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WITH THE HELP OF HER FATHER, AND PENELOPE, ELOISE MOVES FROM HER HOME TO AN APARTMENT IN NEW YORK, WITH THE HELP OF ROBERT AS WELL. NICOLAS IS LATER ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF DOMESTIC ABUSE FROM THE ACCOUNTS OF FOUR DIFFERENT WOMEN, NOT COUNTING ELOISE.
APRIL 4TH, 2018 — ❝ YOU ARE THE ONE THAT I LOVE MOST. ❞
It had been almost two months since Eloise had let her father make such a change to her life.
Now, at the age of twenty-eight years old, she was living on her own for the first time, renting out her family friend's apartment.
During this, she had not heard from Tom once.
And so she took this as a silent breakup, of the sort. She stopped wearing the necklace with his ring on it--she kept it in her jewelry box, tucked away in the top drawer of her dresser. She dyed her hair brown, and grew out her bangs.
Eloise let things change. She took a hiatus from writing, and spent time exploring the city, and going to therapy.
Thing were changing, whether she wanted them to or not. And it's just the way she accepted them to be.
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"So how is New York? Are you liking it?" Nikolai asked, grinning at his daughter through the computer screen.
"Well, it's New York, and I haven't lived here since I was nine, so, it's definitely changed," Eloise replied, chuckling. "But I like it. The business of it. I mean, of course, it kept me up the first couple of weeks, but now I've gotten somewhat used to it. I can kinda tune it out now."
Nikolai laughed, and said, "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. You've seen Robert?"
"Yep. And I got the toilet fixed." When Eloise had first moved in, it turned out that a giant rat was living in the pipes for two of the floors, and the toilets were constantly overflowing or clogging up. She messaged Robert the end of that first week, and he had it fixed as soon as he could.
"It's too bad Rufus isn't there anymore," Nikolai started, "because now you need another pet."
Eloise snorted. "Dad, that's so gross. If I'm getting a pet, it's going to be a cat. How's Penelope?"
"She's good! She's here right now, she's just on the phone. Gotta make sure the restaurant is going alright, now that it's is under her niece's control." He waved his hand, and then asked, "Have you heard from Tom at all?"
Shifting uncomfortably under the weight of his stare through the screen, Eloise quietly replied, "No. I, uh, haven't yet. I've haven't messaged him." She chewed on her thumbnail, and looked out of the window next to her.
"He . . . You're not together anymore?" Nikolai asked, uncertainty lining his tone. When she finally looked back at the screen, she noticed her father looked genuinely upset. "Well . . . Tell you what, darling. Once I'm better, we can take a trip to Hawaii. I know how much you love it there."
Eloise gave him a small smile, and said, "Thanks, dad. I don't know what to call Tom and I anymore. He avoids questions about me, or us, at every interview he's given in the last couple of months. But, god, who knows. Who fucking knows."
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Eloise had found out who Taylor Swift's 'source' to the supposed upcoming leak to Eloise's sexuality. It had been Nicolas himself, which ended up resulting in Eloise finally being able to contact the author of the article being written.
She offered her an interview, and her own voice about her asexuality and her previously abusive relationship. "It would sound so much better coming from my own voice, rather than someone who is trying to talk about it without my voice," She'd written in her email, and now it was finally time.
Eloise was being interviewed about her asexuality, and her abusive relationship, and how her father had saved her--twice, now.
"I'm very glad you took advantage of this opportunity, Eloise," Jasmine said. She was the woman who had originally written the first article, and now was interviewing Eloise.
"I'm glad I took it," Eloise replied, looking around the woman's backyard. "It's very beautiful here, I love your backyard."
Jasmine blushed, and replied, "I worked hard for it. Now, why don't we start?"
Eloise settled into the hammock, Jasmine sitting across from her in a plush chair. On a small table between them, was Jasmine's phone, recording their interview.
"So, Eloise. When did you first discover you were asexual?"
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Given that Eloise's interview only took a day, she felt incredibly refreshed finally talking about her asexuality, and opening up more about it. Soon, the whole world would know, and Eloise felt . . . A small sense of peace about it. No more hiding in the dark about it. She wasn't going to be ashamed of it, either. Not anymore.
Eloise walked through New York, looking at her breath cloud up above her. She looked around her, and watched some of the couples that were also walking down the street. Suddenly, her heart broke open, and the yearning she felt for Tom spilled out, and she reached up, going to feel for his ring, but then remembered--it was gone.
Just like he was.
She suddenly kept her gaze down as she rounded the corner and walked into her apartment building, avoiding everyone's gazes. She went over to her small mailbox, and opened it, blindly grabbing everything and then closing it. She boarded the elevator in a quiet sadness, her mail clutched to her side.
Once off, she walked down the hall to her apartment. Her head felt empty. It felt so quiet, so sad, without Tom by her side.
She didn't even get to say goodbye.
Eloise locked her apartment door behind her, and the went over to the table, dropping the mail. As she was taking off her scarf, she noticed a rosy pink envelope on the table, and the name Tom Hiddleston, with a familiar address written on it.
Her heart dropped to her stomach as she threw her scarf down onto the table, hands trembling as she ripped it open.
Dearest Eloise,
I cannot tell you how sorry I am. For everything.
For disappearing, for not bothering to check up on you, for letting you think I'd abandoned you.
I've been meaning to write to you, but I could hardly get a second alone without my new personal assistant gluing herself to my side. I've fired both Nancy (my personal assistant), and Alice. I've fired many people who refused to let me talk to you, in fact, someone broke into my phone, and deleted your number, and all of our text messages.
I was forced to wait until I had filmed everything, and then left to go home, to see you. But . . . You weren't there. And I don't think I've been so scared, seeing Nikolai all alone. I wasn't sure what had happened to you, but I was so scared in that moment, until Nikolai told me your new address, and that Nicolas had shown up at your house.
I love you more than anything, Eloise. So will you be my date to the Infinity War premiere? I've included four tickets--one plane ticket to get here, one movie ticket, one ticket to get backstage, and then the last ticket to pick up a dress to rent.
I promise, Eloise, that I will never leave you like this again.
Love, Tom
Tears filled Eloise's eyes as she read the letter, over and over again, and then twice more, until she knew it by heart. She picked up the four tickets gently, and then sniffled as she looked back down at the letter.
Inside of the envelope, was a small paper.
Tom's phone number.
Eloise looked from the small slip of paper back to her phone.
She could call him. She should call him. She had his number again, and she suddenly wasn't sure what to do now. She'd spent almost four months without him by her side, and suddenly, he was back again.
Apologizing for everything.
And so Eloise looked out the window, at the night sky, and contemplated her choices.