once my alarm goes off, i eagerly jolt up and turn it off. i quickly get dressed into the outfit i laid out yesterday, then go to do my makeup and hair.

around 7:35, there's a knock on the bathroom door.

who would be awake at this hour?

"are you decent or should i stay on this side of the door?" i hear tommy's voice ask. i laugh. i somehow forgot that he was walking me to the cafe.

"i'm decent," i reply.

"can i come in?"

"you can."

tommy gently opens the door, making sure not to hit me and not to wake anyone up.

"you look pretty. as per usual," he says with a bashful smile.

"thank you. you look pretty as well," i say.

"please, i woke up two minutes ago." he pulls on the strings on his black hoodie and rubs his eyes.

"i can tell by your voice," i say, commenting on how much deeper and raspier it sounds.

"do i sound like corpse?"

"not quite that level of deep."

"one can only dream. are you almost done? we should leave in about ten minutes if you want to get there at eight."

"give me five?"

"sure. i'll be waiting on the couch."

"sounds good." tommy closes the door and i sigh as i try to calm the butterflies in my stomach.

because somehow, just him speaking to me still makes my heart skip.

i finish getting ready with about two minutes to spare. i rush downstairs to keep tommy from waiting.

"you finished early," tommy says, checking his phone.

"mhm. barely," i nod. "didn't want to keep you sitting still."

"i don't mind." he grabs my hand and pulls me down on the couch, wrapping his arms around me.

"as much as i enjoy this, shouldn't we be going?" i ask, resting my head on his shoulder, playing with his hoodie string like he did earlier.

"we have a minute. and besides, amanda can wait just a little bit."

"agreed."

after about five minutes, we realize we really have to get going. tommy writes a quick note, informing the house where we are and that we won't be gone for long, definitely back home in time for lunch, and we'll call if anything is wrong. then we open the door and walk to the cafe, hands intertwined.

"two days left of this," tommy says with a sigh.

"i know," i reply, my mood quickly dropping. "i feel like a broken record but... i really don't want to go back home."

"you've come to like brighton?"

"it's not necessarily brighton i like." tommy turns towards me and raises an eyebrow.

"go on."

"i'm happy wherever i am, as long as i'm with you." tommy smiles, laughs slightly.

"that was just about the most cliche and cheesiest thing you've ever said," tommy says, blushing madly.

"yeah. i know. i'm cringing at myself a little bit but... was it good?"

"gave me butterflies."

"that was the goal." i smile widely.

we arrive at the cafe at 8:02.

"not that late. is she here?" tommy asks. i check my phone and text her.

"she is... i don't see her though," i say.

"i'll stay with you until she shows up. i don't want to leave you alone."

"what are you gonna do during breakfast?"

"i'll eat over there." tommy points at a place across the street. i look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"subway?" i groan.

"yeah!"

"you're... interesting."

"how do you not like subway?" tommy huffs.

"i do! i'm just don't find a roast beef sandwich appealing at eight in the morning." i turn back around and spot a head of fiery red hair near the cafe door.

"she's right there!" i say, tugging on tommy's arm.

"alright, alright!" he says with a laugh. "i'll be going, stay safe, let me know if you need anything and call me when you're done." tommy pulls me into a warm embrace and he lightly kisses the top of my head.

we pull away, wave goodbye, and i head into the cafe.