After the End

Chapter 17 - Re-Propose

      The house was silent. Few lights were on, making it seem as though no one was home, but Allegra knew that he was in there.

She walked up the steps as slowly as she could, trying to delay the inevitable as if it would actually work, and took a deep breath before she opened the front door. The tv was on in the lounge, but the sound had been muted, and the people on the screen argued in silence as they threw various household objects at each other. And there he sat; in front of the tv, his eyes not looking at the screen but looking down; a photo of him and her together beneath fireworks was in a glossy white frame that he held tightly in his hand, as if he would lose his life if he were to let it go. She walked around the sofa, unable to take her eyes off of him as she moved, and she eventually was able to see the glass of whisky that he held in his free hand which he rested weakly on the top of his knee.

"Hi," she said quietly, part of her wishing not to disturb him.

He leant forwards slowly, as if his bones were creaking silently, and as he turned, he made a face that looked like he was about to cry. "Allegra..."

"I hadn't gotten around to sending someone for my stuff..." she said quickly, fidgeting in her spot and forcing herself to look at the floor in order to hold back the tears. "Sorry about that," she added with a sharp tilt of her head - the perfect embodiment of strength.

"Can I give you something before you go?" he asked her. He placed the glass of liquor down on the coffee table and stood up, walking to her, the photo frame still glued to his hand.

She walked back a few steps as he grew closer to her, realising that she wasn't ready for this conversation. "Tom –"

"Allegra, please," he begged softly, stopping where he stood.

"Is it the contract?" she asked him, her blue eyes locking with his in a whirlwind that could have swept her off of her feet. She hated seeing him so lost.

A frown spread across his features like a wash of water; beautiful, peaceful, but also destructive. "You know?"

"Someone isn't very good at keeping secrets," she smiled, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, a sight that Tom loved. "And I'm not going to name them, but... it was Chris."

She laughed, the smooth sound penetrating Tom's eardrums. It was a noise that he had longed to hear again for so long, and he had only managed to sustain his sanity by watching videos of them laughing together. But her laughter was lost to his sorrow, and he turned, gathering up a thick stack of papers off of the table that had a navy embellishment printed at the top of the front sheet, a navy silk bow tied around them.

"Here," he said, offering the documents to her. "This is the original signed copy. I wrapped it in a bow to try and make it look nice, but..." his voice faded, and he sighed deeply in an attempt to compose himself.

"Thank you."

"Do you want a hand with your things?"

"A hand?" she asked with a frown. She made sure to keep her voice light and tried her best to smile.

"Packing."

"Why am I packing?"

He looked at her, taking one step towards her without realizing he had done it, and his eyes glinted from the full moon that shone through the window behind Allegra.

"Because you said you're leaving."

Allegra shuffled again, clutching the documents to her stomach, and she took a moment before she looked at him again. She bit her lip; one of the signs of anxiety that Tom had learnt to recognize. All he wanted to do was embrace her and calm her down. "Why did you have to ignore me?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he began honestly. "I wanted to keep it a secret, no thanks to Chris, and..." he paused, sighing, arranging the words perfectly in his mind before they escaped his lips. "I hate lying to you. And so, it wasn't right, I know that now, but... I just avoided contact. I'm so sorry."

She let the words echo through her mind for a minute before she answered, and eventually she stepped forwards, minimizing the space between their bodies.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you out before I left."

"I would have done the same thing as you, so..." he shrugged, indicating that he had accepted responsibility for the consequences of his actions.

"Well, if it's ok with you, I'm not going anywhere."

"If it's ok with me?" he repeated, the corners of his lips raising ever so slightly, shattering the fragility of his sorrow. "Of course, it is. I would love you to stay, Allegra."

She pushed herself against him, her lips crashing against his. He tangled his fingers in her soft blonde hair, and their tears kissed as their hearts sang to each other. They teared themselves away, pressing their foreheads against each other as they embraced the feeling of falling in love all over again.

"Although," Tom began, amusement in his voice once again, "you do know that now I'll have to re-propose to you."

"Are you serious?" Allegra blinked, irritation calmly striking her like a match.

"I love you, Allegra," he chuckled gently.

"I love you too, Tom," she replied, laughing herself.

Suddenly, her phone rang, disturbing the perfect moment that both of them had imagined so many times on a sleepless night, and Allegra dipped her hand into the back pocket of her jeans, pulling her phone out. Naomi's number lit up her phone screen, and she pressed answer as quickly as she could.

"Hello?"

"Jack is in my arms!" Naomi was calling. "Jack is in my arms!"