Only You ── TOM HOLLAND

22. The Second Choice

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Music was playing loudly throughout Vee's apartment as she bounced around energetically, throwing her hair around every once in a while. She's been nonstop working for too long, her new promotion bringing a pile of new responsibilities with it. One of those being client management, meaning she had to be the one to stop whatever celebrity was in that afternoon from having a fit over the lighting set up. It was exhausting, to say the least.

Then on top of that, like the supportive best friend she was, she granted Mandy permission to take a vacation as part of an engagement present. The sight of Mandy's happy smile made her feel good at the time, but it was when she was gone that Vee realized how genuinely miserable she was without the girl. She had to answer all of her own calls and had no idea which excuses Mandy had already used on certain people, so conversations either went really well or really poorly. On top of that, she wasn't really friends with many people at her job, everyone speaking to her with their noses up as she was among the younger employees. And while she did have Isaac, she didn't want to be that girl that spent almost all of her time with her boyfriend.

So she called Tom. They agreed to be friends again, and that's precisely what they were. Whatever lingering feelings were pushed back each time they spent time together, not a single silent moment passing between the two. She knew she missed him, but that feeling hit her even harder after finally spending time with him again. It could be something simple like going out for lunch and spending twenty minutes debating which Rugrat was the best and Vee would step back into the office with a pep in her step and aching cheeks from smiling. 

Mandy would be returning the next day, giving Vee something to look forward to, but first, she had to deal with the present. She sighed as the song came to an end, her hands going up to flatten her hair down. Her chest was rapidly rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath, but a frown tugged at her lips when she swiped at her forehead, disappointed by the lack of sweat. Determined, she switched to the next song, dancing around her living room again. 

Last week, Isaac rushed into her office, beaming with excitement. Turns out his sister, one Vee hasn't met yet, was pregnant and just broke the news to him. Vee tried her best to match his excitement, but all it did was remind her of her deteriorating relationship with her own pregnant sister. Said sister was having a party to celebrate the news, a party that Vee was expected to attend with Isaac, a party where Isaac's entire family would be in attendance. Aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins of cousins, family friends; they would all be at that same party. Isaac, sensing she was nervous about attending, attempted to reassure her by saying that they were all just like him, and she had nothing to worry about, a statement that only enhanced her anxiety. She could barely handle one Isaac, but tens and tens of Isaac? 

So she got herself dressed for the party, making herself look as lovely as she possibly could, and yet she was bouncing around her apartment ruining that appearance more and more by the second. Here was her logic: if she tired herself out enough at home, she wouldn't have to feign tiredness later when she inevitably got uncomfortable enough to want to leave early, so Isaac, not wanting to look bad in front of his family, would have no choice but to take her back home. Sure, he wouldn't be happy about it, and they'd probably get into an argument about it as he drove her home, but at least she wouldn't be at the party anymore. That was the main goal.