Everything but time [Tom Hiddleston] {EBT book 1/4}

Vanilla latte

Just before 11 they took a break and Kate stifled a yawn. As if on cue, one of the girls from the cafe walked in with a large takeaway coffee with a heart and xx on the lid.
"I can't tell you who, but you're not so secret admirer asked me to bring you this," and she handed the coffee to Kate. She smiled and fumbled in her bag for her wallet "oh it's already paid for. Enjoy!"
Kate had to stifle a giggle as she took a sip and tasted vanilla.
Raven looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Just breakfast, huh?"
She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Tom.
'Perfect timing. Thank you xx And vanilla is my new favourite, how did you know?'
"Could we get back to work now, love bird?" Raven joked.

Later that afternoon Kate was starting to get edgy. She hadn't heard back from Tom and she hated the feeling that it gave her. Her thoughts from this morning echoed in her head again. He'll go back to London and forget you.

Looking for distraction, she headed for a piano. And then the phone rang.
"Sorry darling I'm having a full on day. Luke has really piled it on today! How are you?"
"Better for talking to you. Thank you for my coffee, you are so thoughtful."
"My pleasure. I was hoping to take you out again tonight but I have a dinner. You're welcome to join me, but it's with Robert Downey Jr so photographers will be everywhere," he sighed.
"I'll pass thanks, I'm happy with my anonymity for now. You don't have to see me every night, Tom!"
"I don't have to, but I want to. Every night, every morning, and every minute in between if I could," He paused and continued quietly. "I have to go back on Saturday."
"I know. I've known that all along. We still have a few days. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Can I call you when I get home?"
"Of course," she said with a smile. "Oh, I have to go, Liz is calling. I'll talk to you tonight."

Kate switched calls "how's my favourite baby sister?"
"Katie? It's Jake."
"Oh god Jake what's wrong?"
Jake could only talk long enough to tell her Lizzie had lost the baby and was going straight to surgery. Kate remembered she was supposed to have an important scan yesterday, and Jake told her the baby hadn't had a heartbeat. He handed the phone over to Nerida. "Mum is she going to be OK? Do I need to come home?"
"No sweetheart, she will be fine. Devastated, of course. But she will be OK. The doctor said sometimes this just happens. I'm sure she will call you as soon as she's up to it."
"I wish I could be there," She said softly.
"I know you do. I'll give her your love as soon as she wakes up. And I'll call you if there's any news."
"Thanks mum. Love you. All of you."

She hung up the phone and tears stung her eyes. She loved her job but one of her biggest fears was always that something would happen and she wouldn't be able to get home. Moving permanently had been a long time coming but it had also felt like a reaction to Dean's infidelity. Often Kate wondered if she'd made a mistake. Was it too much to expect him to be faitfull while she was away for months at a time? He had pushed her to go but that last time she came home he'd begged her to stay, and she didn't. If her high school sweetheart couldn't stay with her through good and bad why would someone like Tom? She really was just a fling, a week in LA before he went back to London and forgot about her. And like an idiot she'd fallen for it. Lizzie, her little sister who was hurting and really needed her, was on the other side of the world. And there was nothing she could do.
Kate got a cab home. She didn't want to explain to anyone what was happening, and she didn't have her car. Again she cursed herself for being so vulnerable.

Looking online she found a flight on Thursday morning. She called Joel, her boss to explain and apologise. He was, as always, completely understanding. He knew she would be able to work from there anyway. She didn't tell him she wasn't sure she would be back.

At 9pm her stomach rumbled. She hadn't had dinner. The thought of eating turned her stomach and she decided she preferred to be hungry. She thought about Tom, and the amazing night they'd had last night. She didn't think she had imagined the feelings, hers or his. It certainly had felt real. She'd only given herself to Dean before, there hadn't been anyone in between. That would explain why she fell so easily for Tom's charm. Not that no one else had tried, she'd just never let them get that close. The betrayal of having another woman practically live in your house wasn't something she would ever forget. And it wasn't going to happen to her again.

She checked her calendar for the rest of the week. Nothing but work. The following Tuesday she was supposed to have dinner with Zachary though. She dialled his number.
"Hey Kate, how's it going?"
"Um, ok. I need to postpone our dinner next week though, I'm heading back to Oz for a little while,"
"A little while? You only just got back! How long?"
"I don't know!" She hadn't meant to snap. She was so drained from the afternoon that she broke down and then had to explain everything.
"I'm so sorry Kate, I understand, I'm sorry I interrogated you. Can I change the subject?"
"It's ok, I'm a bit on edge. And yes, please do. It's good to talk to someone."
"How's Tom?"
She groaned. "Impossibly perfect, charming, and going home on the weekend anyway."
"So you're beating him to the punch?"

She hadn't thought about it like that.
"No. I'm just re-thinking my decision. I need to get back to Lizzie."
"Kate," he said gently. "Please don't hang up on me. But you can't do anything for her. I've been through this and she needs to work through it with Jake. And your mum is there. I'm not saying don't go back and be there for her, just don't rush in to a decision."
"What difference does it make?"
"Because I'm afraid if you rush back you'll stay there."
"And?"
"When we first met, I couldn't believe how talented you were and how little you thought of yourself. Do you remember? You'd just moved here? You were running. You were hurt and you felt worthless and you were running." A tear ran down her face. Of course she remembered, she'd gone home, found Dean in bed with someone else, packed and left. She'd applied for her apartment on the plane.

"You have changed so much. You're confident and it shows. You're acually starting to believe you're as good as everyone says. If you go back there, to him, it will all be gone again."
"I never said..."
"You don't have to. You're thinking about it. He wants you back, you told me. And it feels safe to you, like home. I know. But that's not where you shine."
She sat silent for a minute. "I wish you were here. I could really do with a hug right now."
"Call Tom."
"He's out, he's busy. And I need to pack."
"Kate, I have some inside information. And I'm only telling you so you don't make a mistake. I spoke to him today. If he's not in love with you I will eat my own shoes. He is not just having fun with you before he goes back. He asked me for advice because Missy and I did long distance for a while. He doesn't know how to bring it up without scaring you off, but he wants to work out a way to make the distance OK. I know you miss your family, and if you need to go back you should, but please just visit and then come back.
Kate?"
She could barely speak. Her mind was racing, everything she'd convinced herself of today had just been turned on its head.
"Thank you Zachary."
"You're welcome. Are you OK?"
"I think... I will be. I think maybe I'll wait until I talk to Lizzie."
"Good. Nothing wrong with a calculated decision," she smiled. Zach didn't know any other way.
"Kate, call him. He won't mind."
"OK. I should go."
"If you want to talk, call me back, OK? Call Tom and get some sleep."
He hung up. Kate was reeling. She had been going to run, back to the other side of the world. Where it was easy.

She sent a message to Lizzie, asking her to think about if she wanted her to come home. Kate knew she would immediately say no, but hoped if she thought about it she would tell her if she needed support. She sent the same message to Jake.

Pouring a glass of wine, she snuggled in to the couch and turned on the TV.