Stumbling Into the Spotlight - Tom Hiddleston FanFic

27 - Eliza

Why did busted lips have to hurt so much? The bruise on my cheekbone didn't feel any better but as long as I didn't touch it it wasn't too bad. I had to talk at the meet and greet and every word made my lip unhappy. Shelly had offered to cancel it but I just wanted to get these over with.

Henry had surprised me by showing up at the event, though I don't think he'd meant for me to see him. He was a big man and like with Tom, the ladies loved him so all I had to do was follow the giggles to find him. He'd met my eyes across the room and smiled sheepishly. I just smiled back and shook my head, rolling my eyes at him but I was touched. He didn't need to worry about me though, Shelly had hired a couple plain clothed officers to mingle in the crowd just in case Zawe decided to try something else, though I doubted she'd be that stupid.

The video had been released online very early this morning and they weren't being very nice to her. I honestly felt sorry for her, not enough to excuse her antics, but it had to hurt to see Tom happy with someone else so quickly after he'd been ready to marry her. I knew I was going to feel horrible once Tom moved on and our relationship, if I could even call it that, had only lasted a week.

This bookstore was similar to mine and it makes my homesick worse. Everyone is super friendly, but I miss my friends. Katy told me Tom is still there though and though I was still upset he'd immediately accused me I missed him, if I went home I'd run into him and I wasn't ready to see him. It was hard enough to not answer his calls and there was a books worth of text messages sitting unread in my inbox.

I'd just walked back into my hotel room as my pocket chimes for a new text message. Seeing it was from Katy I open and raise an eyebrow.

"Turn on Jimmy Fallon."

"Why?" I type back.

"Just do it!"

"Fine. Bossy much?"

I grab the remote and flip to the right channel, settling down onto the couch tucking my feet under me. Of course the first image is Tom's smiling face as he sits down. I can't help studying him as they talk. He looked good, tired but good. Was he not sleeping any better that I was? He fidgeted a lot too, though I couldn't think of a reason he'd be anxious.

I am drawn back to listening instead of just looking as Tom says my name, my heart skipping a beat. His face lights up as they talk about me and how we met and I couldn't help the smile that spreads across my lips.

"Love at first sight?" Jimmy asks, biting his lip and making me laugh out loud.

Tom nodes, looking embarrassed, tucking his hair behind his ears.

"I truly love her." I hear him say and I lean back against the couch staring at the tv.

I'd been sure this was going to be when he told everyone we were no longer together but he'd used present tense so it sounded like he was still in love with me. Sure enough he tells Jimmy that we'd fought before I'd left for LA, admitting it'd been his fault as well.

"But you still love her?" Jimmy asks.

"More than anything." Tom replies, looking into the camera.

I cover my mouth with my hand and stare at the tv, laughing when he says I didn't watch these because that wasn't strictly true. I didn't watch gossip ones but I had seen most of these kind of interviews he's done over the years. Was he saying all this because he thought I wouldn't see it? Surely he knew even if I hadn't Katy would tell me everything he'd said.

Groaning and gently touching my lip as they play the clip from yesterday I'm surprised to see anger flash across Tom's face as he watches it, though the small flicker of hurt and jealousy when I put my hand on Henry's chest surprises me more. Of course that leads into my spending time with Henry.

"I'm not interested in him like that!" I grumble, folding my arms across my chest.

"I trust her, and had I trusted her more before we wouldn't be at odds now. I love her enough to want her to be happy, even if it's not with me."

He smiles sadly as he speaks and my heart aches for him. Tears I hadn't known were in my eyes slid down my cheeks and I wipe them away quickly.

The show goes to commercial and I turn the tv off. Had he really meant what he'd said? He certainly seemed like he was telling the truth, he had no reason to lie after all. He'd had the perfect opportunity to say he was single but he'd done the opposite. He'd implied he still wanted to be with me.

My phone chimes again and I pick it up.

"So? What do you think?"

"I don't know." I reply honestly.

I wanted to believe him, I really did but it was easy to say the right words and another to truly mean them. Could I really trust him again? It'd been over a week since we'd even spoken yet he was apparently still holding out hope that we'd somehow work things out. That said a lot. I knew there were thousands of women who would love for him to be theirs, Zawe included, but for whatever reason he still wanted me.

"I know you miss him."

"I do miss him but it's not that simple."

"It's as simple as you make it. Do you still love him? Honestly?"

"Very much so."

"Then what's the harm in at least talking to the poor man? If you're both miserable without the other and the love is still there on both sides..."

"How do you know I'm miserable?"

"How long have we known each other? I know a forced smile when I see one."

She wasn't totally wrong, I certainly wasn't as happy as I'd been in New York but that wasn't just because how things were with Tom and I but it was part of it.

"Fine. You win."

"So you'll talk to him?"

"Not yet. I have two events to get through the next couple days. After that I'll text him."

"When did you turn into a coward?"

"Hey!"

"I'm serious! That couldn't have been easy for Tom and you're too...whatever to even text the man?"

"Why do you care so much? Shouldn't you be on my side?"

"I am on your side but..."

A picture pops in of Tom sitting on the couch in the shop, he looked so sad it broke my heart. Why was he at the shop?

"If you're both miserable it doesn't make sense for you to wait.

"Why is he there?"

"He's here most days Eliza."