《The Love Abroad》Chapter 28
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I was beginning to feel a bit nauseous; it must have been that 10 course spread we had last night.
Another thing I can cross off my 'To-Do' list: Compile a dinner menu.
These past few weeks my stress level has doubled in size as the weeks are closing in until the wedding. Two weeks to be exact. Tom left after a few days and now, he's officially back in London helping me finish up these details. It's exciting.
"Knock, knock..." I pull the comforter from over my head and see Tom standing in the doorway with a tray of food in his hand.
"You didn't knock....your voice did it for you." I say groggily, my eyes hurting as I try to pry them open mentally. Tom smirks as he walks over to me, sitting the tray down over my lap. He brought me an elaborate spread of finger foods. Mini strips of waffles he made with a small container of agave nectar, a bowl of peeled orange and apple slices and a hot cup of Earl Grey tea exactly how I like it; two sugars and a splash of soy milk.
He knows me so well. "Thanks, looks like my perfect plate of noms." I wipe my eyes taking the excess tears with me as they soak into my skin. Tom sits there watching me eat. Like a creeper.
"Did you poison me? You're trollin on my breakfast, Thomas." Ahhh Thomas, it's the first time I called him that. He stares at me appalled.
"My mum calls me that, babe. Though it's quite a turn on." He winks at me, grabbing my hand. "I have to jet off, Marie. I'll be back later, okay?"
I put down my strip of waffle, grabbing his arm tightly. "Now where are you going? You seem to go MIA at the most inconvenient times, what are you planning Hiddleston?" He sighs deeply before leaning down to kiss me.
"I'm a man of cause, dear. It's professional; I really need to get to this meeting. I'm sorry, I wish I could stay but I must go." I nod my head as he sneaks one more kiss.
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He's been going to these "secret meetings" for a while now and I'm starting to get a little edgy about it. Call me selfish but I seriously doubt this has to do with professionalism. But, I trust Tom, so I'll shrug it off.
My final dress fitting is this afternoon anyway which means I need to stop stuffing my face and take a shower.
-----
Kris and my mom were the only ones who came to the final fitting with me; Diana and Emma were at the venue working out some of the contractual stuff.
"Marie, darling! So nice to see you again." Johanna walks out, kissing my cheeks in greeting. "You must be her mum, nice to meet you in person this time." My mom shakes her hand gently.
"Shall we get started?"
We enter Johanna's private fitting room with mirrored panels covering 3 of the 4 walls. She brings in the dress, wrapped in a bridal cover before removing it. My mouth gapes open when I see it for the first time in almost two months. It's absolutely gorgeous. And it's mine...all mines.
I slip into the dress, my hands following the shape of it. Johanna zips up the back making me wince. "Sorry, dear. Didn't mean to tick you!" Through the mirror, I can see my mom getting flushed, Kris with her arms around her.
"Nina, you look beautiful." She says holding back the tears. "It's a bit snug, isn't it?" I say nonchalantly. Kris looks at Johanna who looks at my mother who then looks at me. "Just a little bit. You've been stressed so it's common to gain a little weight. It looks perfect on you, regardless."
Trying on the dress for the last time before the wedding was almost a sigh of relief, metaphorically. Through all this craziness, this one moment makes it all worth it. It's that feeling of knowing that there's somebody down the aisle waiting to make you theirs forever and seeing you at your most beautiful.
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I just hope I'm not one of those 'ugly brides.'
Leaving the boutique I couldn't help but wonder how Tom's meeting went. "Call him, Marie. Tell him to get his scrawny ass to the cafe for lunch." Just as I'm about to call him, my phone rings.
"Tom? Where are you?"
"It's taking longer than expected, dear. I'm so sorry; I'm not sure when I'll be home." His voice sounded strained and raspy.
"What have you been doing, Tom? You don't sound yourself." If my worried level wasn't at its peak, it definitely is now. "Come home, Tom. Now. You have some explaining to do." Before I get a response, I end his call.
"I'm heading to Tom's place. You two will be fine for lunch alone, yeah?"
"Here, take my car, you'll get there faster." Kris pulls out her gigantic key chain, tossing them to me. "Thanks."
The drive back to Tom's place felt like the longest drive I'd ever taken, even though it was only 20 minutes outside of London.
Pulling into the driveway, Tom's car parked in his usual spot, I start having an anxiety attack. It's very rare that I get them but seriously, right now? Talk about worse timing. I grab my bags and head inside to see Tom sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in his hand.
"Hey babe."
Scratch that; make it two glasses of wine.
"Start talking Hiddleston." It's become apparent that when I'm aggravated with Tom, I call him by his last name. Today, I'm beyond aggravated; I'm annoyed, confused and worried.
He motions me to sit on the couch, handing me a glass of wine in which I quickly set on the coaster in front of me. This is no time to be drinking.
"I haven't been telling you the truth Marie."
I cross my legs, my eyes shifting to the glass of wine in front of me. Don't grab the wine. Do not take a sip. Resist the temptation.
"I've been meeting with a certain someone to resolve an issue. I think I have it all sol-" I hold my hand up, silencing him.
"Who’s this someone?" My voice is calm and stern. I sound like my dad whenever he would try to cover up his disappoint in me when I was younger.
Tom sighs deeply; he runs his hand through his brown quiff, before taking a sip of his win.
"Landon."
My heart bursts into a thousand pieces, each one burning at the very sound of that name. I grabbed that glass of wine, gulping it down as quickly as I could. All I could taste was anger and the bitter grape flavor.
"Marie, babe. I'm sorry, I should have told you." I dart Tom an icy glare, one that could freeze over hell if it wanted to. "You had no right!" I yell, my face turning bright red and my fists clenched.
Honestly, I felt like I was turning into the hulk. I was that angry.
"Marie, I know. Look at me..." I walk to the kitchen, topping my glass off with more of this delicious angry wine. "LOOK AT ME." Tom's voice was deep and strict. He hadn't yelled because he knew he didn't have to.
I stopped instantly, setting the wine bottle next to me. My hands resting on the marble countertop and my head bowed looking at my half-empty glass. "He's gone now, okay? You don't need to worry, trust me. You trust me, right?" His hands grip my shoulders and I turn around to look at him.
"Don't ever lie to me again Tom." I grab both the wine and my glass and walk upstairs to the bedroom, not even looking back to see his reaction.
If there's one thing I hate in this world, its liars. And Tom Hiddleston, you lied.
You lied bad.
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