Thomas & January (Sleepless 2)

I turned the water off and stilled, listening for the commotion coming from the direction of the living room.

“You don’t understand!” I heard my cousin Collin say loudly.

I hopped out of the shower quickly and wrapped my short robe around myself. Hauling ass outside of the bathroom, almost slipping on the wood in the hallway. Sounds of fighting came from the front lawn along with...chanting? I ran to the front door and stepped out onto the front porch.

“What’s going on?” I asked, stopping still at the sight of Tom’s hands around Collin’s neck. “Tom?” I could feel the burn of tears beginning to surface again. “What-what’s going on?”

“January,” he said desperately, releasing his grip on my cousin and coming toward me. He stood on the bottom step beneath me.

Collin fell to the grass, rubbing his neck. “Do you know him?” he asked.

“Yeah, this is Tom,” I explained, gesturing towards Tom like an idiot. Collin started laughing.

“What?” we both asked, turning his direction.

“This guy thought I was your boyfriend. He said he recognized me from the airport and told me I couldn’t have you, that you belonged to him.”

“Tom,” I sighed, realizing for the first time I was standing on my porch in a short ass robe, naked underneath and hair dripping in front of fifteen random people. “Can I talk to you inside?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said, climbing the porch steps.

I glanced behind me and saw a guy who looked exactly like Tom but older.

“Who are those people?” I asked quietly, as we entered my grandmother’s home.

“Uh, those are my parents and sister and friends.”

“Great, I just embarrassed myself in front of your entire family.”

“I’m so sorry, January,” he said, running his hands over his face and through his hair. “This was not how this was supposed to go.”

I led him into my room and shut the door. “You attacked my cousin.”

“About that,” Tom said, sighing deeply. “I’m so sorry,” he began but stopped short when I burst out laughing. “What?”

“Nothing, I just- never mind. Why are you here?”

Tom stood tall and stepped closer to me, grabbing my shoulders in the process. “I’m in love with you, January MacLochlainn, and I want you to take me back.”

The tears had already started flowing. I couldn’t stop them. His mere touch was enough to break me down. “Why?”

“Because you love me as well.”

“No, I don’t,” I lied.

“Yes, you do.”

My head fell toward my feet and a soft sob escaped my lips. “You hurt me so badly, Tom. For weeks, I felt like I had to tiptoe around you. I was walking on eggshells and when I finally felt comfortable enough to stomp around, you pulled the rug out from under me. I don’t think I could take another surprise like that. It’s not healthy, no matter how much I’m in love with you.”

“January,” he said, hugging me closely. Irrationally, I worried that my hair would soak his shirt. “I am so sorry for not trusting you in Europe. I never really believed you would betray me like that. I think I was just scared of what you are to me.”

“And what am I to you?” I asked, looking up into his blue eyes.

“You’re the love of my life, January MacLochlainn,” he said without shame.

He ran his hands along my forehead and down my face, stopping at my collarbone. He stared at me like I was the last woman on Earth.

And the tears came in droves. “Don’t say things like that to me, Tom.”