Stumbling Into the Spotlight - Tom Hiddleston FanFic

30 - Tom

I manage to get to the book store before Eliza and after a brief conversation with her agent I'd been allowed to leave my letter on the table so she'd see it when she sat down. Now I was hiding on the upper floor standing beside a pillar waiting for her to arrive.

After I'd read her text last night I'd spent the rest of the night dreading what she wanted to talk about. She didn't know I'd already seen her out on the date with Cavill but that was the only thing I could figure she'd want to tell me before someone else told me.

I didn't have to wait long thankfully. She walked in the door below me and made her way into the room, Cavill on her heels. Seeing her smile as she talked to the people she passed gave me butterflies, she was just so beautiful. I preferred this look to the one she'd been wearing last night but either way she was breathtaking. I couldn't stand still, lightly tapping the rail in front of me and shifting my weight from foot to foot.

What if she read the letter and decided she didn't want to talk to me after all? I'd tried to get my thoughts and feelings in order but it'd taken four tries before I'd finally been satisfied it didn't sound completely unintelligible. Now I was second guessing if I'd succeeded but it was too late to change my mind.

Cavill kisses her cheek before walking back towards the entrance, surveying the crowd as he went. I'd grabbed the rail as he'd kissed her, holding the cool metal so tight my knuckles turn white. As far as kisses went it hadn't been anything but it still sparked the green eyed monster inside me.

Shaking my head slightly I refocus on Eliza as she sits at the table directly in front of me, her eyes immediately landing on my letter. She searches the crowd in front of her as she picks it up but never turns her head towards me.

My fingers longed to touch her, to be the one to tuck her hair behind her ear as she stands back. She says something to Shelly and steps between the large sign displaying her books and the pillar and opens my letter.

She glances over it quickly and noting my name at the bottom she glances around again but still doesn't look up here. She covers her mouth as she begins reading, leaning against the pillar and my throat jumps up into my throat.

I cross to the stairs, keeping her in my sight as I descend before I walk towards her slowly. As if sensing my approach she looks up and directly at me, tears sliding silently down her cheeks. I stop, alarmed at the sight of the tears; I hadn't meant to upset her.

She motions for me to come to her, smiling at me and my heart starts beating double time. I close the distance but stop leaving a respectful distance between us. To my surprise she steps in, closing the distance, and wraps her arms around my neck holding on to me tightly. My arms go around her waist automatically, holding her just as tight, as she rests her head against my chest.

We just stand there like that for a few heartbeats, my heart racing so fast she can probably hear it. Holding her in my arms again felt like pure heaven, something I wasn't sure I'd ever get to do again. She pulls away and I reluctantly drop my arms so she can step back, sticking my hands in my pockets as she wipes her cheeks looking at me.

"You wrote me a letter?"

"You said hand written letters are more personal and mean something to you."

"You remembered that?"

"I did, though only after Katy suggested I write one." I admit.

"Thank you. I'm touched you took the time, it's very sweet."

"I meant every word. And I know it doesn't fix what I broke but I am so very sorry I didn't let you talk that night...that I yelled at you."

"I know that Tom, I saw your interview. Did you really mean you just want me to be happy even if it's not with you?"

"I do." I manage to say as tears flood my eyes and my throat closes.

My heart sinks but I node my head. I loved her enough to let her go, no matter how much it was going to hurt me to do it. It felt like my heart had scattered into a million pieces. I'd held out hope that I'd been wrong about her being with Cavill now...that I hadn't fully lost her but it appeared I'd been wrong.

"What's wrong?" She asks, brows furrowed as tears slide down my cheeks.

"I'm going to miss you but I understand. I love you."

I take a step back, intent on getting away before I broke down completely but she catches my hand, pulling me back to face her.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw you out with Cavill last night."

"Okay? We had dinner while we signed the contracts for the tv series he's going to make out of my books. It wasn't a date date."

She reaches up and cups my cheeks with her hands, wiping my tears away with her thumbs. She pulls me down and presses her lips to my forehead before looking me in the eyes again.

"Tom, there was never going to be a choice between you and Henry. He's just a friend, that's all he'll ever be."

"I don't understand..."

"Let me make it perfectly clear."

She presses her lips to mine, surprising me for a split second. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her against me earning me a low moan of approval. She runs her hands through my hair and presses her body against me and it takes all I can do to pull myself away to look at her again.

"I choose you. It was always going to be you." She whispers, searching my eyes, "I love you Tom. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you that."

"I love you too. I was so afraid I'd lost you."

"We still have some things to discuss and straighten out but I forgive you for what you said back in New York. I'm sorry I shut you out and ignored you. I was hurt and being stubborn."

"You've nothing to apologize for darling. I'd have waited for you for forever if I had to."

The pieces of my heart had snapped back into place as soon as she'd kissed me. I felt like... like I was as light as a feather, only her arms keeping my feet on the ground as they wrap around my neck again.

"I'm keeping you from your waiting fans." I whisper, kissing her softly, "I should probably let you go."

"I'm not ready to let you go yet." She whispers back, "Come with me?"