False Hope

Part 11

You feel the pain in his voice when he says,
"He's coming for me. He- he wants me dead."
"Tom what are you on about? Who wants you dead?" You say worrying and holding him in your arms, "Tom please talk to me." He tries to steady his breathing but fails, "Tom listen, it'll be okay, we can keep you safe, and- and protect you from this person." You try to comfort him, although you're comforting yourself more. You're scared. Why would someone want him dead? What has he done to get himself in this situation? Questions fill your head but you stay quiet and comfort him. You lock the front door and then walk into the living room with Tom and sit him down. He looks so hurt and alone. You run to the kitchen and get a glass of water to give to him.

You try your best to calm him down, you've never seen him like this before, it's always been the tough emotionless Mr Holland, but he masks his feelings with this persona he creates. You don't try to pry into his feeling so you just let him sit with you in his presence,
"Tom, I know you may not want to talk about it right now, but when you're ready please tell me what's going on... you're scaring me."
"If I tell you, it makes you a part of it too. I don't want you to get hurt." He says quietly.
"I want to be a part of it Tom, I want to be a part of you, and if this is going to work, you have to tell me these things." He doesn't say anything, "let's do something, get your mind off things?" He shakes his head.
"I have to run." He says with motivation in his voice.
"Tom-"
"No y/n I have to."
"No, you don't. Tom please, we can keep you safe here, we'll find somewhere here that we can stay, and protect you. Please Tom, don't leave." He looks at you with sympathy in his eyes.
"Y/n you don't know how bad it's getting."
"Then tell me, I'm here to listen."
"It's a long story."
"I have time." You smile at him. He takes a deep breath,
"5 years ago, when I was 17, I'd just got my license and me and this kid on my street Haz- Harrison, he was quite a bit younger than me, I used to drive around reckless and he'd be with me a lot, I was young and I was excited because I could drive. Anyway one night I was driving home and I got into a huge car accident, it was horrible, I should've died that night. The two people in the other car died, and it was Harrison's parents. Harrison was adopted by another family after his parents died but we kept in touch, I was horrified and I felt so guilty that I didn't tell Harrison, he ended up finding out on his own last year when he was old enough to fit the pieces together, and he hated me for it, I never thought he could hate me this much but he does. And recently he's been sending me threats, he's sent people to kill me in the past and I hardly got out alive but y/n he won't stop- he won't stop until I'm dead, I don't know what to do." Tears fill his eyes again as the tells the story to you, revisiting his past and the things he's done. You hold him in your arms and let him sit there with you.
"Hey listen to me, we'll figure this out, we'll make sure you're safe, okay?" He looks at you with the worry in his eyes, "Tom. We'll figure it out together, I promise you, I won't let you die." He hugs you, "It'll be okay." You didn't want to say it out loud but you were scared, you had no idea how you could protect him from Harrison but you knew you had to, but you were scared that you wouldn't be able to and if he died, you'd be alone again, alone with your thoughts knowing you let him die.

You take Tom upstairs and you get ready for bed, he was already in joggers and a t-shirt so he didn't need to get changed. Neither of you discussed him staying over but you both just knew, and you knew he didn't want to go home just yet. Not much was said after Tom told you about Harrison, but the silence said a thousand words. You knew this relationship you had with Tom was special, you could see the similarities in both of your lives, and you knew that whatever this is, it's going to last.

You show Tom to a spare room, a book in your hand, he lays down in his bed and you look at him for a second, his fragility in this moment, then you turn around to leave the room, your hand on the doorknob, you stop when you hear,
"Y/n." You turn around to look at Tom again, "Stay." You smile at him as your hand slips off the doorknob and you walk over to him. You sit on the bed next to him and start reading your book as he goes to sleep, you admire him and how he can be so mighty at work and then out of work, he's hurting.