No Better Version of Me Than When I'm With You

Chapter 10

"What tomatoes?" Newt asked, giving her, and then Thomas a confused look.

"You know, when the flooding trashed your poor garden out there and I hand-delivered some fresh veg to Thomas to make sure you didn't have an absolute breakdown over it flooding." Brenda elaborated with a grin. Thomas froze, and the smile slowly slipped from Brenda's face. "Thomas," She admonished, "you didn't tell. . .?"

"I kinda. . . forgot." Thomas mumbled, wanting to disappear before Brenda said anything else to incriminate him further, guilt that had dissipated over the weeks since the flood welling up anew.

"Dude." He could hear the flat look she was leveling at him in her tone. He wilted further when he felt Newt shift beside him, expression vaguely confused and hurt.

"Someone's in troubleeee." Minho said in a singsong tone, then grunted as Gally elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"Let's just. . .I'll explain later, okay?" Thomas said, scrambling mentally for a way to diffuse the situation.

"No," Newt's voice was low and steady - too calm. The voice that never failed to make Thomas' blood turn to ice. To be on the receiving end of Newt's anger was not a good place to be, yet now here he was. "You'll explain right the hell now. What did Brenda mean she bought you those tomatoes?"

"Well. . .she kind of. . .uh. . ." Thomas stammered, trying to catch Brenda's eye and give her a 'help me' look. She just shook her head and stood with somewhat of a wry smile on her face, gesturing for the others to follow so they could talk in relative privacy.

"When the rain started flooding the garden I knew I had to do something, but it was too late for me to go out there and actually save anything so I called Brenda and asked her to buy me those tomatoes and that zucchini." Thomas explained in a rush, all of the words falling over each other in their hurry to leave his mouth.

"So you thought lying to me about what had actually happened was a good idea?" Newt asked incredulously, sounding betrayed.

"Because I know how much that garden means to you, Newt! I couldn't bear to see you so upset after the flood destroyed everything else."

"Because not just telling me the truth from the get go and making our best friend drive in that dangerous rain was the way to solve that, obviously."

"I was just trying to help!"

"What would've helped is if you didn't fucking lie! And if you'd just helped me plant more!" Newt threw up his arms, standing from the couch and pacing the floor in front of him. He came to a stop a moment later, directly in front of Thomas. If he could have disappeared into the couch cushions to escape the hurt that shone in Newt's gaze, he would have.

"I'm so sorry." Thomas said, swallowing thickly. Guilt had flooded him and his entire body flashed red-hot with it. "I just didn't want the garden being ruined to hurt so bad, I thought telling you I'd saved some tomatoes would help."

Newt scoffed, "Well it bloody didn't."

"I know that now, sorry."

Thomas' words hung in the air for what felt like minutes. He didn't know what else to say other than apologize over and over. Brenda had been right, one-hundred percent. He hadn't told Newt the truth right away and look where he was - his impulsive decisions biting him in the ass once again.

"It's not really that I'm upset about, though." Newt said after an eternity, voice quieter and somewhat calmer. Thomas dragged his gaze up from the floor back to Newt's face. His expression was a mask of hurt conflicted with frustration. "I'm more hurt you lied to me, Tommy. We agreed the only way this would possibly work is through proper communication."