The Three-Month Rule

Chapter 5 - The Report

Allegra sat on the dark leather brown sofa, next to a coffee table that held a vase of beautiful white open lilies. The flowers released a strong scent into the living room, but it was a beautiful smell that made her nostrils tingle.

The room was dimly lit by wonderfully hand-crafted wall chandeliers that gave the living room a gothic crease on it's perfect pages.

Tom sat on the other sofa, fingers interlaced, elbows resting on his knees, his eyes resting hazily on his suede tan shoes. Silence made their ears ring until Tom let out a deep sigh.

"An agent called me," he said eventually, not changing his line of sight. "And... She asked me to check my emails," he explained slowly, still staring at his shoes. "She'd sent me an email... With a link..." he slowly trailed off into a breathy whisper and sighed again.

"I know what this is about," Allegra said cautiously.

He looked at her then, his blue eyes colder than ever, his jaw tensing.

"How did this report come to be written?" he asked.

"Well, I bumped into Leah, and –"

"And you just... Thought you'd have a drink with her?" he shrugged, cold eyes turning colder.

"You said you liked me being friendly to your fans," Allegra whispered after hesitating.

She shuffled to the edge of her seat subconsciously, her mind pulling her closer to the door.

"She wasn't a fan though, was she?" he spat, the anger levels in his voice rising a notch. This made Allegra flinch as her eyes began to sting.

"I forgot –"

"And even if she was, you don't have to go out of your way for them."

Allegra didn't know what to think. She'd only ever seen Tom this angry in films, but it was only acting. This time he really was angry, and he was angry with her.

"...I'm sorry," Allegra said, her voice a mere whisper again. A tear rolled down her cheek and Tom sighed, clenching his jaw again and returning his eyes to his shoes.

"Have you read the report?" he asked eventually.

"Not yet," Allegra admitted, wiping a tear away and looking at her hands.

Tom took out his phone, unlocking it with a swipe of his fingertip and a news report filled his screen.

"'Tom Hiddleston and his new mystery woman have been confirmed to be a couple'," he began reading aloud. "'Tom's new lovebird confirmed in a recent interview that she and he have been dating for the past two days but are very much in love'."

He locked his phone and laid it heavily on the dark wood coffee table between them, his eyes returning to Allegra's pale wet face.

"I didn't say that –"

"Well, what did you say?" his anger spiking again.

"That you are kind and funny and..." she trailed off, beginning to cry more. "As soon as I remembered who she was, I left, but... It was too late." Allegra rolled her lips together, absorbing a tear and filling her mouth with a salty taste.

"So, we are dating, are we?" Tom asked bitterly.

"...I don't know," she shook her said gently and shrugged. "She said that you said we were."

"Did I? Did you hear those words come out of my mouth?"

Allegra blinked hard, remembering the previous day's conversation.

"No," she responded after a moment.

"No. You didn't," Tom confirmed and then paused. "Why are you interested in this romance, Allegra?"

Why did he call her Allegra?

"What are you talking about? What romance?" she asked him, anger penetrating her panic.

"I'm sorry?" Tom looked at her confused as Allegra stood up in one lashing movement.

"I don't know what we are doing, Tom. I don't know if we are dating or not. You haven't confirmed or denied it. All I know is that you kissed me and... And you make me happier than I've ever been."

He stood slowly, brushing his hands against his sides. As she stood there looking at him in the dim light, she could see that a warmth had returned in his eyes.

"I've been single for rather a long time, and –"

"And for your information, I did not state that we are dating. Those specific words did not come out of my mouth. But if there is one thing I do know, it's that I have been seeing you. We went out for dinner and you kissed me underneath a starlit sky. If that's not a date then I would love to know what your idea of a date is."

She was angry now. The fear and panic and worry had been absorbed and dominated by frustration. Tom looked at her, this time he was the one that was worried.

He glanced around the room, as if he were searching for something to grab on to.

"Journalists twist things," he finally said. "That is why I took myself off of social media."

"Yeah, I know that now, don't I?" Allegra snapped.

He slowly looked up at her again but said nothing. The lights turning his white shirt cream and casting golden shadows on the creases of his grey trousers.

Allegra took one step closer towards him.

"I can't..." she heard him whisper.

"You can't what, Tom?"

He said nothing.

"Are we dating or are we not? Because in all honesty, I don't know."

He said nothing.

She scoffed.

"If you have no interest in dating me, then... I guess I have no interest in this 'romance', as you called it. Whatever that is... What is your idea of romance because I'd love to know."

He said nothing and looked away.

She scoffed again and turned to leave.

"I can't do this anymore," he said firmly.

She stopped. Her heart dropped. Tears filled her eyes again as she felt her heart break inside her ribcage.

"What?" she managed as she turned and was met with Tom stepping onto the coffee table and landing in front of her. He grabbed her face and pulled it to his.

And he kissed her.

Hard.