Edge of Our Dreams

“So you went on a date with him?”

“Ugh, they told me to!” Lilly sighed in frustration.

“Who?”

“The voices in my head,” Tom chuckled as she shook her head, her curls of hair falling softly around her shoulders. “No, Taylor and Sarah, they said it wouldn’t go well and then we could use that as a reason for it going no further, and trust me it did not go well!”

“How so?” Tom watched her; catching a glimpse out of the taxi window they were nearing her street.

“He was boring, not interested in anything I had to say and forgot the chilli poppers!”

“Chilli poppers?” Tom asked as the taxi slowed to a halt. “How could he?” He smirked at her and Lilly just laughed. He’d managed to cheer her up and that was a wonderful gift. She passed Tom £10 as they said their goodbyes, though he refused to take it. Instead he said she owed him another coffee. Lilly bit her lip, wishing she had the courage to invite him in for that coffee; though she doubted he quite meant it like that. As she opened the door and went to step out, he told her to stay safe and get some sleep.

She believed the first comment jinxed her.

“I huh-shit!” It all happened so quickly even the taxi driver turned round to see what happened.

“Lilly,” Tom jumped up and towards her side of the cab. “Sweetheart?” She was on the side of the pavement, having missed the step she’d tripped and fallen onto her knees.

“Ouch,” Was all she mumbled slowly standing up to display two very scuffed knees. She couldn’t help but laugh at that but Tom was watching her with a look of concern.

“Here keep the change,” He turned to the driver before stepping out and holding onto Lilly’s hand. “Oh baby,”

“That hurt,” She muttered laughing at her own pathetic-ness. “You’re cabs gone?”

“Well I have a horrible feeling something might happen to you,” He kept hold of her hand, the other trailed up to her face, cupping her cheek and stroking the soft skin. “Particularly if you’re left alone to long,” Lilly bit her lip just looking at him. His smile was sympathetic and cute all at the same time; they shared the gaze for a few seconds to many. Lilly ended up having to break the silence.

“My knees really sting, god I am so sorry,” She added, utterly embarrassed.

“Let’s get you inside and in that bed,” He winked at her and she laughed, shaking her head. “You are really pretty when you laugh darling,” His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb stroking the soft skin. Tom’s other hand held onto hers. This was too much, to close, to intimate. Her eye lids lowered, he was watching her every move, he lent in and pressed a very light kiss against her soft lips. As he moved back he felt her move forward.

“Lilly I’m not going to do this,” He kept hold of her hand, his fingertips trailing over her cheek and through her hair. “I barely know anything about you,” He paused and pressed a soft kiss against her hair. “I don’t want you to think I am taking advantage of you, because honestly Lilly you are beautiful,” She moved closer, resting her head on his chest. “I want to though,” The last comment was the one to real change everything. She was excited, a little disappointed and amazed all at the same time. He was a rare type of man.

She could have spent all night standing there with him. Wrapped up in his arms, the cold night air whipping at her hair, she felt as if this was the perfect moment. Here she stood with a beautiful man who just wanted to hold her and make it all okay; while the rest of London rushed around them. When the first drops of rain fell Tom kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go inside,” Lilly nodded in agreement, she was starting to feel a bit better, a different type of emotion taking over her now.

She let him into the flat and led him towards her room, out of habit more than anything else. She pushed her shoes off and sat down on her bed starring at her bloody knees. Tom was right behind her though, watching her movements and

“Where is your bathroom?” She looked at Tom. “Take those tights off,” He added as she pointed out the door. If she hadn’t felt so stupid, tired and emotional she’d have made a dirty joke but she left it as it was.

“First on the right,” Tom nodded slipping his jacket off, leaving him in a waist coat, shirt and very slim cut trousers.

“Be right back,” He said simply walking out as Lilly sighed. She quickly looked round her room checking nothing embarrassing had been left out. She pushed a few things under her bed so it looked a little tidier. She slipped her tights off and chucked them in the bin, two big holes in the knee wasn’t a good look. “Here we go,” She sat back on the bed when Tom came back in with some wet tissues and a dark towel.

“You didn’t have to do that,”

“You can’t go to bed with gravel in your knees,” Lilly grimaced at the thought going to take the tissues but Tom shook his head. “Now suck it up,” He put a hand on her thigh and she instantly felt nervous.

“Tom you don’t have to-“ Him looking after her was beyond the call of duty, she could look after herself.

“I know,” He said simply kneeling down in front of her and placing the towel on the bed. She felt her heart flutter at his actions; no one had ever taken care of her like this before. “Now if it stings I’m sorry, I couldn’t see any anti-septic stuff,” Lilly just shrugged, for two accident prone girls Sarah and Lilly had minimal medical supplies around. He didn’t speak as he carefully cleaned the grazes on her knees, Lilly had no idea what to say, this was so surreal she was a little lost for words. Tom was gentle with her, and as his fingertips brushed against her thigh she felt the spark she’d felt before.

God she liked him.

“There we go,” He looked up checking she was okay. “Now no more accidents,” He said simply, standing up to his full height and chucking the tissues in the bin.

“Thank you,” She caught his hand. “Really, I mean it,”

“I know,” He smiled softly back at her. “I meant what I said, I don’t want to ruin this, or turn it into something cheap, I want to get to know you Lilly,” She felt the butterflies return with vengeance, if she was honest the last thing she needed now was a one night stand, she wanted to get closer to Tom as well. She felt anything quick and easy would drive him away.

“Do you want to go?”

“Well,” He paused sitting down next to her on the bed. He looked incredible in the remains of his suit. “It depends what movie you are watching,” It took a few seconds for her to understand what he meant.

“Dirty Dancing,” Tom raised his eyebrows. “I love men that can dance,” Tom just smiled and pushed off his shoes, before moving round to stretch out on her bed, his back leant up against the headboard. “I see, can I get you anything? I’m going to get some water,”

“Water would be good,” Lilly nodded, leaving him in the room as she wondered through to the kitchen. This all felt very surreal, an utterly gorgeous man had just stretched himself out on her bed but had no plans of having sex with her? Was he real? Maybe it was all part of his plan. She shrugged to herself as she grabbed two glasses of water. Honestly right now she didn’t care, she was happy, he was cheering her up, and that was good enough for her.

When she came back into the room, Tom was in the same position but had his phone in hand.

“Water for you,” She smiled putting it up the bedside table and walking over to the turn her TV, she fiddled with the remote and DVD case for a few seconds before walking back to the bed. “Would you unhook the back of my dress,” Tom raised his eyes up from his phone, but nodded in reply. She turned and knelt down slightly so he could reach without moving.

“It was a beautiful dress,” He said simply.

“I’m just going to get changed,” She almost whispered as Tom smiled back.

“I won’t look,” He went back to his phone as she turned away from him, now he’d said that she couldn’t really walk out to get changed. She huffed and took a deep breath, slipping the dress quickly off and pulling the t-shirt over her. Tom’s eyes flicked up momentarily to catch her just in bra and pants; he instantly regretted it. There was no way he could hide his arousal in this tight trousers.
Think of something boring, think of something boring.

Fuck she was gorgeous.

“Okay, shall we watch this then,” This time he looked up she was wearing just a baggy t-shirt that went down to her mid-thigh; that did not help things. Tom nodded, taking a deep breath in as she climbed onto the bed next to him and pushed herself under the covers. “I am bound to fall asleep, just give me a nudge,” Lilly said simply as she pressed play on the remote. Tom smiled and moved a little closer.

This was a recipe for disaster and he knew it.