Epilogue
Tom turned restlessly over and over in his crisp, white sheets. Every other minute he reached across the bed to check the time on his phone, and each time it still wasn’t midnight yet. He didn’t exactly know what to expect once it became a new day, except that it could make or break him. Maybe not break him, he thought, just really let him down. Tomorrow marked one year since Y/N went away. Without her, he had adapted quite well to being alone and had even found some peace and happiness in it. Harrison and him had begun to rebuild their friendship, but it still would never be exactly the same as it had been before her. Tom cringed when he remembered he still hadn’t told Haz he was planning on seeing her today; he worried it would send everything they had built up again down like a small poke to a tower of blocks.
He opened up his phone for the hundredth time, finally midnight this time. He sighed and tried to imagine a scenario in which everything played out perfectly between them. Tom still couldn’t push away the dread that made him think she was probably better off without him. What if she didn’t show? That thought alone made him consider not even going to meet her in the first place. After all, he had constructed a life and career he was proud of and he didn’t necessarily need her like before. Now, he just wanted her badly. Pondering his options, he eventually shut his eyes without making a clear decision over whether or not he would show up in the morning.
Y/N looked over her reflection in the mirror repeatedly, too nervous to step outside the bathroom into the coffee shop. She couldn’t keep her cool knowing Tom could be right outside the door, waiting for her. Her hand froze holding onto the door handle, and she considered hiding in there until surely he had left. But, what if he wasn’t even there?
She leaned her back onto the door and slid down until she hit the floor with a thunk. She cursed herself for not planning this like a normal person. She could have just texted him to either cancel or make sure they both were coming. Instead, here she was shaking on the floor, hiding in the bathroom.
She bit her lip angrily at herself. If she could take away just one thing from the last year, it was the strength she was capable of. She was no longer the girl who cried Harrison every time things got tough; she only had herself and that was all she needed. She knew she didn’t need Tom, but she just wanted him badly.
Feeling a rush of courage, she stood up and brushed herself off as she stepped out into the shop. Her eyes confidently scanned the room, but he wasn’t there. Yet. She checked the time, relieved to find there was still five more minutes until they had agreed to meet. She picked up her coffee and took a seat at an angle where she could get a clear view of the door. Every time the bells on the door chimed, her head shot upward and excitement filled her. But, each time it was never him walking in. She switched back and forth between hopefulness and disappointment as the minutes ticked by. She avoided checking the time, too nervous to see how late he was. She settled with twisting the cover to her drink over and over to keep herself occupied.
After what felt like way too long, she reluctantly opened her phone, only to find he was more than an hour late. Regret and shame seeped into her mind; she felt foolish sitting here waiting for a man who had obviously moved on. Her bottom lip trembled as she slung her bag over her shoulder and trudged out of the shop, defeated. She stepped outside and the sun’s rays soaked into her bare skin, lightening up her mood. This was definitely a sign from heaven that she should be content with this moment of closure. She shouldn’t be upset, but pleased with his decision. Maybe it was the best thing for the both of them.
Y/N threw her head back and smiled cheerfully at the cloudless, upbeat sky. Once she got to her car, she flung the door open and started to step inside. Suddenly, an arm blocked her path and she twisted her head back to see who it belonged to.
Tom
His curly, chocolate hair was disheveled and he looked like he had just gotten out of bed ten minutes earlier. His fingers anxiously tapped the side of his thigh as he opened his mouth to explain his tardiness.
“You see, I was supposed to meet this girl over an hour ago but I’m a div and I slept in. The thing that’s kind of funny about it, though, is that in a way it’s her fault because she kept me up all night. Really, she’s been keeping me up every night since she left. She’s just that amazing,” Tom paused and his eyes zoned out as if he was looking at someone else. A sweet smile crept across his lips and he nodded slightly, then continued to speak.
“If you see her, could you tell her Tom Holland is hoping she’ll forgive him and they can start over?” he finished, staring at her with pleading eyes and hope laced in his words. Being this close to him was so surreal, she almost couldn’t bring herself to think or speak. His scent was intoxicating, and fresher than the hoodie she had stole from him and slept in every night in his absence. After all the time away, Tom had become this heavenly imagine in her mind; she forgot the enchanting feeling of his eyes looking into hers.
“I think that can be arranged,” she teased and couldn’t hold herself back from him any longer. She leaped into his inviting arms and he pulled her in, savoring the moment he had been looking forward to for so long. He raked a hand softly through her silky hair, and all at once the memories of all the little things that made her special came flooding back to him.
The way her eyes twinkled and she bit her lip to keep herself from smiling at his cheesy jokes. The way she walked next to him, with her fingers loosely intertwined with his as she gently skipped forward. And, best of all, the way her lips felt pressed on his, taking him to another world.
He cupped her face between his grasp and intensely brought her down to meet him. Her hands snaked over the top of his shoulders and he leaned in so close there was nothing left separating them. His lips parted slightly encouraging her to take the kiss further. He swept his hands down to grip her waist tightly so she would never leave him again.
Which, she did not plan on ever doing again.
Haz shuffled forward, dodging others on the busy street, but not before someone bumped into him and caused his phone to slip through his fingers. He sighed in frustration as he bent down to pick it up, luckily no cracks scratched the screen. His gaze shifted up and he dropped his phone again at the sight in his vision.
Was he hallucinating?
Tom was leaning across an open car door, apparently talking fast to Y/N. Nostalgia creeped back into his thoughts, and he was hit with a blast from the past. Haz expected to feel sadness, or even anger at Tom for not telling him she was back. But, in all honesty, he didn’t feel anything. As he continued to stare at the two of them, he was surprised to find that he just didn’t care anymore. If anything, he was a little pleased that they found a way to make it work after time away from each other. Not many people could make it back together after that much history.
Tom met Harrison’s gaze from across the street, and he paused worried that Haz would be upset. Haz cleared up the situation as he famously tipped his drink in Tom’s direction and grinned to show his support. For a brief second, Tom smiled back and everything had finally fell back into place. A wave of relief hit Haz, this was the last piece of their puzzle; their friendship felt complete again.
Tom broke away from his stare, and Haz reached down again to pick up his phone, but this time a massive crack splintered the glass screen in two.
“Great,” he rolled his eyes at his clumsiness and continued to hurry down the street again.
After all, he had a date to make it to.
A/N: Tell me if you enjoyed the ending!! :))