Note to self: Detach

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"Do you think your parents will adopt me?" Tommy asked as he climbed out of the pool. They were at Laney's family home in Napa with all the Hollands and all the Hunters, including Mike and Courtney and new baby Mila. And of course, Harrison was there as well.

"I know my parent's will adopt you." Laney laughed.

"I cannot believe you grew up here." He sat down pool side next to Laney where she was dangling her feet into the water.

"It was pretty magnificent." She had to agree looking up and around, taking in the drop-dead gorgeous view of the vineyard beyond the backyard.

"How you doing?" He lowered his voice a little.

"I'm ok." She shrugged.

Tommy gave her a look but let it slide.

"How are you doing?" She raised an eyebrow turning the question on him.

"I'm ok." He grinned cheekily and bumped his knee to hers.


After an afternoon spent in the pool, where it was still going strong, Laney slipped inside to get away from the noise and chaos for a few minutes. She laid back on the huge ivory couch in the den and stared at the oversized clock that sat above the mantel place.

"You ok?" Tommy walked in moments behind her.

"Hey, yeah, I'm ok. Just....thinking about Chris." She admitted ducking her head as he sat down next to her.

"I guess we're both extremely bad at relationships huh love?" Tom leaned back resting his head next to Laney's on the monster couch throw pillow.

Laney nodded brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"We'll just stick together. You and me kid." Laney exhaled. "Till the end of the line."

Tom laughed. "I don't know that now is the time to be dropping Captain America quotes."

Laney laughed, "You're right. I'm laughing but I want to cry. I miss him so much. I really can't believe how much I fell in love with him."

"Wow." Tom twisted his head to look at her. "I haven't heard you say that."

"I've never said it out loud. Never got to tell him."

"Maybe you should."
"He doesn't want to hear it. Now I just need to detach." She pushed herself up pulling on Tom's arm as she did. "Come on. Let's go get some food. I think the hamburgers are ready."

Tommy couldn't say no to food, so he whole-heartedly jumped up following her back outside.


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Chris walked out to his car after his last meeting of the day. He glanced at his phone, he didn't know why he was always hoping to see Laney's name. Of course she wouldn't text or call him. He had broken up with her. But the more that time went by the more he was regretting it. Yes, he was hurt that she had slept with Tom. And that she had kissed him multiple times before he came to Los Angeles. But she really hadn't done anything wrong. She and he weren't dating then.  And he couldn't entirely blame her. Tom and Laney did have a long history together. The other side of his brain would argue that he was making excuses for her. And thus was how his days went. An internal dispute on whether he should have forgiven Laney or not. Today he was really struggling with it and was feeling more regret than anything else. He didn't have Instagram, but he knew Laney's profile was of course public. He pulled it up on his phone desperate to see her smile, even in a photograph. He smiled at the picture of Zoey eating dinner and the caption. And then a given, a picture of Tommy. Chris rolled his eyes but smiled. He felt a surge of jealously that Tom was there with her. It should have been him. When he was with her it was better than he could have ever imagined. He had always had a crush on her. But once they started dating it had become surreal. They always had the best time together, she challenged him, made him laugh, surprised him. He fell in love with her so quick he didn't even realize it. Which is why that night he walked up to her apartment and saw Tom there, caressing her face none the less, and then talking about them being together, it had hurt so damn bad. Then she didn't deny it. And a piece of him was certain he would always be runner up to Tom. However, he didn't even give her a chance to explain. It killed him on set acting so cold. But he was hurt, he didn't know how else to behave. He knew she would be in Napa for a week and then maybe he would talk to her.....if she would talk to him.

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