Balance: Benedict Bridgerton's Tale

Chapter 13: Torn

A/N

Love this motion poster of Benedict

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CbNrcBhliOf/?utm_medium=copy_link

He offered her a hand so that she could get off the floor, which she accepted, and escorted her to the pew where they sat down. It took a while for her to calm down, but he continued to wait patiently.

"Bad day?" he asked her with a compassionate smile.

"Something like that," she replied, still trying to dab the tears that were falling from her eyes. He sighed and looked ahead, towards the altar.

"I see well I can relate slightly unfortunately."

"How so?" she asked but she knew the answer when he looked at her, with a poignant look.

"Oh" she merely said because what else could she say?

" I am not surprised that you came here. Lots of memories in this place.. My entire family married here for one thing," he stated with a wistful look, reminiscing.

"Say.. Were you there the day Father Michaels gave me a twist on the ear, a few years back, because I wouldn't sit still?"

"I was.. He shouldn't have done that. It was wrong of him".

"Uh, tell me about it my ear was still buzzing two days later" he replied with a jesting smile.

"TWO days after? Really?" asked Alina questioning him a little, smiling back.

"I can hear your disbelieving tone miss Kennedy, but I am not exaggerating. It really did hurt" stated Tommy with conviction and a playful grin on his face and Alina laughed.

"Alright, I believe you."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me," Tommy grinned.

After that moment there was another pause between them, and they sat there in silence, but not in an uncomfortable silence... She had never felt uncomfortable with him, she suddenly realised. She knew that he had liked her for some time, but he had never behaved less than gallantly towards her, not even when they were together. He hadn't kissed her, hadn't forced himself on her, had wanted to give her the space to get used to him. He had been nice to her, and was even now, she didn't deserve it at all and that told her a lot about his character.

"Tommy... about... you and I... I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you".

He looked at her with an inquisitive look before staring ahead again.

"I know... Alina. I know. It's all right." he repeated without looking at her.

They then sat for a while without saying anything before Tommy interrupted the interlude.

"Shall I take you home?" he asked, looking at her and she nodded wordlessly. Together they walked slowly back to Madame Delacroix's shop.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her suddenly. She wanted to be polite and say not but that would be a lie. She hadn't eaten anything in a while.

"A little," she answered shyly.

"Nice. Me too, let's get a bite to eat if you want" he suggested. She agreed. They sat down in a small establishment and ordered some soup and sandwiches. They talked about small talk, how the bakery was doing, how Tommy's family was doing. They weren't serious subjects, and they didn't need to be, here, now, that was all Alina needed. A friendly face and distraction. They kept talking about all sorts of things, recalling anecdotes about their shared childhood, about their neighbours, Tommy's antics at school. It was nice and it felt familiar and that was exactly what she missed so much these last weeks, a piece of her former life, when everything still made sense.