The New Girl

35.

"What time is it?" I asked, yawning and nuzzling into Tom's chest.

He reached over to the table and picked up his phone, his screen glowing, showing the time: 2:00.

"Shit...we have work tomorrow." I cursed, sitting up.

"I'm gonna go pee but stay here, we still have time." Tom put a finger under my chin and planted a soft kiss on my lips before jumping up, unwraveling himself from the covers and making his way back inside.

We got changed into our pyjamas a while ago; me in shorts and one of his hoodies and Tom in his sports shorts and a hoodie. We were sitting outside by the pool on the couches, warming up by the fire, chatting about everything and nothing. The night was warm with a slight chill but it was so peaceful and calming. We were tracing our hands over each others skin and just being present, not thinking about anyone or anything. We got back from the club at around 10 and have been sitting outside since 11.

I grabbed the blanket that Tom had accidentally dropped to the floor and placed it next to me. My eye caught his phone as it started to ping up with notifications.

"Tom! Your phone's going off!" I shouted.

No answer.

There were tons of messages. I leaned over and glanced at his phone, just to see who was texting him and if it was an emergency.

'The Divs' groupchat. I sniggered to myself and looked away, not wanting to be nosy. But they kept going off. And my curiosity took the best of me. I lifted his phone up and looked at the messages.

Harry: You've not told her yet?

Sam: You're so screwed mate...

Tuwaine: Tom she's gonna kill u

Haz: She's going to be out of work tom, you have to tell her

What the-

"Hey, who's messaging me?" Tom asked nonchalantly, walking over and sitting next to me on the couch.

"What do they mean when they say that you have to tell me something?" I asked, handing him his phone back.

Tom scanned over the messages and his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

"I uh..."

"I'm out of work? What are they talking about?" I asked, folding my arms, awaiting an answer.

"Um...okay, this is out of my control and I've been trying to fight against it for a solid month now but they won't budge." He gulped, shifting on the couch to face me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, brows furrowed and heart beating out of my chest with nerves.

"You...I...we...ugh-"

"Tom just tell me-"

"You can't continue being  my assistant when we go to Atlanta..." Tom blurted out.

"Wh- what?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Sony know that we're dating and they don't want me to bring my assistant who's my girlfriend in case something happens and they'll have to hire someone new."

"But nothing's going to happen!"

"I know! But they don't care! They're doing what's best for the company...not for me."

I was speechless. I had a million thoughts floating around my head.

"They're my boss. And this Spiderman is literally my life I can't give it up...I need to do what they say. Whatever they say." Tom said solemnly, gulping.

"But...I...what am I supposed to do then?" I asked, my voice catching in my throat.

Tom reached over to my lap where my hands were placed and took them in his, "Come with me to Atlanta. Not as my assistant and not to work. Come as my girlfriend." He said with a hopeful grin.

"Tom...I can't if I'm not working."

"Yes you can! You don't have to be working all the time, Cole! All the stuff we get is paid for by Sony!" Tom exclaimed excitedly.

"Tom-"

"Come with me."

His eyes were so hopeful and his tone was pleading. As much as I wanted to say yes...I couldn't.

"I can't..." I whispered.

His hands went limp and dropped mine slowly, taking his own back.

"How long will you be in Atlanta for?" I asked softly.

"About 5 months. Excluding the Christmas and New Years break."

"Fuck..."

Silence.
Painful silence.

"Why can't you just come with me?"

"Tom, I moved to Berlin and then to Barcelona for 5 months. That changed a lot about my life. But I'm working here. I have a purpose here. You've always said your days on Spiderman are really long and if I was there, all I would be doing would be sitting around all day like a housewife, waiting for you to come home and then you'll be so exhausted from working that we won't have any time together. That would kill me. And us."

He paused, thinking everything over.

"I can't move to America for 5 months, Tom. I have to work and get back to normal life-"

"Normal life?" He scoffed.

"I don't mean it like that-"

"I know you didn't plan on us and neither did I. But my life, isn't normal! I do movies for five months where I play a superhero and then I do press for 3 more months and then I chill for like two weeks then I'm doing something else. My job is my life, Cole."

"I know that! It's just that I need to get back to my normal life."

"So, without me. Gotcha." Tom grabbed his phone and got up, walking away.

"Tom, I didn't say that!" I shouted, standing up.

"That's what you meant, though." He said, turning back to face me.

"I didn't mean that." I shook my head.

"Then what did you mean?" He folded his arms, immediately intimidating me.

"Your life is flashing cameras and A-List parties and hanging out with celebrities. Your life is getting things for free and fancy restaurants and millions of fans fawning after you like you're the next Jesus. My life is working in a shitty job where I get harrassed most of the time just so I can pay the bills at the end of the month. My life is just wanting to get through one day without wanting to jump off a cliff and if I do, that's a great fucking day."

I didn't notice that  was panting. And I didn't know if it was from frustration or anger or what.

"And you'd rather go back to that life than even be a part of mine." Tom scoffed and waited for a response.

I stuttered.

And he walked back inside with a slam of the back door. I saw him grab his shoes and slip them on before getting into the lift.

"Fuck."