The Veil

Chapter Seventeen

I had to put my book down just before Joe came over to my desk because it had gotten too sad to keep reading.

"You ok hun?" He asked, a concerned look on his face. 

I swiped at a tear on my cheek and laughed at myself. "Just my book." I shoved a scrap bit of paper between the page to save my spot and put it aside, I didn't think I'd be able to finish it at work.

"You can go grab some lunch with Emma if you want, tell her to bring me back a sub." He smiled down at me and jerked his thumb towards Emma who was grabbing her bag from the back.  

I jumped up, I was starving, I'd ran out before the possibility of breakfast.  

Just as I opened my mouth to tell him that Nixon was due in for his tattoo he walked in the door, smiling at me and giving me a quick wave.

As Emma and I walked for food, I checked my phone, I'd had three messages from Andrew, all of them relating to how we hadn't told them about me and Tom. 

I ignored them. 

Jade had tagged me in a cute whale video in facebook. 

Tom had sent me a picture of him trying to read but Sky shoving her head into his face.  

It made me smile so wide Emma asked me what I was smiling at. 

After lunch the day passed a lot quicker, two sugar donuts after a sub can do that to a girl. 

All of a sudden I got butterflies as I closed my car door, Jade and Andrew knew now.  

Jade was pregnant.  

How was Tom going to act around me now that they know? 

Would he act different now? 

How should I act?  

I was overthinking the situation way too much, I took a deep breath and shook myself, and walked up the porch steps, pushing the door out of my way.  

Tom was sitting on the sofa watching TV and hadn't heard my soft appraoch.  

I quietly put my keys in the bowl and then rested my hands on the back on the sofa, Tom jumped and I laughed. 

He let his head drop back, his hair falling onto my hands, I smiled down at him, his face lighting up in a way that made my stomach flutter.

"Hey!" He said, his smile not wavering.  

"Hi" I beamed back at him and lowered my head towards him, my hair failing around us.  

"How was your day?" He asked as he reached his arm back and ran his fingers over my wrist, sending shivers through my whole body.  

"My book got really sad and I had to stop reading it." I pouted. 

Tom looked like he was about to reply but then his eyes darted to my lips and back, he gulped loudly. 

I could hear Jade and Andrew in the kitchen, otherwise I would have taken advantage of his distraction and kissed him. 

He moved his fingers off my wrist and I stood up straight.  

He cleared his throat and sat up straighter.

"Do you think this will ever not be awkward now they know?" I laughed nervously and walked around to dump myself on the sofa next to him.  

"I doubt it, we had five minutes on the baby news and it's been all about us the rest of the day." He rolled his eyes at me as his hair fell into his face.