Webs And Wishes - Tom Holland

Chapter 24.

Day 24.
Tom's POV.

She's not coming back is she?

I couldn't just bail on work, I'd already had too much time off recently, so instead I forced my way through scenes. One small blessing was that I needed to cry for this scene, and that was no problem.

Unfortunately, once I got started, I couldn't stop.

"Woah what's going on dude?" Jacob looked almost scared as he saw me completely break down for the first time in the whole two years of our friendship.

"I really messed up. She's gone Jacob. Gone. I don't know if I'll ever see her or our baby ever again..."

"B-baby?"

***

I sat staring down into a mug of hot, swirling tea.

"Tom."

I snapped back to reality, looking up to Jacob's disbelieving face.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I... I don't know. Can I crash at yours for a while? I need time to get away, to think." I returned my gaze to the hot liquid, sipping it gently.

"Sure dude. Anytime." Jacob didn't look very happy at the turn of events - he had really developed a strong friendship with Lily, and he was completely conflicted by what to do.

I felt betrayed. Not by her, but by Sarah. The woman couldn't have just messed up my life in the past, no, she had to ruin my current self too. I doubted she ever cared about me. Anyone who could do that surely never cared?

I sighed.

It was pointless dwelling on the past. I knew that, I really did. But it's so hard to pull yourself out of that way of thinking.

I leaned my head back, closing my eyes gently. I focused on my lungs filling with air, then breathed out slowly. In the deep silence of the room, I heard my own rythmic lifeline like a song. And as I pressed one hand to my heart, and felt the soft throb of the beat, I knew I had made a massive mistake. I accepted it.

The question was, could I fix it?

Not yet, I decided. First, I had to fix myself - or at least make sure I would never hurt Lily like that again.

It was important. So important.

"Hey J?" I kept my eyes closed, still focusing in on the sounds I usually took for granted.

He hummed to show he was listening, shifting his weight slightly. The crinkle of his clothing seemed to echo in my ears.

"I'm taking the day off tomorrow. I'm driving as far from here as I can, and I'm going to find somewhere calm. To think without all this noise." I almost spat the last word, some unknown bitterness rising up from my core.

"Are you coming back?" I could feel his worry. I'd run from my problems before for weeks, but this time it wouldn't be a problem.

"Yeah. It's just a day." I finally let my eyelids flutter open, light flooding my sight. "I promise I'll be back."

IM AWARE THIS IS HALF THE LENGTH OF A NORMAL CHAPTER STICK WITH ME OKAY IT GETS BETTER