The Veil

Chapter Twenty-one

As we walked to the coffee shop, Tom told me about a weird phone call he'd gotten from an unknown number, he showed me the number, as if I'd know who it was, and said all he could hear was crackling and heavy breathing, he'd hung up quickly and tried to call back but there wasn't an answer. 

He had no idea who it could be as it was an area code he didn't know, and google wasn't much help which was weird. 

We chose a little booth towards the back of the coffee shop to sit in, it was pretty quiet inside and as I waited for Tom to come back with our drinks I got a little nervous again, it was basically our second date, and while we'd been for coffee so many times over the years, it now felt different. 

Over the years before I'd got my feelings in check, I'd let my mind wonder that first year, imagining we were on a date, but having thought the feelings were not being reciprocated, it felt different than it did now. 

Especially after how incredible last night had been.

Tom placed my coffee in front of me and pulled me from my inner thoughts, he sat down across from me and leant back against the worn and squishy leather booth.  

"Thanks." I nodded at the coffee in my cradled hands. 

"Anytime." He smiled. 

"I wanted to ask you something." He stated and moved forwards, leaning his elbows on the table in front of him. 

The butterflies in my stomach turned to nerves rather than excitement. 

I had no idea what it could be, but his pause was enough to let me start panicking. 

I gulped loudly and to avoid having to say anything too soon, I took a large sip of my coffee, scalding my mouth. 

Tom didn't seem to notice as he was looking down at the table between us. 

"What exaclty is this?" He eventually looked up and waved his right hand between us both. 

"Um, what do you mean?" I asked, I knew what he meant, but I didn't know how to answer him.
I knew what I wanted this to be, but what if he didn't want to be the same? 

"Are you my girlfiend?" He asked shyly, and I realised how stupid it was for me to think he wouldn't want the same things as I did. 

He'd made his feelings clear, after that first initial night, and not only had he told me so many times over the last two months, I'd felt it. 

He made me feel special without even trying, the way he looked at me, even when I was just wearing an old baggy hoodie and some jeans, he made me feel like I did the day before on our date.  

The way he was so interested in everything I did or said, the same way I was interested in anything he told me. 

The way he held me at night and made me feel so safe and whole and it was incredible. 

After my parents had been murdered, I'd not really been able to feel safe until I started to get to know Tom. Jade and Andrew were loving and protective and loyal, but with Tom it was different.  

"That's what I want." I smiled at him. 

"Good." He nodded formally, trying to keep a straight face. 

He failed two seconds later and broke into a smile as big as my own. 

"Now, how long do you think it will take to spread around town?" I asked, taking another sip of my considerably cooler coffee. 

"Now that Drew, Jade, Joe and Emma know? I give it three days until everyone is in on it." He laughed. I joined him and shook my head. 

A second later the smile dropped from his face "Can I ask you something else?" His tone changed.