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pollenallergie · 1 year ago

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Enough | A Make Up Story | Tom Grant x You | Series Masterlist

Chapter 10: The Lies You're Telling Yourself Words: 2.8k

You woke with a smile.

Tom was pressed tightly against your back. His arm was wrapped around your waist, and you could feel him breathing on your shoulder. If anyone else dared to breathe on you like that, you'd be plotting their demise. But with Tom, you didn't mind. He was so warm, and soft, and sweet… you wanted all of him you could get.

It was like you were made for each other. No matter what you tried, you were a perfect fit. No one had ever made you feel this way before; sure, he'd made you see stars several times last night, but you were just as obsessed with the way your hands fit together, and the way he bit his lip when he was trying to hold back, and the way his eyes fluttered when he needed to rest. He was beautiful. He was perfect. And right now, he was all yours.

For one glorious night, you'd both set aside all your bullshit and just enjoyed being together. And then the crackle of Tom's radio burst your bubble and sent you hurtling back into the real world.

"Tom." Click. "TOM." Shirley was growing impatient.

"Tom?" you asked, reaching for the hand that was resting on your stomach. He acknowledged you with a little moan and a squeeze. "Shirley's calling for you over the radio."

"Fuck," he grunts, rolling out of bed and slipping on yesterday's boxers. He pads out of the room and picks up his radio.

"It's Tom, I'm here."

"Come to the office. Now."

You look at each other with fear.

"On my way."

He drops the radio on the bed and rushes to the closet, pulling out clean clothes. You sit up and pull your knees to your chest. You don't know what to say, but Tom notices how worried you are.

"Don't panic, she probably wants just to bitch at me for fighting with Kai again," he says as calmly as he can, pulling a shirt over his bruised face.

"Would she fire you for that?"

"Nah. If I'm fired, they'll have to train somebody else. Too much work. It'll be fine." He leans over to kiss your forehead, then sticks his feet in his shoes without tying them. "Stay here, I'll be back as soon as I can." He's out the door before you can respond.

You dress, make the bed, and clean up everything you'd knocked over last night while you wait. Your thoughts race through the most awful scenarios, each imagined situation worse than the last. What is that creepy old woman doing to Tom that's taking so long?

When Tom returns, you're sitting at the table with a leg jiggling so ferociously, it's probably making the whole van shake. You pop up when he enters… with a smile?

"What happened?" you ask nervously.

Tom grins. "April wants us to come see her."

That was not one of the scenarios you'd imagined. You fall back into your seat and let out the breath you've been holding since the radio crackled. Tom sits across from you.

"She's broken her hip. Her granddaughter arrived last night, she's there with her. She'll be down for a bit, but she's asked us to come see her, and bring Bonnie and a few other things."

"Bonnie?"

An adorable grin splits Tom's face. "C'mon."

You get up and follow him out of his van, across the grass, and into April's house. He goes to her reading chair by the window in the living room and picks up a bonsai tree. "This is Bonnie. April's had her for decades. Keeps her company while she reads."

"Hello, Bonnie," you smile. This is the cutest thing you've ever heard.

"Find me a bag?"

You fetch a tote from the kitchen cabinet where you'd stashed them after your shopping trip. Tom pulls out the list April had dictated to him over the phone, and you help him collect the things that'll make her hospital stay a bit easier. Her slippers, her robe, the afghan from her reading chair, the book she was currently reading, and a box of proper tea from her pantry. "Says she can't stomach that weak hospital stuff," Tom explains.

Loaded down with April's necessities (and her dear Bonnie), you and Tom happily walk toward the work truck. Shirley had given him the morning off, since it technically was a task for a resident.

"We should stop somewhere and get her flowers," you muse.

"And breakfast," Tom grumbles, just before his stomach does. As you pass the office, Shirley pokes her head out the door.

"Tom." You both stop and turn. "Doug called for you. Tell your new girlfriend her car's ready."

You were literally right next to him. She saw you. You heard her. It made you feel about a centimeter tall.

"Alright. Thanks, Shirley."

Tom keeps walking as though nothing strange had just transpired. Has he grown immune to her weirdness? Are you overreeacting?

You reached the truck, loaded it up with April's treasures, and got in silently. Tom put the vehicle in gear and slowly exited the caravan park. You stared out the window.

"Hey." You look over at him. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just dreading that mechanic's bill," you lie, focusing on the window again. Well, half a lie. You're dreading that too.

But you'd just been served a hearty reminder that this perfect little Tom-filled bubble you've been living in wasn't built to last. Just like your time with Jade; this had an expiration date. You're still here because you're waiting for your car to be fixed. And it is.

"I'll help you out."

"No, you won't."

"I'm the reason you crashed."

"It's my car, Tom, I'll take care of it."

"But I--"

"Tom, you've already put me up for nearly a week, I'm not asking you for more."

He falls silent, and you feel horrible. You didn't mean to snap at him. But maybe it's for the best. You should probably just get out now, before you can feel Tom losing interest in you, like Jade always did.

"You didn't ask," he says, slowly and quietly. "I offered."

You finally glance at him, and he looks like a kicked puppy. You hate yourself.

"I'm sorry, Tom," you say gently. "It's just… the car being ready means I have to go home. And I've really enjoyed hanging out with you." Don't cry, don't cry, don't you dare fucking cry.

Tom reaches across the seat for your hand, and you take it. You tilt your head toward the window so he won't see the tears slipping from the corners of your eyes.

"What do you say we forget about the car for a bit. We'll go get something to eat, spend some time with April, take the rest of the morning just for us. Deal with everything else later."

"I'd like that," you croak. Tom holds your hand tighter. The rest of the drive into town passes in silence, and he doesn't let go of your hand until he pulls into a parking spot in front of a bakery… two doors down from a florist. "Flowers or food first?"

"I'll get the flowers and meet you back here," you offer, sliding out of the truck. One minute alone should be long enough to clear your head. Or at least let loose the tears you've been fighting since you left the park.

"Want anything specific?" Tom asks as you meet on the sidewalk.

"Surprise me," you smile. He returns it, and kisses your forehead before walking past.

You try to push the feeling of dread aside as you walk toward the florist. You don't have to leave him right now. Stop worrying about that and enjoy the time you have left with him, idiot.

The shop isn't open yet. Yet another thing you're not going to worry about. It just means more time with Tom. You take a deep breath and walk back to the bakery, where he's still standing in line. He's studying the menu on the wall like he's going to be tested on it.

You stand silently behind him for a moment, just admiring him. He's so invested in the menu, he doesn't notice you're there. Finally, you can't resist anymore, so you reach forward to place your hands on his sides. He jumps and yelps and you stand there innocently, like you have no idea what's gotten into the random man freaking out in front of you.

Tom fixes you with a fake glare, then hooks his arm around your neck and pulls you to him. Your arms wrap around his middle, and you grin up at him.

"They're not open for another 20 minutes," you inform him. "Have you decided on anything yet?"

"I was thinking half a dozen of the ones on special. We can eat here, then take the rest to April and her granddaughter."

"That's a good idea." He smiles down at you, and you rest your head on his shoulder to keep from melting into the floor.

When you arrive at the front of the line, you detach yourself as Tom orders the pastries and two coffees. You find a table and enjoy a quiet breakfast somewhere other than his van for a change. Not that you were complaining. You quite liked it there.

Tom stopped by the truck to deposit the remaining pastries, then you strolled hand-in-hand down the sidewalk toward the now-open florist. You picked out a pretty bouquet, paid - after a small argument with Tom, who'd already bought breakfast - and were on the road again.

The hospital wasn't far away. You stopped at reception, got directions to April's room, and found it quickly. A nurse poked her head in to make sure April wasn't sleeping, then announced that she had visitors. She held the door open, and you followed Tom in.

"Hello, love," Tom greets with a smile that lights up his whole face.

"Hi, April!" you chirp from behind him.

"Oh, you three are a welcome sight!" Three? Oh. Right. Bonnie the Bonsai, who Tom is placing beside the bed. You deposit her flowers on a nearby table, approach the other side of April's bed, and begin unpacking her bag for her. You spread the afghan over her legs at her request. Tom straightens out the other side. Teamwork, Grant.

"Have you already had breakfast?" Tom asks.

"If you can call that gruel breakfast," April sighs dramatically.

"Good thing we smuggled you in something decent, then," he winks, handing her the bag of pastries. She opens it, inhales deeply, and looks to the heavens with bliss on her face.

"My heroes," she grins. She pulls out a pastry and a napkin and hands you the bag. You place it on her bedside table, and Tom pours her a cup of water.

"Tommy, what happened to your face?" she asks, digging into her pastry like it was the best thing she'd ever eaten.

"I took a little tumble too," he claims. It wasn't a lie. There was tumbling involved.

There were chairs on either side of her bed, so you each took one. Tom filled her in on what she'd missed at Sleepy Sunrise over the last day - mundane little details that she seemed to enjoy - until a woman in a yellow sweater came in and hovered awkwardly by the door.

"Amelia, come meet my young friends!" The woman steps forward hesitantly, and Tom gets up to introduce himself, then you. "Amelia is my granddaughter. She wants me to come live with her!"

"You're leaving me, love?" Tom asks, hands over his heart like he's hurt.

"You want to take care of an old lady with a broken hip, Tommy?"

They both grin, but you know he would.

Tom surrendered his chair to Amelia and came to sit on the arm of yours. You didn't mind at all; in fact, you had to fight the urge to wrap your arm around him. April told the three of you - four, if you count Bonnie - all about her favorite nurses, and how bland the food was, and eventually surrendered one of her treasured pastries to Amelia.

"Might I have a moment alone with the patient?" a doctor asks politely, as if it were actually a question. The three of you clear out and gather in a waiting room at the end of the hall. The silence is awkward, but only lasts a minute.

"I've asked Gran to come live with me," Amelia forces a smile, "but she's trying to fight me on it."

"Why's she fighting?"

"Says she likes it where she is," she shrugs. "Don't know why." Tom's shoulders tense. "No offense intended. It's just that she's all alone there."

"She's got me."

"And where were you when she wandered off this week? And the time last week?" Before Tom can defend himself, she continues. "I can't believe she's gotten this bad, and no one bothered to call me."

Tom is clenching his fists. You decide to speak before he says something he'll regret.

"Amelia, it's wonderful that you're here, and that you've asked your grandmother to come stay with you. But when she's at home, Tom's the one who fixes things for her, and takes her shopping, and keeps her company when he's not working. He's trying his best."

They both stare at the floor.

"I need you to convince her to come with me," Amelia states. "She won't even be able to get up the steps to her caravan for ages. If she comes with me, she could probably leave next week. Enter from the ground floor, be looked after, and get to know her great-grandchildren."

"What's keeping her from agreeing to go?" Tom asks.

"I don't know. Which is why I need you to find out, and convince her it's for the best. She speaks highly of you. Trusts you."

Tom rubs his eyes and sighs.

"All done!" The nurse from earlier reappears. "You can go back in now."

Tom and Amelia stare at each other.

"Amelia, would you like to come downstairs for a drink with me? Give Tom a few minutes with your grandmother?"

She nods and rises from her chair, and you and Tom do the same. You give his shoulder a squeeze and follow Amelia to the elevator. You can see him entering April's room as the doors close.

You and the woman you've just met order coffee and sit awkwardly at a small table in the bright white cafeteria.

"How long have you been together?" she asks.

"Uh…" you can't fight the smile on your face. "Technically, we're not. I'm just here 'til my car gets fixed, then I'm headed home."

These are facts, and you're not even a little bit devastated over having to say them out loud.

You ask about her kids to distract from the lies you're telling yourself, and just like any mom, that's all it takes to make her open up. She carries the rest of the conversation, and you smile and nod when it seems appropriate.

When Amelia finally stops for a breath, she looks at her watch. "It's been thirty minutes. D'you think he's had time to charm her yet?"

"He probably did that twenty-eight minutes ago," you wink.

You clean up your table and return April's room. Amelia enters first.

"What took you so long?" April grins from her bed. Tom sits next to her, sporting a matching expression. He pats her hand and rises from his chair, coming to you.

"Can I talk to you a minute?" You nod, and he tilts his head toward the door. You lead the way.

"April's going to go live with her granddaughter," he says when the door closes.

"You talked her into it?"

"Yeah. But, uh… one of her worries was strangers coming in and going through her things. Amelia told her they would hire movers to come in and take care of everything. She didn't want that. So… what if we did it?"

You look at him strangely. What is he getting at?

"I mean… I know your car's ready, and nothing's stopping you from leaving. And I can do it myself, if you want to go. But if you didn't mind staying for a little longer… I'm sure she'd really appreciate it."

"She would?"

"Are you really gonna make me say it?"

"Make you say what, Tom?"

"Please don't leave yet."

You launch yourself into his arms so he can't see the tears streaming down your face.