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odinsonsobsessed · 5 years

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Beautifully Complicated || Chapter 16: Realization

A Tom Hiddleston x OFC Matchmaker AU series by @odinsonsobsessed and @mrshiddleston-uk

Kate Rees just wants some romance in her life, but she hasn’t had the most pleasant dating history. After yet another date gone wrong, she nearly gives up until her work colleague mentions a matchmaking website she’d seen an ad for. Little does she know, the mystery man she’s been matched with is handsome, rising star, Tom Hiddleston. And that’s when things get complicated.

Rated M (18+) || Word Count: 5.9k || Warnings: Swearing, NSFW

A/N: @mrshiddleston-uk and I worked hard this week to be able to get this chapter up for you guys, so that you wouldn't have to wait too long after the way the last one ended. We think you're really going to like this one ;)

You can also find us on AO3:

@odinsonsobsessed - Mischievousbellerina

@mrshiddleston-uk - Crimson_peak

Likes, Comments and Reblogs are always encouraged and appreciated! Enjoy!

Series Masterlist

Tom could still feel Kate when he woke. He could practically feel the warmth of her body heat, the softness of her lips as they brushed against his and the way her body reacted to the touch of his fingertips as he ran them along her spine. A sigh blew past his lips as he blinked his eyes open, aimed at the ceiling. He hated when he had dreams like the one he just had - it made it that much harder to get over the only woman he ever truly loved.

It had been six months since Kate had broken his heart and five of them were spent halfway across the world from her as he worked hard on the film he'd been cast in. He threw himself into his work, spending long hours memorizing his lines and going over scenes more times than he could count. Anything to wipe Kate from his mind, if only temporarily. It didn't work quite as he'd wanted.

Working with Charlotte again after the break up was… it was rough. She was one of the main reasons Kate had broken it off with him and seeing her was a constant reminder of that.

When he had arrived in L.A., he had mentally prepared himself to look happy to see Charlotte, to fool the paparazzi that he knew would be there, when really it was like a twist of the dagger in his heart to see her again. But on the other hand, it had been nice to see a friendly face. Tom had tried to meet with Charlotte sooner to have a chat with her about Kate, but between Charlotte having to head to L.A. early to get resettled into the house she had there and his own preparations for his stay and the film, it was next to impossible.

After getting settled in his apartment and having a nap following his travels, he met Charlotte for drinks. One of the first things she asked him about was him and Kate.

“We, um…” Tom shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It still hurt every time he had to say these words. “We broke up.”

Charlotte's jaw dropped as she looked at him wide eyed, “Seriously? I thought you were so into each other!”

Tom wasn’t sure if that was a question or a statement. Either way, he didn’t want to go into any more detail. Not with knowing how Kate felt about her. Instead, he shrugged. “It just didn’t work out."

Charlotte smiled at him sympathetically, reaching out to squeeze his forearm gently, “I always thought she held you back anyway. You’ll be better off without her."

Wait, what? Tom forced himself to smile back at her but her response had triggered something in his brain. Had she ever told Kate that she thought that? Clearly Charlotte hadn’t been as fond of Kate as she’d made herself out to be.

Charlotte pulled him from his thoughts, telling him that she'd be there for him should he want to talk about it, which before he would have taken that as a sweet, friendly gesture. But now he found himself questioning her and her flirty smile, her finger twisted around her hair in an attempt to make her look sexy.

Tom tried to go on like normal after their meet up that day, but something felt different. He was a bit taken aback, because he’d always thought Kate was overreacting. Had he really been that blind to it? Or perhaps she didn't used to be this way, maybe this had just developed since he'd seen her all those years ago at RADA. Some people let the fame go to their head and perhaps Charlotte had fallen victim to that, and he hadn't realized fully until he watched her interact in L.A., being around more celebrities and crew members. But it was Charlotte. He’d known her for years and she’d always been so sweet and friendly and caring. She was a naturally confident and outgoing person and he supposed if someone weren’t used to it, maybe it could come across as flirty and a little high and mighty. She certainly hadn’t ever given him any signs that she wanted anything more than friendship from him, and she’d never tried to make a move on him.

His head hurt as he questioned everything, analyzing it and looking for hidden meanings in every interaction he’d ever had with Charlotte. Tom had always considered himself a pretty good judge of character, could he really have gotten it all wrong with her? They were friends, close friends. They’d always got on so well and Tom just couldn’t believe he wouldn’t have noticed if Charlotte had wanted more from him.

Things were tense during filming. His relationship with Charlotte was strained at times, though she hadn't seemed to notice. She carried on as normal, inviting him over to her place for late night script readings to go over their scenes, but whereas before he would have seen it as just two friends hanging out, he found himself questioning her intentions. But she knew he was single now. If she was going to try it on with him she’d had ample opportunities in the last few months, yet she remained exactly how she always was around him and Tom started to sway the other way again and think that perhaps Kate really had just not been used to Charlotte’s touchy-feely natural affection.

Now that they were finished shooting the movie, Tom was way past ready to fly home and leave this all behind him. He just wanted to be alone, in his house with Bobby. But he couldn't yet, he had to stay in town for just another day. There was a party for the cast and crew at an exclusive club later that night. He had to make an appearance for that, then he'd be able to fly home the following day. He did his best to be sociable and ensure that he spoke to every member of the crew during the evening, but as the time approached one o'clock in the morning, he was getting tired and irritable.

Tom stepped out onto the private terrace of the club, dropping onto one of the plush outdoor sofas and exhaling loudly, closing his eyes and dropping his head back. Tom loved his job but at times it was exhausting. He could feel the tension in his neck and shoulders and he made a mental note to try book himself in for a massage once he was home.

He sat there quietly for some time, grateful for the gentle breeze that was blowing and cooling him down. He wondered what Kate was doing now. She was never far from his thoughts, even after all this time. Even though she wasn’t his anymore. God, he still missed her so much.

“Here you are!” A voice exclaimed from behind him, shattering the silence. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at Charlotte as she stood in front of him, a drink in each of her hands. She held one out to him and he took it, taking a sip and putting it down on the table as she seated herself next to him on the sofa. She slipped her heels off with a relieved groan and tucked her legs underneath her before looking back at him. “What are you doing out here?”

Tom shrugged, “Just getting some air.”

Charlotte tilted her head to one side as she studied him. “Thomas! You’re not still moping after that woman, are you? It's a party! We should be celebrating!”

Tom sighed and looked into his lap, “I don't feel much like celebrating, Lottie. Not tonight."

Charlotte set her drink down on the table and reached out, placing her hand on his thigh, “C'mon, Tom! Hey…” She moved a bit closer and brought her hand up to his cheek, turning his head so he would look at her. “C'mon, she’s not worth it.”

“I-” Tom began to argue, his brow furrowing. Their faces were only inches apart as Charlotte tightened her grip on his face, interrupting him.

“You're better than that, better than her. You deserve more, Tom.”

Suddenly, before Tom knew what was happening, Charlotte closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his as she practically climbed into his lap. Tom quickly realized what was going on and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shoved her away from him in disgust. He swiped his thumb along his lips in an attempt to rid himself of Charlotte's lipstick. He didn't need anyone seeing this and getting the wrong idea. He was so tired of scandals and assumptions about his love life.

Tom looked around for signs of anyone having seen what she'd just done and ran his hands through his hair. He stared at Charlotte as she scrambled to keep her balance on the sofa.

“What the fuck was that?”

Regaining her composure, Charlotte smiled sweetly at him, “I know you feel it, too. There’s something between us, there always has been!” She leaned toward him again, but Tom dodged her, lifting himself off the sofa and sending Charlotte forward, forcing her to brace herself on her hands as he turned around to glare at her.

“Jesus, stop! Are you mad?"

“Tom-“ She began, starting to get up from the sofa but he held his hand out in front of him.

“Don’t! Just… don’t touch me. Don’t even come near me."

Charlotte stilled again and Tom exhaled angrily as he looked at her with disbelief. That was it. This was his breaking point. After everything that happened, everything that Kate told him and the comments that Charlotte made, it was clear to him now. There was no more room for excuses. “Kate was right! All those times she tried to tell me and I wouldn’t listen!"

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head before looking at her again, “I defended you!” He growled, “I told her she was wrong about you!"

Charlotte stood up again, taking a cautious step forward. “I didn't… I wasn’t…" She stuttered, unable to speak properly. She let out an awkward laugh when she couldn't seem to get the words out.

Anger and frustration building, Tom moved towards her, bending down so he was the same height as her, “Let me clear a few things up for you, Charlotte.” He sneered. “Firstly, I never have and never will have any interest in you." He could see Charlotte’s cool exterior starting to crumble as he continued, “Secondly, you are a jealous, devious, poisonous little bitch and I will never forgive you for what you did to Kate."

Charlotte's eyes began to water and it no longer affected Tom. He didn't have an ounce of sympathy left for the selfish woman in front of him. He held eye contact with her for a few seconds longer before standing upright again. “I hope that tonight I’ve made you feel as miserable and humiliated as you made Kate feel. I hope that I've made you realize that nothing will ever happen between us. And if I have, then at least something good has come out of this vile situation."

He started to walk away, back towards the door into the club, his head down. As he reached the door, Charlotte called after him.

“Tom, please! I… I love you!”

Pausing, he turned back to her. “I don’t love you, Charlotte. I don’t even like you anymore.”

As he opened the door to go back inside, Charlotte’s sobs were drowned out by the noise of the party inside, but Tom didn’t rejoin the celebrations. He walked quickly through the club towards the exit, ignoring the people around him that were calling his name. He was done with tonight, with L.A. and with Charlotte.

He just wanted to go home.

Tom climbed the stairs to Kate’s flat two at a time in his eagerness to get to her. And this time he wasn’t going to give up. He was ready to admit he’d been wrong about Charlotte and tell Kate how sorry he was, and that he should have listened to her. He wasn’t going to leave until he had the woman he loved back in his arms.

Taking a deep breath and trying to compose himself, he knocked twice on her door and plunged his hands into his pockets nervously as he waited. He heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door, then it cracked open and Kate was peering around it at him, her eyes wide as she took him in.

“Tom? What are you doing here?”

“Can I come in?” He asked hopefully.

Kate glanced behind her awkwardly and was about to speak again but Tom interrupted her. “Kate, listen… I know about Charlotte. I know about everything she did to you and I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you."

Kate watched him silently as he continued, “I should have taken it more seriously. God Kate, I wish I could turn back the clock and I know I can’t but I’m here now… and I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right between us. I can’t spend another day without you."

Kate looked to the floor, seemingly deep in thought. Tom watched her anxiously. Finally, she looked back up at him and shook her head, “It’s too late."

“W-What?” Tom stuttered, taking a step backwards in shock.

“It’s too late, Tom." She repeated with a frown. "You should have listened, but you didn’t. You had your chance. It’s been months now. I’ve moved on with my life… I’ve moved on from you.”

“But…” Tom could feel panic starting to rise in his chest as he stared at her.

Kate shook her head again, “I’m sorry, but nothing you can say will change the way things are…" She sighed, "I think you should go."

“Kate, please!” Tom begged, moving back towards the door, towards her.

“Don’t come here again." Kate answered flatly, before closing the door in his face.

Suddenly, Tom woke with a gasp, bolting upright in his seat. His skin was clammy and he was breathing hard as he glanced around the plane.

“Tom? You okay, mate?”

Tom glanced across to Luke who was seated next to him on the plane, nodding before turning away and staring out the window with a sigh. “Just a bad dream.”

“I’d say more of a nightmare to have got you that worked up." Luke replied.

Tom squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his head back against the seat. “I went to see Kate. She rejected me, told me it was too late and she shut the door in my face.” He opened his eyes again and stared into his lap with a shake of his head and a humourless chuckle.

“Are you going to go and see her when we get home?” Luke asked cautiously.

Tom sighed, “How can I after all this time? She was right… or rather, the Kate in my dream was right. It is too late. I never should have doubted her in the first place. I should have listened… and I let her down.”

Picking at the seam on the armrest of his seat, he sighed again, “I lost her the day I let her walk out of my house. Too much time has passed now, I can’t just stroll back into her life and apologize and expect her to be okay with everything.”

Not to mention she'd already moved on with Zack. He recalled the moment he saw her with Zack all those months ago when he had tried to see her and she'd looked... happy. How could he waltz into her life now and re-complicate things, or worse, embarrass himself like in his dream?

He felt a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder from his manager, “If that’s the case then you need to move on, mate. You said yourself, it’s been months now. You’ve got to get on with your own life.”

Tom responded with a sad nod of his head. He knew Luke was right. He had to pick himself up and try to forget about Kate.

Tom knew he should try and stay awake for the rest of the day and go to bed at the normal time, but he was exhausted. He arrived home to be greeted by Bobby who had been dropped off by the dog sitter earlier in the day. He spent a good half an hour rolling around on the floor with his most faithful companion in a mixture of cuddles and play, Bobby ridiculously excited to have his dad home again at last.

After a quick survey of his kitchen cupboards, Tom realised he had pretty much no food at all. He’d thrown away anything that could go off before he left for L.A., and all that was left was a few tins of various foods, none of which seemed particularly appealing. After all those months of American food, Tom was dying for some proper English home cooked grub. Well, at least grocery shopping would keep him awake for a bit longer. As he left the house, Tom decided against going to the small Tesco close to his house in favour of visiting a larger superstore a short car journey away, so he could fully restock his kitchen as he didn’t plan on leaving his house again for the next few days.

Shopping complete and cupboards restocked, Tom made himself a cup of tea, armed himself with a packet of chocolate hobnobs, and made himself comfortable on the sofa. He went through his post and saw to anything that needed immediate attention, before powering up his laptop to go through his emails. By now it was quite late into the evening and Tom was starting to lose concentration. He was pretty sure he fell asleep momentarily a couple of times as he scrolled through his junk folder after attending to all the more important emails in his inbox. He flicked through them absentmindedly, paying little attention as he deleted them, until one made him stop dead. It was from One True Match.

Still looking for love? Re-join for free today!

Tom slammed the lid shut with a huff. Just seeing that email had made him irrationally angry as it brought back yet more memories of Kate. How had someone as incredible as her ever needed a dating website? She should have had men falling at her feet, just like he had… like Zack had. The crushing reality of the situation hit him again, reminding him that Kate and Zack were a couple now. He wondered if they were still together. Of course they were, only an idiot would let Kate go… an idiot like him. All Tom could hope was that Zack was treating her well, just like she deserved.

Not even thoughts of Kate were able to keep Tom awake and with a yawn he decided to call it a night. He let Bobby out quickly and made his way to bed, too tired to think anymore about anything for the day.

Tom slept solidly for fourteen hours, and it was only the sound of the heavy rain falling outside that woke him up.

Welcome back to England.

Dragging himself out of bed with a groan, he wandered into the bathroom, turning the shower on and stepping under the warm spray. It was so good to be home, despite the weather. As he let the water wash over him he thought about the fact that he had a few weeks off to do whatever he wanted. He’d catch up with some of his friends, maybe go and stay with his mum for a few days, read some of the books he’d bought while he’d been in America… it was just lovely to think that for a while his life wasn’t all planned out for him.

After he’d finished in the shower and had a coffee, he took Bobby out for a long walk around Primrose Hill. It was still raining but he didn’t actually mind too much after months of blistering LA heat. He needed to start running again too. There were plenty of things he could do to get his life back to normal, back to the way it was before Kate. He was forever going to regret letting her go but he had to try and move on now, just like Luke had said. Despite how stupid he'd been, he deserved to find happiness… even if it meant doing it without her.

Later that evening as Tom lay on his sofa reading quietly, his back started to ache again and he remembered that he still hadn’t booked that massage. Sitting up, he pulled his laptop towards him and opened it up to email the sports clinic he went to. He hadn’t shut it down properly the night before and his emails were still open on the screen, reminding him of the one from the dating website. He stared at it for a few moments as he thought it over. Maybe it was what he needed to do - throw himself back out there and meet someone new. If he could find someone as amazing as Kate on a matchmaking website, maybe he could find someone else that way, too? He reached out to click onto the website and paused again. He wasn’t sure… was he really ready for this?

“Fuck it." Tom mumbled to himself as he loaded the website. He had to do something to try and get Kate out of his head. He typed in all his registration details again and quickly pressed submit before he had time to change his mind.

It had been put off for much too long. Kate should have packed them away six months ago, but she kept telling herself that her Loki Funko Pop!'s were just figurines and they didn't look like Tom… But she was constantly reminded of the movies, she would think of Tom's face and how captivating he was as Loki. Her mind would absently be drawn to the comic con event in New York and their roleplay adventure back at the hotel, and it would send her spiraling into her longing to see him again.

Kate ran her thumb over the freshly fallen tear drop on Dark World Loki's face and quickly scrubbed at her eyes. She put the figurine into the box and swept her gaze over the rest of her Loki memorabilia inside. She knew taking them down shouldn’t be such a big thing but they were the last trace of Tom in her flat, the last reminder of him being part of her life. They were nothing more than memories, just like Tom himself.

Kate regretted giving up so easily. She missed him so much, the man that treated her better than any of her past boyfriends had. What had she been thinking...? Clearly, she hadn't. It wasn't perfect, but she threw away the best relationship she'd ever had because she couldn't deal with Charlotte or the how busy he was with his career. She should have tried harder, she should have been more understanding about his schedule. But what good would that do her now? Tom was in L.A., moving on with his life, with Charlotte, after letting her go way too easily.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing on the table beside the box. She picked it up once she saw Roxy's name flash across the screen and wedged it between her ear so she could place the last of her Loki merchandise into the box.

"Hey Rox."

"Kate! What are you up to?"

Kate sighed as she closed the flaps on the box over each other. "Nothing… too important, really." Her procrastination of getting rid of an ex's constant reminders was not something she felt like sharing at the moment. "Just doing a bit of cleaning up."

"Well, how 'bout a break? Can we meet for coffee?"

Kate let go of the box with relief and stood up, heading for her room. Anything to take her mind off of things, she could use an afternoon out with her friend. "Sure! Let me just have a shower and I'll be ready. Meet you in an hour?"

"Let's meet at Coffee House, yeah?"

"Of course! See you in a bit!"

Kate ended the call with Roxy and began to get ready. Once she was showered and dressed, she put a bit of make up on and grabbed her umbrella before she walked out of her flat. Her favorite coffee shop was only a few blocks away and it wasn't raining very hard, so she walked. About halfway there, she wished she had worn a light jacket over her long sleeves. The September air was beginning to get chilly, as October was quickly approaching and so would the lower temperatures. She wasted no time in entering the shop once she arrived, sighing with relief when she felt the warmth of the coffee shop.

Walking up to the counter, she ordered her coffee and turned around to find Roxy. To her surprise, not only did Kate spot her, but sitting there right next to her was Zack. Her eyebrows drew up in surprise as she headed over, smiling at him when she sat down. "Zack! Roxy never mentioned you were coming!"

Zack gave her a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I hope you weren't expecting girl time."

"No no, that's okay! I was just surprised to see you here is all."

"I'd like to tell you that I just popped in for a coffee by coincidence, but… that would be a lie. You see, there's something Roxy and I want to talk to you about."

Kate furrowed her brow in confusion again, "Yeah?"

Roxy and Zack exchanged a look before Roxy took a nervous breath. Okay, they were acting really strange. What had gotten into them?

"Erm… Kate… Zack and I… Well, we…-" Roxy started, but Zack interjected as she struggled.

"Roxy and I are together. We're dating."

Kate's mouth dropped open and she looked between her two friends. "You… two... are dating? Have I heard that correctly?"

"Yes." Roxy spoke up a little more confidently this time.

Kate stared at them silently for a few moments, taking the news in before reacting. "Wow, I… I don't know what to say! I mean, it's a little unexpected, but… I'm happy for you guys!" Kate smiled.

"You are?" Roxy seemed to relax a bit after Kate voiced her approval. "Gosh, I was so nervous to tell you. I don't know if you noticed, but I could barely keep it together on the phone!"

Kate laughed, shaking her head. "No, I didn't actually."

Zack slipped his hand in Roxy's and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze as he grinned at her. "See, I told you she would understand."

Roxy blushed and looked at him with a small smile, "Well, yeah but…"

Kate watched their little exchange, wondering how she'd missed it. Had they always been into each other? "So when did this happen?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, "Well… to be honest? It started about five months ago…"

Kate widened her eyes, "Five months?"

"Remember that night we dragged you to the bar, but you weren't quite ready…?"

Kate thought about it for a moment, recalling that night. She had caught the attention of a guy across the bar and she realized it was too soon after Tom. So she left early, leaving Zack and Roxy… by themselves…

Her mouth dropped open and she looked between the two with a look of realization.

“We were both really drunk… I was trying to move on from Greg and Zack was trying to move on from-” Roxy began to explain, but Zack cut her off quickly.

“My single life.” Zack glanced at Roxy sternly for a moment before turning back to Kate with a smile like nothing happened. There was something about his tone Kate had picked up on, but she quickly forgot about it as he continued. "Now before you assume-" He added quickly, pointing at her. "-we haven't been serious the whole five months. We hooked up that night and after that we weren’t sure what we really wanted out of it.”

“Right, we thought maybe it was just a one night stand kind of a thing, so at first we acted like it never happened... Then eventually we went on a few dates and decided we really liked each other and wanted to give it a shot.”

As Kate processed everything her friends had just told her, she took a long drink of her coffee, which had cooled down a little since she’d sat down so it went down without burning her throat. “Wow…” She finally said after swallowing the warm, bitter liquid and tapped her finger on the lid a couple of times. “I mean, I know that you guys weren’t officially together until recently, but… how did I not notice it?” The question was more to herself than it was directed at them, but Roxy spoke up anyway.

“Well… You have been pretty distracted lately, Kate.” Roxy pointed out softly, earning her a curious look. “Ever since Tom… you haven’t really been yourself. And I’m worried about you.” She reached across the table between them and covered Kate’s hand with hers. “I’m not trying to rush you, but maybe now it’s time that you moved on?”

“We just want you to be happy, Kate.” Zack added with a smile, “You don’t have to go out with the next guy you meet, but maybe just think about it, yeah?”

Roxy sat back and watched as Kate picked at the hem of her top. She sighed, looking down as her eyes watered. "Maybe you're right…" She looked back up, holding back her tears as she cleared her throat. "You know what I was doing before this? I was packing things away that remind me of Tom. There's a box sitting on my living room table with my Loki figures, the book he gave me when he took me to New York, the bracelet he bought me for Christmas, and his Cambridge hoodie that I couldn't bring myself to return to him…"

"That's good, Kate! It's progress. Moving slow is okay, as long as you keep moving forward. You'll never get over him this way."

Maybe I don't want to get over him… Kate thought briefly, but quickly abandoned it. She had to. As much as she didn't want to, this was something she had to do to be happy. Even if she had to be happy without Tom.

Kate had a lot to think about on the way home. She walked slowly in the rain under her umbrella, her thoughts shifting from Zack and Roxy, to Tom, to the fact that she had to move on. Could she? Could she try and find someone else to love as much as she loved Tom?

She certainly had to try.

When Kate got back to her flat, she kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag and keys on the table. She looked across the room at the box she abandoned earlier when Roxy had invited her out. She sighed, walking over to it and staring, contemplating her next move. Finally, she decided to scribble Tom's name on the box and tape it closed before placing it on the top shelf of her closet in her room. Baby steps.

Perhaps someday she could part with it. She'd find someone to sweep her off her feet and she wouldn't feel like she needed it anymore. Then she would get rid of it. But for now, it would stay nestled safely in her closet, where she could access it if she wanted another look.

Later that evening, Kate was curled up on the couch with Netflix on the telly and her laptop propped open on her lap. She was scrolling through her emails while occasionally texting with Roxy. There was one email that nearly made her drop her phone. Are you still with us…? It was from One True Match. She abandoned her phone on the couch next to her and clicked on it, reading it's contents.

Hello Kate!

It's been a while since we've heard from you! One year to be exact! Last match didn't quite work out? Don't let that stop you from getting back out there! Please take a few moments to sign into our website and update your profile, then begin the process of finding another match - on us!

One True Match Customer Service

Kate stared at the email. She couldn't believe the coincidence of them emailing her today, of all days. The day she chose to move on from Tom Hiddleston.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she clicked on the link at the end of the email, which took her to the website. She slowly typed in her login details and with her cursor hovering over Login, she clicked on it. It took her to her old profile page and she looked everything over, deciding nothing about it had changed. The website automatically updated her age, as her birthday was stored in her settings, and she still had the same job and hobbies. So there was nothing more to do than to find her next match. After staring at it for a minute while she thought it over, she chose to go for it.

"Well, there you have it matchmaking gods. Don't let me down this time." Kate's voice fell into a whisper as she talked to no one in particular, feeling silly toward the end.

Knowing it would take some time, she shut her computer and decided to finish watching the remaining twenty minutes of the movie she had put on and head to bed.

Kate woke up the next morning feeling the absence of a weight that had been resting on her shoulders for a long time. She knew it had to do with her choosing to finally move on and take a step toward finding someone new. Nerves twisted in her belly as she laid there, wondering if she'd been matched yet. There was only one way to find out…

After she had gotten up and sat down with her coffee, Kate checked her email. Her brow furrowed when she realized she hadn't received any word from the website yet. The last time she had done this, she'd woken up to a match. Perhaps it would take a bit longer this time.

Kate decided to keep busy and not drive herself crazy over it. She finished her coffee, had some breakfast and did a bit of much needed cleaning around her flat. Grocery shopping was added to her list of things she needed to do, so she got herself dressed and popped over to Tesco after she ate some lunch. When the groceries were all put away, she decided she'd done enough chores for the day and settled down in front of her computer to check the website. To her surprise, she'd received a notification.

Match found.

Excitement thudded in her chest as she stared at the same words she'd seen for the first time a year ago. What kind of man had the world thrust at her this time?

The moment she clicked on the link, she was taken to the page of her match, and her breath caught in her throat.

Tom H.

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