CEO // t.h

Chapter eighteen - Listen

Warnings: Swearing.

Avery's P.O.V

"Are you sure? I can stay here with you; we can watch Netflix all night" Ellie says. "Of course, just because my thing with Tom was ruined doesn't mean your relationship with James has to suffer" I reply as we sit on the couch together "you know I'd always put our friendship first, I will call James and let him know I can't come tonight" she replies getting up to grab her phone "Ellie don't be silly, go have fun! I can't be having a break up movie session if I was never dating Tom" I say with a laugh as I look up at Ellie standing near the table.

She gives a sympathetic smile at my comments about Tom, "okay but call me if you change your mind! I will come straight back home" she says walking back over to me. "Okay, be careful though, it looks like it's raining pretty heavy out there" I say as she gives me a hug before she leaves, we both say goodbye as she grabs her phone and keys, then leaves out the front door.

Once Ellie leaves I decide to get a drink of water from the kitchen, I get up from the couch with my blanket wrapped around my shoulders making me look like a burrito. As I walk into the kitchen I notice Ellie left her purse by mistake, I quickly get my glass of water and go back to the couch, once I'm cuddled up on the couch again I text Ellie letting her know her bag is here – I then proceed to look through all my different social medias on my phone.

After around fifteen minutes of scrolling through my phone I hear a knock at the front door, most likely Ellie as she has forgotten her bag again. Although this wasn't a usual occurrence it has happened a few times so it wasn't unfamiliar her coming back to grab something, as I walk to the front door I yell out "coming!" then grabbing her purse as I walk pass it, I open the door with my right hand as I hold her purse in my left whilst holding onto my blanket at the same time.

"Hey, here's your purse, I don't think you forgot-" I begin to say as I open the door but I see someone who isn't Ellie on the other side waiting. "Oh" I say quietly as I see Tom standing in front of me "hi" he says, I stay silent as I don't know what to say to him "can we talk?" he asks "I don't think there is anything to talk about" I reply looking at my feet, suddenly my socks becoming very interesting to me. "Can I explain? Please" Tom says, I look back up and see his sad blue eyes looking directly into mine "fine, come in – you'll freeze out there" I say opening the door up wider so he can walk inside, although I am still angry and upset at him I do want to hear his reasons for what he did.

I walk back to the couch as I close the door behind him, as we walk I place Ellie's purse back on the table as we pass it before heading to the living room. I sit on the couch as Tom awkwardly stands beside the couch "you can sit down, you know" I say, Tom nods then sits down next to me, as we sit together the awkward silence takes over and you can just feel the tension begin to fill the room. "Why'd you, do it?" I ask quietly as I look over to Tom, my voice breaking the silence "I don't even know what I did" he replies in the same quiet tone his piercing blue eyes looking directly into mine, his reply causing me to scoff "wow" I reply just as quiet as the first time "I'm being serious, what did Maggie even say?" Tom says.

"Oh just how you both couldn't keep your hands off each other after a meeting last Sunday" I reply coldly "but don't worry, she spared the details apparently, they're not appropriate for a work place" I add the same tone. "What the fuck" he says quietly looking down, more to himself then to more, "Avery, that never happened" he says looking back up to me "well according to Maggie it did" I say shrugging my shoulders "yes I had a meeting last Sunday, I told you Saturday when you were at my place" he says "there was an issue relating to the department that she worked in so a member of the board decided to get reception call her in as she is the head of her department, so she came and joined the meeting" he adds.

"During the meeting I kept seeing her out the corner of my eye just watching me and not focusing on the meeting, I didn't say anything because I actually wanted to fix the problem" Tom continues to say. "Once the meeting was finished I was putting all the new information in my laptop as everyone was leaving, I finished typing and stood up to leave but she was still in the room packing her things when she dropped a file on the floor" Tom explains "she didn't notice so I walked over and picked it up to hand it to her, instead of just grabbing the file like a normal fucking person would she made sure to grab my hand as she took the file back, I then walked back over grabbed my laptop, opened the door and stood to the side to let her out first" Tom adds.

"She then thanked me for the meeting and offered to shake my hand which I did and she walked out leaving as I went back to my office, that's all. I never did anything with her, nor would I want to or even think about doing" Tom says as he finishes explaining his side of the story. "I-I don't know what to believe" I reply looking down once again, "Avery I'm being honest! I didn't do anything" he replies "I wouldn't do anything like that" Tom adds "but you already have, you brought that girl to that work dinner after the first time we slept together so why should I think you wouldn't do this" I say sadly.

"That's because we didn't speak for two weeks or so, we already spoke about that" he says, "I know, I'm not upset about that I'm just saying that since you did that why should this situation be any different" I reply. "Because I care about you!" Tom says, his voice slightly raising, he then gently grabs my hands "I care so much about you that it scares me, you're the first thing I think of when I wake up, the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, I think about how your day is going, you're the best part of my day, you're my main priority, when I think about my future – I can't picture it without you being there by my side" Tom explains.

"I wouldn't do that to you." He explains quietly, my eyes begin to water at his comments "I love you Avery" he says quietly looking into my eyes. "I don't know what to do to get you to believe me or to even trust me again" he says, I then notice his eyes begin to water but he quickly blinks the tears away as he looks down, a tear begins to stream down my face "Tom" I say quieter than I expected "I believe you" I say causing him to quickly look back at me "really?" he whispers, "yes" I say nodding.

Tom then wipes my tears away "and Tom" I say "yes Avery", "I think you're quite possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me" I say "I love you too" I say smiling. "Can we make this offical?" He asks, "like boyfriend and girlfriend?" I ask sounding like a kid getting her first boyfriend "yes like boyfriend and girlfriend" tom replies laughing, "I'd love that" I reply.

Tom then gently caresses my face in his hands as we kiss, our kiss is filled with passion, need for one another and love.

Author's note: Hope you enjoy this chapter, only a few chapters left of CEO! make sure to comment, like and reblog (its much appreciated!)