Enemies With Benefits - T.H

•34•

I step up to the bar, waiting for the tender to finish making someone else's drink. I feel Tom's presence behind me, and I let out a sigh.
"What Thomas?" I say.
"Nothing.. just keeping an eye on you." He says.
"Keeping an eye on me?" I laugh.
"You're dressed like... that, and guys are disrespectful when they're drunk." He says.
I roll my eyes, turning around to face him.
"I can handle myself. I've done just fine these past six months." I say harshly, turning back towards the bar just as the tender walks over to me.
"Can't say I'm disappointed to see you again." He smiles. "What am I making you?"
I bite my lip between my teeth with a smile, having a fun idea.
"Surprise me." I say.
"Alright Darlin." He says, turning to start making a drink.
I still feel Tom standing behind me, and I refuse to engage with him. My efforts mean nothing though when he comes to my side, forcing me to pay attention to him.
"He's putting a lot of alcohol in that." He says quietly.
"Good." I say.
He frowns at me, trying to come up with something to say, but he knows I'm not going to listen. If he'd just come to the realization that I need him to stay away things would go so much smoother.
I get my drink, walking back to the table with everyone and Tom sits next to me once again.
"Hey." A girl says, walking right up to the table. She has dark curly hair, and an amazing body. I'd kill to look like that.
"Hi." Hannah says, giving the girl a weird look, but then it becomes obvious why she's over here.
"I don't normally do this but.. I thought you were cute and wanted to ask for your number." She says to Tom.
It's annoying how he attracts just about every girl.
"Sorry, I can't. I'm currently in a relationship with her." He says, pointing to me and I choke on my drink.
"Oh.. sorry." The girl says, and quickly walks away.
"What the fuck was that?" I ask.
"I'm turning down every girl that comes up to me until you finally realize we're suppose to be together." He says nonchalantly.
"Tom that's stupid you're going to be alone forever." I state.
"Better than being with someone who's not you." He says.
"Aww." Hannah coos, making me roll my eyes.
Luckily Haz changes the subject, and I try to just ignore Toms presence.
I drink the mixture the bartender made me, and holy shit it's strong. I start to feel uncomfortably drunk, and I push the drink away from me. I'm not like my friends, I don't loosen up the drunker I get, it just makes me uncomfortable. Tom obviously takes notice, looking between me and the drink I pushed across the table.
"I need another drink." Haz says.
"Me too." Hannah says, and they get up to go up to the bar.
Toms eyes remain on me, and I stare off into space.
"You okay, sweetheart?" He asks.
The nickname bothers me much less now than it did earlier due to the amount of alcohol in my system, and my inability to be angry while drunk.
I shake my head no, which normally he'd scold me for, telling me to 'use my words' but right now he's just concerned.
"You drank too much.. you hate getting drunk." He states.
I hate how well he knows me.
"Yeah.." I sigh.
"Why are you drinking all the time?" He asks. "I know you don't like it."
I sigh, staring down at my hands in my lap. Normally drinking numbs me, but drinking excessively like I did tonight makes me uncomfortable and depressed.
"Because I'm lonely." I say quietly. "And bored, and sad.."
"Why didn't you say anything?" He asks.
"Because you're not my person anymore." I say.
"Sav, sweetheart, I'm always going to be your person." He says, his fingers cupping under my chin to lift my gaze to his. I missed talking to him.. "whether you are mad at me and done with me or not, I'm always going to be here."
Haz and Hannah get back to the table with their drinks, but Tom doesn't budge from keeping his gaze on me.
"Sav needs to go home, I'm gonna take the car. Can Haz go with you?" He says to Hannah, making my brows scrunch together.
"Yeah, of course." Hannah nods.
"Cmon darling." Tom says, pulling me up from my seat, I stumble slightly from the drunken state of my body, but he holds me tightly. I can't even be bothered to protest because all I want is to go home and sleep.
We go out to the car, and he opens the door for me, helping me inside. He gets in the drivers seat, and I come to the realization that he didn't drink at all tonight..
"Why didn't you drink?" I ask.
"I wanted to make sure you were safe." He says.
I stay silent the rest of the ride home, and I get confused when he pulls into Haz's driveway.
"Why are we here?" I ask.
"Because when Haz and Hannah have their baby and move out together, you're coming back here with me. I'm your home." He says.
He helps me out of the car, holding my hand as we walk up to the door. He takes me to my old room, and grabs some clothes out for me.
"Change." He says, stepping out of the room.
I change into my pajamas, fumbling a bit as I'm slightly uncoordinated from the alcohol. Once I finally manage to get myself dressed the door opens again and he walks in with some water to help get the alcohol out of my system.
"Thank you.." I say.
"Don't thank me, this is what I want to do for you.. I want to take care of you, Savannah." He says.
I sit down on the bed, and he sits in front of me.
"You can go, I'm fine now." I say.
"No. You're lonely, and bored, and sad." He says, remembering exactly what I said earlier. "And alcohol isn't going to fix it."
"I'm fine." I shake my head.
"You used to tell me everything. You can still talk to me, even if you hate me. I just want to help you."
God I miss talking to him. I just miss him, and what we had, but that's gone..
"You can't help me. In fact, you pushing yourself onto me is only making it worse." I say.
"Why?" He asks.
"Because.. I miss you." I answer honestly.
The words I spoke bring a small smile to his face.
"Then quit fighting it.. quit trying to push me away just because you're scared." He says.
"Then give me a reason to not be scared." I say.