The Cherry House

The Cherry House Part 2

Tom POV:

Her eyes were so sure and convincing. The confidence that swam effortlessly in them let my eyes drown in hers so dangerously, I had to pick myself out of this trance they land me in. I watched as she carefully placed each ball in the correct order, finally setting the shiny black number eight in the centre and pushing the triangle to the right position. I took a glance around the emptying room slowly growing more bare by the minute. She removed the triangle and walked back to my end of the table as she strategically sat the cue ball at a slight angle.

Tom: Do you want to come hang out with my friends and I?

She looked up from the table to meet my gaze, furrowing her eyebrows and shielding herself from me as her hair fell across her face. She tucked it back as her shoulders straightened up and leant on her cue as she dragged it along the floor to me.

Y/n: No thanks. I'm good here.

She indicated towards the table. Night had now fallen on the city, bringing out the stashed away blinking yellow lights and gloriously lit up streets leading you home. The saddened sorrowful souls now beginning to return back to their beds to fulfil yet another day of gruelling work life as the sun rises tomorrow. I leaned my head back to peep out of the window, and the image of the sky painted my mind with the same violet and navy strokes as set in the blanket above, the moon peering out from beneath the clouds, gaining that bit of encouragement it needed to allow itself to fully be seen. 

I turned back to Y/n, chalking her cue and setting the small cube on the edge of the bar, taking a sip of the lemonade she had perched on the side. I made my way over to the cue stand where I picked one out and examined it over dramatically to cease her attention.

Y/n: What are you doing?

She questioned as she stands back up after aligning her shot. She raises an eyebrow at me, watching as her eyes drifted between the cue in my hand and my eyes.

Tom: Well if you don't want to hang out with my friends and I, I figured we could play a game.

Y/n: Thanks Spider-Man, but I think I'll just wait for someone else.

She batted her long eyelashes and turned away to take another sip of her drink. Only then did I notice the small silver pendant that hung around her neck. It glistened generously as it caught the light, shimmering elegantly as her body moved in every direction. I watched as she tucked it away back inside of the loose black T-shirt she wore.

Tom: I understand. I mean, who would be able to live it down if Spider-Man himself beat them, right?

I teased as I began strolling with an extreme lack of pace back to the cue stand, sighing as I suppressed a grin prying at my lips.

Y/n: I know what you're doing.

I shrugged my shoulders and continued walking, her heavy sigh stopping me before I could reach my arm out to return the cue in its original position.

Y/n: Fine. One game.

I smirk in satisfaction as she rolled her deeply guarded eyes at me.

Y/n: You want to break?

I nod and make my way to the white ball, feeling her eyes trail after me as I move to take my shot. I hit it against the neatly arranged triangle of balls, the sound of the contact nuzzled in our ears for a brief moment as they all spread out across the table. She watched unimpressed as they scattered about messily, walking over to the cue ball that had rolled over to the far side.

Y/n: Not bad.

Tom: Thank you.

Needless to say, she was an incredibly skilled player. With hardly any opportunities to play, she managed to sink all of her balls in before I even had time to take two sips of my beer. The game had unfortunately ended a lot sooner than I had thought, but then again, serves me right for underestimating someone who clearly knows what she was doing. She came over to me, holding her hand out for me to shake as her smile enchanted parts of my mind I could no longer control. She truly was something, huh.

Y/n: Good game.

Tom: You were...that was amazing.

I caught the slight smile of embarrassment as you hid your eyes. Your fingers lingered against my skin as you pulled your hand away, shoving them in the pockets of your jeans and looking over to my friends approaching us, shying backwards as they came nearer. But I joined your side, standing with you as I spoke to them.

Harry: Hey, there you are.

Haz: Yeah man, have you been hiding away here all this time?

He joked as Y/n began shifting her weight between her feet, rocking left and right as she twiddled her thumbs.

Tom: Yeah I've been playing pool with Y/n. She's pretty outstanding at it. Y/n, this is my brother Harry and my best mate Harrison.

I introduced them as they shook hands. The rest of the night had gone very quickly. Jacob, Zendaya and a couple of my other friends had joined us, each taking turns to attempt to beat Y/n. But as predicted, we were all unsuccessful in our quests. She had opened up a lot more than when it was just her and I, presumably because she felt more comfortable in a large group of people as oppose to just the one. Still, it made me wonder if it was just me who she hadn't wanted to be around. As although we were chatting and laughing together fine, she seemed to have warmed up to the rest a lot easier, and for some reason, I really did not like that thought. 

After the early hours of the next day flirted with the night, we decided it was time to head back. Saying our goodbyes to Mr Anderson, we left the pub and began filling up our designated driver's car. And as a collective insistence by my friends, I waited beside Y/n as everyone clumsily stumbled into the car, turning to her before asking her the question.

Tom: We can give you a ride home, we really don't mind.

Y/n: I live two minutes away. I'm fine, but thanks.

Tom: Okay then. Umm, we were just wondering if you maybe want to hang out with us here again tomorrow?

Y/n: Yeah sure. I'd like that.

Tom: Awesome. Can I...should I get your number? To text you when and stuff of course.

Y/n: That's alright Spider-Man. I'll be here, I promise.

And with that, she made her way down the deserted street into the night.