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𝖺𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗅𝖺 𝗃𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌 𝗑 𝗍𝗈𝗆 𝗁𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟵𝟴 ╱ ╱ ☁️🤍 ˚◞♡

──── ❛ あなたに家に帰る ❜ ────

インスタグラム // 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦
𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙖𝙟𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝗁𝖺𝗌
𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒!

𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 via instagram stories
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𝟣𝟫 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗀𝗈. . .

❨⠀amandla⠀❩

"hi everyone! i just wanted to come on here and say that new content will be coming soon. january was a really tough month and the beginning of february has been as well. however, i'm flying home tomorrow to london and will be uploading a video i have pre-filmed and edited to my gaming channel and then one to my main channel. i'll tweet when those are out and post a link here to my story. i love you all and thank you for being patient with me during this time. it means the world."

10 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. . .

10 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. . .

私はメッセージ// 𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞
𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝗍𝖾𝗑𝗍!

⤹ *·˚ 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐇. ⋆.ೃ࿔*
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𝖳𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒 𝟨:𝟤𝟥 𝗉.𝗆.

hey, when does your flight land?

mandy
hellooooo &&& at 7:30!!

all right i'm picking you up
instead of harrison

mandy
how come? is everything ok?

yeah, everything's fine!
i just want to see you

mandy
aww i missed you too

💙
anyway, i'm gonna get heading
to the airport. i'll be at baggage
claim

mandy
sounds good, drive safely 💙💙💙

i always do 💙💙💙

実生活 // 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞

     A HEAVY SIGH LEFT AMANDLA JONES'S LIPS AS SHE RUBBED HER EYES LAZILY. It wasn't that she was tired. More so, she was weighed down by stress and grief, and there was a killer kink in her neck from how she had slept on the plane. Her body was in pain, as was her heart and she felt lifeless.

     Leaving New Jersey had been harder than she imagined and she spent the first hour of the plane ride home crying silently into the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Valeria was planning on flying to visit in March, so it wasn't like she wouldn't be seeing her for months. It was leaving behind the Dolan's that had hurt the most.

     Despite spending more than three weeks with the family, it still wasn't enough time, but Amandla knew she needed to get back home and to work. The longer she stayed, the more difficult it was going to be to fall back into her routine and the more her grief would linger. She needed to disconnect and heal on her own for a bit; she couldn't keep relying on others to distract her or hold her hand through it all. She needed to be able to hold her own hand.

     While saying her farewells to everyone, Grayson and Cameron had promised that they would come visit at some point. Things with Ethan were sorted and they were on good terms, and knowing that they would remain friendly made leaving easier.

     The week they spent together had primarily been consumed with talking and unpacking how they felt. Amandla got the closure she needed and was successfully able to close that chapter in her life. She'd never felt more clear-headed on what she wanted, and that fact made her happy.

     The sound of a voice blaring through the airport speaker broke through the YouTuber's thoughts and she blinked. Arriving at baggage claim, she quickly spotted her luggage and snagged it. Her eyes roamed the area as she stepped off to the side, allowing others to gather their belongings. Out of every face she could see, none of them belonged to the brown-haired Brit that said he would meet her there.

     "Mandy!" Someone called, and her head shot up. Immediately, she winced at the sudden movement and squeezed her eyes shut. Moving her hand to the back of her neck, Amandla rubbed at it, grimacing at the discomfort. "Hey, what's wrong?"

     Fluttering her eyes back open, she relaxed when she saw Tom standing in front of her. "I slept in a weird position on the plane and now there's this kink in my neck that's slowly killing me," she breathed, sinking into his arms once he'd pulled her into a hug. She was home.

     The two stood with their arms wrapped around the other tightly, both of them relieved to be back together. The past three weeks had been the longest ones of Tom's life and he was more than grateful that they were over.

     "I have just the thing to fix that," he murmured into her ear, smiling when he felt her pull him as close as possible.

     "And what's that?" she asked, ignoring how sore the muscles in her body felt.

     "Comfort food, a hot bath, and a self-care night." Tom answered, drawing back and staring down at her. The circles under her eyes were dark and deep, and her skin tone was naturally much paler in comparison to what it normally was. Clear fatigue and sorrow were etched onto her face, and he frowned slightly. Of course, she looked just as beautiful as she normally did, if not more. However, he knew that she was exhausted and wanted more than anything to go home.

     A tiny smile spread across her lips and Amandla allowed him to take her carry-on and suitcase. "That sounds heavenly," she sighed. As they headed towards the exit, Tom intertwined their fingers, squeezing softly when he felt her relax at his touch.

     It wasn't long until the pair had successfully made their way out of the airport with their heads down and hoodies pulled up. No one had recognized and stopped them, for which they were grateful.

     As they walked, a peaceful silence settled and didn't disappear until the doors to Tom's car had slammed shut and locked. "How are you?" Tom turned in his seat and stared at Amandla.

     Once she had connected her phone to the car charger, she met his concerned gaze. "In grief," was her simple and blunt answer as she solemnly blinked. A frown crossed the actor's lips. "I just, I'm really drained and stressed, and sad. My body is in pain and I don't—" Her voice cracked and she averted her eyes quickly, rubbing them. "I keep crying, I swear."

     Immediately, Tom reached over and gently grabbed her chin, bringing her head up. "Hey, it's okay to cry, all right? It doesn't make you weak, it makes you human. If you want to cry, it's okay. You're safe and I've got you, I promise." At the sound of his words, her vision blurred and her lips trembled. Not a second later, his arms encircled back around her body and he ran a hand through her hair.

     A whimper escaped her mouth and she tucked her head into the crook of his neck. As much as she tried to hold it in, the sobs spilled, and she cried softly into his chest.

     Tom intuitively tightened his hold and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "I've got you." He repeated, grimacing at the sound of her sobs rattling against his chest.

     It was silent for a few more minutes before the crying came to a soft stop.

     Counting to ten silently as she always did, Amandla tried to get her heart-rate and breathing back to normal. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly and pulled out of Tom's arms. With the sleeves of her sweatshirt, she wiped away the tears and sniffed. "Thank you," she choked out.

     "Always," he muttered, feeling his heart ache as he stared at how broken the woman he loved was. Hopefully, tonight would make her feel a little better.

     "I've been crying so much lately I feel like Cho Chang in Order of the Phoenix," the YouTuber joked, and Tom chuckled, shaking his head. "I promise I'm not trying to cry on purpose, I just... I'm really tired."

     Frowning, the brown-haired Brit tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hey," he whispered, capturing her attention. "You don't have to explain anything to me. I know you're not trying to. You've lost two important people in your life exactly a year apart. That's a lot to process and cope with, and you've been doing so much better than I, and many others, would be. Give yourself some credit, all right?"

     Their eyes met and she nodded slowly. "Can we talk about what you've been up to recently? Your mum mentioned that you just signed on for a Netflix movie." Amandla mentioned, clearing her throat.

     "Yeah, yes, of course." Tom agreed, buckling up. "It's called The Devil All the Time and it's based on the novel of the same name by Donald Ray Pollock, I believe. Seb and Robert Pattinson are also staring in it. And Harry Melling too."

     She gasped. "Oh, you lucky asshat," she exclaimed, buckling as the car began backing up.

     "Yeah, it's a really talented cast," the actor replied, pulling out of the parking lot.

     "True, but I think you mean a really attractive cast." Amandla commented, earning a playful glare in return. "Sometimes I really think God screwed women over when he created some of these men in the world."

     At that statement, Tom glanced over at the girl beside him. His jaw dropped. "Have you seen yourself in the mirror?!"

     "Have you?!"

     Turning right around the corner, he rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have and you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

     Amandla's face burned red. "That was smooth," she muttered, smiling when their eyes briefly met. "Thanks."

     "Always."

     A peaceful silence settled among the two for the following ten minutes before it was broken.

     "I came up with this video idea," Amandla suddenly mentioned, tucking her hair behind her ears. Glancing over at her, Tom raised a brow. "Actually, I saw other people doing it and thought that maybe it was a good idea. I talked about it with Ethan while I was in Jersey and he said he was okay with it. There's been this trend of videos called Answering Questions I've Been Avoiding and I want to do it. I haven't been truthful with my audience in a really long time because of everything, and due to that, I also haven't been entirely transparent with myself at times.

     "I want to be able to truly start off the year by being honest and getting everything off my chest. I don't want to be known as a problematic person or someone who avoids shit, and I just want to talk to them, you know? My audience, not fans because I feel like that word makes me sound somewhat superficial and I hate it."

     Nodding, the actor tilted his head slightly as he was growing confused. "That sounds like a healthy thing to do and I like the idea, but what aren't you saying?" he asked, coming to a standstill at a stoplight.

     Amandla held her breath for a second. "I want to tell people what happened with us. The cheating scandal," she clarified, clearing her throat. Ethan had told her that he didn't mind if she did the video, he just didn't want the details of their relationship revealed to the public. They kept things private in order to have a healthy relationship, and just because things were over that didn't mean that their business needed to be shared. All of which she agreed with.

     The biggest thing she'd lied and avoided questions about was the nature of how her and Tom's relationship ended, and if they were going to keep going with what it was they had, Amandla wanted the truth out in the open. The lies needed to stop and she wasn't going to live with them anymore.

      At her words, Tom momentarily froze as the light turned green. Taking his foot off the break, he slowly drove. "Okay," he eventually replied softly.

     Scrunching her brows together, the brown-haired girl inclined forward so he could see her out of the corner of his eye. "Okay, what? With me making the video or—"

     "You have every right to make whatever video you want, Amandla. It's your channel and career, and I would never tell you what to do with it."

     "Then what did you say okay for?"

     Instinctually, he reached over and placed a hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. "You don't need my approval. You have every right to tell people the truth and I will never stand in the way of that. I want people to know. You've been lying for almost two years and it's not right. It never was and I shouldn't have ever let you continue to. You didn't and don't deserve that. If you want people to know, then tell them."

     Relaxing at his touch, Amandla leaned back. "Thank you, Tom."

     He squeezed one last time in response but before he could remove his hand, the YouTuber quickly intertwined their fingers. Glancing over at her, a smile tugged at his lips when he saw that she was staring out the window. "You're welcome," he muttered quietly, running his thumb across the top of her hand.

時間 // 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝟖:𝟏𝟓 𝐩.𝐦.

     THE HEATED WATER CONSUMED AND HUGGED EVERY INCH OF HER BODY. Only a few lights were on, creating a wave of airbrushed shadows on the walls and illuminating a golden glow. It was a mini heaven accompanied by the smell of vanilla from the bubble bath.

     Slowly, the brown-haired girl settled into the bathtub, sighing in relief as she felt some of her muscles relax. The heat took away a bit of her pain, thankfully. A fact she relished in as her eyes fluttered close.

     "Hey! Is okay if I come in?" Tom called from outside the bathroom.

     Sinking down further into the bubbles, Amandla tilted her head back until she felt it touch the headrest on the tub. "Yeah, you're good!" she replied, opening her eyes and using her still-dry hands to pull her hair up into a messy bun.

     The door opened and the brown-haired Brit walked in, closing it behind him. When his eyes landed on the YouTuber, his breath hitched. She looked so beautiful. The bubbles in the bath were covering all of her and her cheeks were a light pink from the face mask she had just washed off. Her hair was up and the bags under her eyes mirrored the exhaustion she felt, but she still looked as breathtaking as she always did.

     Tom cleared his throat and walked forward. "How are you feeling?" he asked, grabbing the stool she kept in the bathroom and moving it next to the tub.

     Amandla sighed, glancing over and up at him. "A little better. The kink in my neck is still there, but the hot water is helping with the stiffness in my back and shoulders."

     "I can give you a massage and try to rub out that kink if you'd like," he proposed, leaning forward in his seat.

     "Please," she mumbled, forcing a small smile of gratitude when he stood up. Pulling her head off the headrest, she jumped when she felt Tom's cold hands meet her skin. Immediately, he murmured an apology to which she dismissed. His hands rested on both sides of her neck and he pressed his thumbs into the nape, rubbing in slow circles.

     The tense muscles in her body were a mirror of her anxiety and grief. Despite what the past six days consisted of with Ethan, her mind hadn't forgotten Sean's death, the funeral, and the anniversary of her father's passing. As much as being with Ethan, physically, felt good and at the moment, distracted both of them, it didn't erase the realities they'd be returning to. It was the anxiety of coming back to the real world that had her muscles in a knot and the grief she couldn't push away, but only accept and try to cope with.

     A hum of content left her mouth as she felt Tom's fingers stretch out the muscles and work out the knots. Even though the pressure hurt, she felt a flooding sensation of bliss that carried throughout the rest of her body. It transcended her thoughts and emotions, and her head rolled back.

     Focusing his light of sight on her face, a small smile tugged at his lips. A sheer look of pleasure was written across her features and her eyes were closed. "Does that feel good?" he checked, already having an idea of what the answer would be.

     The sound of his voice briefly snapped her back to life and she nodded. "Mhm-hmm," she hummed, her eyes fluttering open when she felt him press a soft kiss to her forehead. Staring up at him, a sense of peace watered over her. She was home. "I missed you," she confessed quietly, feeling his hands move from her neck to her shoulders.

     Tom smiled down at her and he couldn't help but gain a small piece of hope at her words. With how long she had been gone, he was unsure as to where they stood. "I missed you too," he murmured, continuing the massage. "I don't know if you want to talk about it, but how did things go with Ethan?"

     Amandla sighed, reaching up to itch the skin beneath her eyebrow. "At first it was rough, really rough. He was happy that I was there, but also not because every time he looked at me, he was reminded of the mistake he made," she answered, staring at the bubbles in the bathtub.

     "Breaking up with you?" the brown-haired Brit questioned, wanting to make sure he knew exactly what it was they were talking about.

     She nodded. "Yeah. In the beginning, I tried numerous times to talk to him alone, but he avoided me like the plague," she joked, although the brief smile on her face didn't reach her eyes. "He kept pushing me away yet wanted me to be there to physically comfort him, which really frustrated me. Most of our time, in the beginning, was spent holding hands, hugging, cuddling, or falling asleep together. If I wasn't doing that with him, I was with Cameron and Grayson. They're simple acts of affection that I view as platonic because I do those things with all of my close friends. I'm a physical person; physical touch is my love language. It's also one of the best ways, in my opinion, to be comforted. Ethan's the same way; we have the same love language.

     "So, I was fine with only communicating by touch for a while, but then it got to a point where I just wanted to talk. Just the two of us. I tried the day of the funeral, which wasn't a good idea, and he quickly shut me down. He admitted that he'd been avoiding being alone with me because he knew he screwed up—he knew I wanted to talk. And hearing that kind of hurt; to be told by someone you loved, that used to want nothing more than to be alone with you, tell you that they'd been avoiding you for that exact reason... it hurt more than I thought it would. We ended up finally talking the day after the funeral. Well, it was more of an argument, really."

     Furrowing his brows in mild concern, Tom looked down at her. "How bad was it?" he asked softly.

     Tilting her head back, Amandla met his eyes. "It wasn't our worst argument, but it was our most emotional one. For me, at least. Gray said that he could hear me yelling from the kitchen downstairs. So, that kind of tells you how bad it got," she breathed, feeling his hands move back to the sides of her neck.

     "Were my parents there when it happened?"

     "No. They had just left for the airport."

     Tom inhaled deeply and bit the inside of his cheek. "Did you two eventually work things out?"

     While he spoke, the brown-haired girl couldn't help but notice the hesitancy in his words. He was worried that they were back together. Biting down on her bottom lip, she nodded. "Yeah. E came up with this idea that we spend a few days together and go back to how things were when we dated," she began. "During those days, we would spend them together and do any and everything we wanted together for the last time. The last time we saw each other in person was when we were together. We didn't know that was the last time. This time, we did, and over those days we could say everything we needed to."

     "That's not a bad idea," Tom muttered, nodding his head lightly. "How'd it go?"

     Amandla was silent for a second as she stared up at him, waiting for him to look her in the eyes. As soon as he did, she gave him a look of assurance. "It went really well. I got all the closure I needed and we were able to properly bring things to a close," she responded, watching as a brief wave of relief washed over him.

     "That's really good, and how do you feel about it?" he asked next, darting his eyes between hers.

     The YouTuber raised a brow. "How do I feel about the closure or how do I feel about you now?" she rephrased; her question caught him off-guard and his jaw dropped slightly ajar.

     "Oh uh, I-I mean you can answer either of—" Tom was cut off as Amandla brought her hand up and grabbed onto the back of his neck, bringing his face down. Before he could get another word out, her lips were on his. With the way both of them were positioned—Amandla laying in the bathtub and Tom standing over her—they were doing the Spider-Man kiss and he smiled when he noticed that.

     A few seconds later, she let go of his neck and he pulled away. "That's how I feel about you," she whispered, staring up at him with glowing eyes.

     Rather than replying, Tom leaned back down and reconnected their lips. Her hand flew back up and she cupped his cheek, savoring the feeling. It was different—kissing upside down, but a good different. Not a minute later, they pulled apart, breathless.

     "I've really missed that," he muttered, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

     Amandla smiled, feeling her breathing beginning to slow down. "Me too," she admitted, not telling him that while she was gone, whenever her and Ethan kissed, she couldn't help but compare it to whenever she kissed him. It didn't matter how many times she kissed Tom, she would never grow tired of him or his touch.

     "After you get out of the bath, do you want me to rub your back or feet? We can eat, watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in bed, and I can wait until you fall asleep to go." Tom suggested, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

     Playing with the bubbles with one hand, Amandla used her other to grab one of Tom's and bring it to her lips, pressing two kisses to his wrist. Then, she intertwined their fingers. "I'd love that," she spoke softly. "But can I make one teeny-tiny suggestion?"

     The actor furrowed his brows. "Sure, what's up?"

     "Will you stay the night?" the brown-haired girl asked, peering up at him through her lashes.

     With the way she was staring at him, Tom wanted to melt right then and there. Every time he looked at her, he swore he fell more and more in love. Her eyes were bright and shining up at him while her lips were pulled into a gentle smile. She looked at peace and relaxed, something he was grateful for considering everything that'd happened recently.

     "I'd love to," he answered, chuckling at the wide grin that spread across her face. Shortly after, she puckered her lips up at him and he laughed, quickly kissing her. "I love you too." Tom mused, getting down on his knees so he could be closer and keep massaging her shoulders.

     Amandla pulled out of his grasp and turned around, facing him. Without warning, she'd leaned forward and reconnected their lips. A hum of happiness came from Tom and he moved closer, caressing her face. The hand she placed on his cheek was covered in water, but neither of them cared as their lips moved in sync.

     Drawing back, she went to speak but wasn't given the chance to when Tom caught her lips in his. Instantly, she reciprocated this kiss and wrapped an arm around his neck. "I love you," she mumbled, shivering when she felt his arms wrap around her bare torso.

     "I love you," he echoed, placing his hand on the small of her back underneath the water. "I love you so much."

     "I love you so much more." Amandla sighed, breaking off the kiss and darting her eyes between his. An endearing expression was painted across his face and he was staring at her as if she was his entire world. His eyes were gleaming and an involuntary smile appeared. Little did she know, Amandla was staring at him with the same look.

     Tom began absentmindedly tracing shapes on her back, lightly brushing his fingertips against her skin. "Do you remember what I said when I gave you that promise ring on our first Christmas together?" he asked randomly.

     Thinking back to that night, Amandla was able to recall bits and pieces of that conversation. However, a lot was said and she wasn't sure which part he was referencing. "Which part? 'Cause we both said stuff," she pointed out, removing her arm from around his neck and falling back into the water. Tom's hands left her back and he sat down on the floor, leaning against the tub.

     "The part where I said that I take us and what we have very seriously and that I'm committed to you—to us. Do you remember that?" Amandla nodded, curious as to where this was going. "I still mean every word I said then. I take us and what we have very seriously, and I'm committed to only you, and only us. I love you more than words could ever do justice and I genuinely never thought that this would happen again. I never thought that I'd get a second chance, but I did and I need you to know that I won't screw this up again and I am so grateful. I know that you're opening yourself up to being hurt again by giving me another shot and showing me a vulnerable side to you that you don't show often.

     "You're risking a lot just to give me a second chance and I don't want you to think that I don't understand that because I do. I know that things have been very complicated and confusing, on both ends. I know that it wasn't easy for us to get to this place, but I'm happy that we have. I'm forever grateful for and to you. You're it for me, Amandla. And I promise that I'm going to do everything I can to prove that giving this other chance is worth it and that I'm worth it. I want you to be able to trust me, fully, again, and I promise I will work towards building that trust back up.

     "I can't promise that I won't hurt you again because I know I will at some point and vice versa, but I can promise you that I will do my absolute best to ensure that you are loved, cared for, and treated the way you deserve to be every day. I am so in love with you and love you so much, Amandla. You're my whole world and I'm so happy that you're back in my life and I'm back in yours." Tom breathed, staring at her adoringly.

     Tears prickled in the corner of her eyes and Amandla felt her throat closing up. Keilah hadn't been full of shit when she told her the same thing on New Year's Eve; Tom truly felt this way toward her and it was real. Everything with him was real.

     "You're going to make me cry," she choked out, sniffing.

     Noticing the tears in her eyes, Tom reached across the water and held his hand out to her. "Please tell me those are good tears and not bad ones," he spoke gently, squeezing her hand once their fingers laced together.

     Amandla laughed softly, quickly wiping away a tear that had escaped. "Yes, they're good tears; they're happy tears because I'm happy with you," she replied, her voice cracking.

     The last four words she spoke caused a lump to rise in his throat and he could feel his eyes sting. I'm happy with you kept replaying in his head and he couldn't help but smile. "I'm happy with you too," he murmured, a tear trailing down his cheek after he'd blinked.

     Reaching forward, she wiped it away. "The journey to where we are right now was painful," she whispered, biting down on her lip. "But if I had to do it all over again, I would and I wouldn't change a thing."

     "Really?"

     She nodded. "Yes. It took a lot for me to give you a second chance, but I'm glad I did because it's worth it. Spending time with you, catching up, and just being with you is worth it. You are worth it, Tom. I know expecting you not to hurt me is unrealistic, because it will happen at some point and I know for a fact that I will hurt you too. But I want you to know that I also promise to do my absolute best to love you, care for you, and treat you the way you deserve to be every day. The progress we've made makes me really happy, and you make me really happy."

     While she talked, Amandla had noticed more tears rising in Tom's eyes and the slight tremble tugging at his chin. She could tell that what she said meant a lot to him and he was taking every word to heart. "I love you," she stated, bringing his hand up and pressing a kiss to the back of it, keeping their fingers entangled. "With my entire heart."

     Blinking, the actor gulped down the mass in his throat in an attempt to hinder the waterworks, but his actions didn't do much. Feeling tears already running down his cheeks, he licked his lips and wiped them away. "Thank you," he whimpered, internally cringing at how fragile his voice sounded at that moment.

     "You're welcome," the brown-haired girl squeezed his hand. "Can I kiss you?"

     The question was so simple yet incredibly adorable coming from her and Tom laughed, a smile breaking through. "Yes. You never have to ask me," he informed her, instantly cupping her cheek once their lips had connected.

     The two of them remained still, their lips pressed together before Amandla pulled back and let go of Tom's hand. With her thumbs, she wiped away his tears and left delicate kisses all over his face as she did so. After finishing by pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, she met Tom's eyes to see that he was already staring at her. Raising a single brow, she tilted her head to the side.

     "You're just—you make everything better—you're my everything," he shrugged, realizing that she was waiting for him to talk. "And I love you more than anything." Amandla's eyes shined brightly as she stared at him. "In the words of twenty-year-old Tom: You and everything you do, Amandla Jones, is magic." Tom recited quietly, watching as she broke into a grin.

     "And in the words of nineteen-year-old Amandla," she paused, giggling as he kissed her on the tip of her nose. "I don't know how to respond to that so I'm just going to kiss you."

╰┈ ⊰ 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒔 ❞ ⑊ ⎯⎯ : ⊱˒ ♡

⌇ 𝘯𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯⠀|⠀𝑛𝜊 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠⠀꒱
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙

     hey everyone!! i hope you all enjoyed the ninety-eighth chapter!

     love how amandla went from, "i hate you," to "if i had to do it all over again, i would and i wouldn't change a thing," and "i love you with my entire heart." the character and relationship development are 10/10 if i do say so myself. even if not everybody else agrees.

     obviously, i was feeling very ✨soft✨ when writing this given how much fluff is in the chapter. here's some cute and healing tomandla content. you're welcome, xoxo. <3

     also, i have written one too many airport scenes for this fucking book. i swear this is the last one... i think. don't hold me to that. (future me editing this before it's published and the book has been finished: that was the last airport scene. #blessed.)

     TO EVERYONE WHO WAS UPSET WITH THE EVENTS OF THE LAST CHAPTER &&& DISLIKED ETHAN (RIGHTFULLY SO): i hope this gave you some reassurance on where things are going. amandla's feelings and what she wants have been figured out. the love life portion of her life has been handled and sorted out, and a final decision regarding her and tom's relationship happens very soon. i understand where all of you are coming from and i promise nothing truly bad happens from here on out.

     𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑: thank you all for taking the time out of your days to comment on this story. it means a lot and helps the story be spread to a wider audience &&& gives me the opportunity to grow as an author. all i ask is that people vote on each chapter, please. as a creator, it takes time to write and develop stories. especially social media-based ones because there's so much to take into consideration and the amount of time i've dedicated to finding graphics, screenshotting everything kelsey simone (and other characters) posts, making graphics, etc., is ridiculous. so please, vote on every chapter. it means a lot more than i could ever express.

     don't forget to vote & comment!