Petrichor

Chapter 5

When I'm around slow dancing in the dark

Don't follow me, you'll end up in my arms

~

Emily hummed along to the music that was playing through her earbuds as she unlocked the main door to the building. She checked their post slot before starting to climb the stairs to their flat. As she rounded the corner she froze, catching a glimpse of a tall dark haired man slipping through their front door. Turning on her heels she dashed back down the stairs, pulling her phone out her pocket and dialling Tom's number,

'Hello?'

'Tom, there's someone in our flat' she whispered, breathing heavily

'What?'

'I saw someone walk through our front door. I think it's a burglar!!'

'Em, I've just got home. There's no one here'

'I saw them!' Emily hissed, 'call the police!'

On the other end of the line she could hear Tom moving around, 'there's no one here, I've just checked. Where are you?'

'In the hallway'

'I'm at the front door, come back up. I promise you Em, there's no one here'

Emily started to walk back up the stairs, questioning her sanity. She had seen him. As she rounded the corner again she gasped, staring at Tom as he stood in the doorway grinning at her,

'What the fuck? It was you! Your hair.......' she trailed off as she walked towards him, reaching up to touch his jet black hair as she stared at him.

Tom chuckled, 'it's for the film. Do you like it?'

Emily just glared at him, 'I thought you were a fucking burglar'

Tom laughed properly this time, bending over with his hands on his knees as Emily swatted at him,

'It's not funny! You could have warned me! What if I'd called the police instead of you?!'

That just made Tom laugh harder and Emily couldn't help but start to giggle too, 'out the way! Let me in, you idiot'

Tom stepped aside and Emily squeezed past him, bending down to stroke Bobby as he ran to greet her. Tom shut the front door and followed her back into the living room, 'sorry Em. I kinda wanted it to be a surprise'

Emily glanced at him as she hung her coat up, 'yeah well it certainly was' she looked around the room to see his case standing in the corner, 'so you're all packed then'

Tom nodded, 'Yeah. All ready I think'

He was leaving tomorrow to start filming. Emily had been trying not to think about it but now here they were and she couldn't bury her head any longer. As heartbroken as she was at the prospect of not seeing Tom for so long, she was so excited for him. He'd worked so hard and so long for this, and finally it was going to pay off. He deserved the world and he was about to get it, she just hoped the world realised how lucky it was to have him.

Breaking her from her thoughts, Tom rubbed her arm, 'go and get changed, I'm cooking dinner'

Emily eyed him, 'are you? I thought it was my turn to cook tonight?'

Tom shrugged, 'well you're gonna have to cook every night for the next six months while I'm away'

And there it was, punching her in the stomach with every new reminder.  She wasn't sure how she was going to get through saying goodbye to him without crying, even at the thought of it now her throat tightened and she could feel tears pricking at her eyes. She just had to remember that she would be moving out anyway, so their parting was inevitable, no matter how it happened. It was for the best, she told herself........but right now it still hurt like hell.