, i wouldn't be opposed to that, either." i looked up at him. he was still smiling.

"that sounds lovely."

.

tom, jacqlyn, and i sat in the living room of our apartment, ironically enough watching 'thor: ragnarok."

"let me get this right. you know chris hemsworth? that one? there? on the screen?" jacqlyn hadn't stopped interrogating tom for the entire month we had all been hanging out. i laughed.

"i do, believe it or not. in case you forgot, i'm standing right there next to him. it's kind of obvious i know him." tom smiled.

"now on a completely separate note, could i see your phone? i just need to make a call."