LONDON BOY

26. Pieces Falling Into Place

Listen to this song on repeat to get in this chapter's mood:

CH 26: I Like Me Better (Spotify Sessions) - Lauv

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Somehow landing at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport felt so double. On the one hand, it felt like truly coming home; this was the place you'd always come back to when returning home from a vacation. The place where your childhood years were spent, the place where you'd spent countless drunken nights during college, and the place where you'd made so many memories with your friends.

On the other hand, it felt like you'd left your home behind in New York City. In those few months you'd spent with Tom, he truly became your new coming home. Entering the doors of the West Village apartment, quickly became to feel so familiar. Whether Tom was already home or not, the smell of his cologne was always filling the apartment air. You'd gotten so used to having him there when you woke up in the morning; either cuddled up against you, or in the kitchen with a big cup of coffee already waiting for you.

It was in the little things, that you had found a home with Tom. And it was honestly quite daunting how quickly you had gotten used to things so small. The way his kisses would be your alarm clock, waking you up in the morning. The way he would hang your dresses in the closet, after you'd thrown them to some random part of the room, because he knew how much you hated having to iron out the wrinkles. The way he'd stop whatever he was doing to kiss you in the middle of the sidewalk. The way you'd dance throughout the living room; either in slow and sensual, or jumping around and shouting the lyrics. The way he so quickly remembered your coffee order by heart – granted; a medium caramel macchiato isn't that hard to remember, but still.

So now, opening the front door to your Amsterdam flat, the lack of his scent hit your heart with slight disappointment. It had only been ten hours since your last embrace. Yet, because of the lack of him you'd experienced the week before, you were craving his touch so much more. From the second you'd entered the plane, you regretted not accepting his proposal of him coming with you. You already longed to be close to him again, your heart sinking a little when you realized you'd still have to wait ten days before you could be with him again.

However, the oh so familiar squeak you heard coming from the kitchen, pushes away the ache and replaces it with a big smile on your face. "OMG Meg! You're finally here!" Before you know it, Bri flies around your neck, cuddling you like you were her favourite stuffed animal. "Rose! Meg's here!" She shouts, her loud voice deafening you for a couple of seconds. You can hear footsteps quickly nearing behind you, as two arms embrace you from behind. "It's so good to have you back here!" Rose adds, giving you a kiss on your cheek.

"I've missed you girls so much. I know it's only been a week since you left New York, but I just missed you so much extra the past week." You pull them a little closer. They had been your best friends for years now, sharing every little bump in the road either of you would encounter. The hangovers, the heartbreaks, the disappointments; you'd shared all of them. So, to not have them with you after everything that went down with Tom, was hard. They made sure to call or FaceTime every day, accompanied by a million text messages, but it just wasn't the same. The time difference made it hard to find common ground, and you hated being sad over the phone, and not being able to just press your body into their comforting embrace.

"Yea, how are you doing with everything? We actually expected you to be a mess when you'd come through the door, but then we saw the Late Night footage... I'm guessing you and Tom have patched things up?" Rose asks and before you can answer, Bri eagerly adds, "Are you two an item again? We read the gossip Meg, but why haven't you updated us about the situation? Do you know how awkward it was for me to tell Anne this morning that I wasn't sure about your relationship-status!?"