"Laney!" Chris called as he walked across the lot towards her trailer.
"Oh hey." She turned plastering a smile on her face. She hadn't talked to Chris since game night almost a week ago. After spending the night with Tom and then his trip to California she had just kept to herself. Chris had noticed the change in her but didn't want to pry. He thought about asking Holland but that seemed juvenile.
"You're a hard person to catch up with." He said his voice teasing.
She shrugged. "I haven't been feeling well lately." She lied.
"Oh" Chris frowned. "Go see Downey. He has everything in his trailer. You'll come out the bionic woman!"
Laney laughed, "No, I'm fine. Just tired I guess. How are you?" She deflected the attention from herself.
"I'm doing ok." He grinned. "I was hoping you'd be up to hanging out one night...."
"Yeah, that sounds good." She turned away. "Excuse me. I really need to get on set. I'm running late...you know me." She smiled apologetically before practically running the opposite direction.
---------------------------------
Laney hid out in her trailer till after 9pm that night avoiding everyone. Tom had tried to call her, tried to talk to her since returning from California. Maybe she was blowing it out of proportion, maybe she was acting childish. She couldn't explain how she felt when he left after they had spent the night together. It just reminded her how badly he had hurt her. And she didn't want to go through that ever again. She didn't know how to face Chris. She felt as though she were leading him on. And she really liked him a lot. But now she couldn't be honest with him. He probably wouldn't want anything to do with her if he found out that she had slept with Tom. She didn't want to lose Chris, his friendship or what might happen between them.
A knocking on her trailer door caused her to jump.
"It's me." Holland's voice drifted through the door.
Laney hopped up and unlocked her door. "Hey." She greeted him.
"You spending the night here?"
"No. I was just about to leave." She grabbed her bag.
"You might want to wait. Tom's out there."
"He is?" Laney froze.
"No. I just wanted to see your reaction." Tommy laughed.
"Jerk." Laney muttered slapping his arm.
"You're going to have to talk to him at some point."
"Nope." Laney pushed her trailer door open. "Are you still coming to New York with me?"
"Of course." Tom followed her out of the trailer onto the dark lot.
"Laney." Hiddleston seemed to appear out of nowhere from the shadows.
"Shit! Tom! You scared me!" She gasped clutching her bag, then turning to Holland she widened her eyes.
"I swear I didn't know he was here." Holland held his hands up.
"I didn't mean to scare you. Can we talk?" His eyes were pleading.
"I will catch you later Delaney Rae." Holland gave her an enchanted grin before skipping off.
"What's up?" Laney shifted her bag on her shoulder not making eye contact with him.
"I finish filming this week and I will be leaving Atlanta." He said carefully.
Laney's head snapped up, her eyes meeting his.
"I'm going to London for a few weeks and then I will be in Los Angeles...." He continued.
"Have a safe flight." She stared at him so hard he felt like she was staring through him.
"I don't want to leave like this. Laney, I love you. I've been trying to tell you. Talk to you. I-I want you back."
"You had no problem leaving before, twice."
Tom flinched and looked away. "I had no choice the last time." He growled. "If you would just listen to me."
"No." Laney shook her head. "I don't want to. I thought maybe I could forgive you. But then you hurt me again. Do you know what I went through when you left? It was HELL." She could feel the tears welling up, but she wouldn't cry in front of him. "Enjoy London, Enjoy LA." She turned to leave but Tom reached out and pulled her back to him into his arms where his lips landed on hers.
"No." she said pulling away with less assurance this time. "Please let me go." She whispered, quickly wiping the tear from her eye.
"I can't." His bright blue eyes bore into hers. "I won't."
Laney didn't reply, stepping back away from him instead and then turning to walk away.