The next chapter! I hope you like it, please let me know what you think! And thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and left a review! You're awesome!
I don't own the characters or places!
Pepper
Later, I couldn't explain anymore how I was able to get my things out of my flat and leave before the others arrived there to look for me. At that time, I was most probably already at the airport and booked the first flight to Atlanta. Of course it would be easy for Tony to find out where I was going, but in this moment I didn't care. I just had to get away from there.
The image of Tony kissing that woman wouldn't leave my mind. However, it wasn't the worst image. The way he'd looked at me, with so much shock on his face, disturbed me the most. He'd been obviously surprised to see me. But why? Didn't he know that I'd be following him? He couldn't have expected me just to stay home and wait for him, not after everything that happened. And then Rhodey's expression...
I'd seen Tony kissing that woman. But why did it feel like leaving just now was a big mistake? A small voice in my head kept telling me that I should talk to Tony, listen to his version of things before making any choices. However, the kiss came to my mind again and I just couldn't go back.
Surprisingly, the tears wouldn't come. Instead, I only felt numb. I tried not to think of anything, but it didn't really work. And when I got in the plane which left only thirty minutes after my arrival at the airport, my heart got even heavier. Nevertheless, there were still no tears.
I wasn't even sure why I was going back to Griffin now. It wasn't my home anymore. But I didn't know where else I could go now that my whole world was breaking down. My best friend was in Griffin and right now I needed to see someone who wouldn't ask any questions. When something bad happened, Daisy was able to suppress her curiosity. At least for some time. Would I tell her what really happened? Probably not. Maybe not ever.
But who else could I talk to? Rhodey came to my mind, but he was Tony's best friend, not mine. And everyone else I knew in LA was also connected to Tony. I didn't have the time to find my own friends there yet. And to be honest, I didn't even try. Because I liked how things were. Had it been stupid just to live in Tony's world without trying to build my own?
Luckily, I'd thought of calling Daisy before I got in the plane. When I arrived in Atlanta hours later, she was already waiting for me at the airport, looking incredibly worried. Apparently, I was looking really sad. Instead of asking any questions, she just hugged me tightly and led me to her car. On our way, I wondered how long it would take for Tony to follow me. If he even wanted that. After all, he had other company now. Or didn't he?
"You look so tired V, what happened?" Daisy asked when we were in the car and on our way to Griffin. Until now, I didn't really look at her. When I did, I noticed that she also had dark rings under her eyes. Which wasn't a surprise since I'd called her in the middle of the night and the drive to Atlanta also took some time. A look at the clock told me that it wasn't even six in the morning yet.
"Oh Daisy, I'm so sorry. I should have thought about you too! Did you even sleep at all?" I said instead answering her question.
"Don't change the subject, V!" Daisy muttered darkly and rolled her eyes. "This isn't about me. You called me and asked me to meet you at the airport without explaining anything! You sounded so upset. Now tell me what happened!"
I sighed, knowing that there was no way around this conversation. "I had an argument with someone."
"An argument?" Daisy didn't sound convinced. "To me it seems like there's more to it. So who hurt you?"
"No one." I said immediately, not ready to talk about it yet.
"Virginia..." Daisy began again, more hesitant this time. It bothered me that she used my real name. In the past weeks, I've always been Pepper. But on the other hand, this made me think of Tony again...
"I was with someone. And I thought that he loved me too. But in the end I was wrong." I muttered, not wanting to tell her who the man was.
"What happened?"
"I saw him kissing someone else." It hurt to say those words.
"Oh no. Intentionally?" Now she sounded like she regretted even asking me.
"Of course." I replied without hesitation, not sure why she asked this question.
"I mean, did you see it happening? Him leaning in?"
"I walked in and he was kissing someone else." Did she really want me to go through this again? In the past hours, I've tried to forget that moment so hard.
"So you didn't see who started the kiss."
"Daisy, what are you talking about?" My voice sounded sharper than intended.
"Nothing." It was an obvious lie.
"I don't believe you." I threw in.
"I just don't understand this. In the past weeks, you sounded so happy. And now this. Isn't it strange?" Suddenly, she sounded insecure.
"No. Not with him."
"You won't tell me who he is?" She asked curiously.
"No." I muttered darkly.
"V..."
"Just drop it, Daisy." I said weakly. It angered me that I sounded so sad again.
We spent the rest of the drive in silence. I thought of our conversation again. Did Daisy want to tell me that I was wrong thinking that Tony betrayed me? But I saw him kissing her. Right in front of me. He cheated on me. Just like Ben did. However, Tony didn't even try to hide it.
I closed my eyes and tried to think of something else, but Tony's face wouldn't stop appearing in my mind. The way he smiled at me, his wonderful, charming smile. His laugh. Even his self-obsessed comments. The feeling of his lips against mine, his hands on my skin...
And in the end, his expression when he saw me in that bar. His wide eyes together with the slightly parted lips. Nearly as if he was about to say my name. And there had been shock in his eyes. And something else I couldn't quite place. Maybe fear that he'd been caught? But why should he see it like this? I was the one who should be scared now. Because I was going to lose my job. Even if Tony wouldn't make me quit, I couldn't stand seeing him every day anymore.
How could I go on now? Could I even talk to him again?
I glanced at my phone and saw that there were ten missed calls. Most of them from Tony, but Rhodey's number was also there. Why did he want to talk to me? Tony had also left a few messages, but I didn't want to listen to them. Probably not ever. I put the phone in the pocket of my jacket again and leaned back in my seat.
We would arrive in Griffin soon. There, I would stay with Daisy and Irina. And then? I didn't know. I wasn't going to meet my parents or anyone else. In fact, I hoped that no one would get to know that I was in Griffin at all. I wanted to see Mr. Meyers again, but it would be too dangerous. He talked to many people and he might mention my name. I really wasn't in the mood to see many people now. Not after what happened. A few months ago, the entire city had talked about me because Ben cheated. I didn't need a repetition of that.
Would Tony come to Griffin to look for me? I wasn't so sure about that. After all, he had someone else now. I forced myself not to think about the possibility that all this might be a big misunderstanding. Tony wouldn't even let it get this far. And he'd let that woman kiss him.
"V? We're there." Daisy's voice ripped me out of my thoughts.
I looked around in surprise. Apparently, I'd spent the rest of the drive in silence, thinking about everything. Now the car was parked in front of Daisy's and Irina's flat. Daisy was looking at me with insecurity on her face. "Do you want to go inside?"
I nodded and suddenly, I felt really tired. "I think I need to sleep."
Daisy didn't disagree. She grabbed my small back from the back seat and led me to the door. Inside, it was still dark, but Irina was sitting in the kitchen. Without saying anything, she just stood up and hugged me tightly.
And suddenly, the tears started to fall.
Unfortunately, Daisy and Irina had to work. Which meant that I was alone when I woke up again hours later. First, I didn't know where I was or what happened. But then the events came crashing down on me again. The interview. The question at the end. Tony's reaction to it together with what I'd seen in that bar. My departure and how I'd cried in Irina's arms this morning before she and Daisy told me to go to sleep in the guest room.
Wait, just this morning? A look at the clock told me that it was two in the afternoon. So yes, this morning. The interview had been yesterday. It was strange how many things changed in one day.
I stood up slowly and realized that I felt really stiff. Daisy had left me a note, telling me that they both had to work. I should make myself comfortable. Which I did. First, I went to the bathroom and had a long, hot shower. And then I looked for something to eat.
An hour after I woke up, I was sitting on the couch and tried to ignore my phone which had just rung again. I didn't even look at it. I knew that it was Tony.
All my thoughts were about him. I tried to stop them, but it just didn't work. I still didn't know what I should do now.
The sound of the doorbell was a welcome distraction, even if I didn't know who'd be visiting Daisy and Irina now. I looked in the mirror and sighed. My hair was a mess, I still had dark circles under my eyes and they were still red from crying. Next to that, I was wearing jeans and a simple white t-shirt. At least my clothes were alright.
I forced a smile on my lips and opened the door of the flat. Just to freeze and stare at the person in front of me.
"Virginia, it's good to see you." Ben said and smiled shyly. He was leaning on the wall next to the door and had his arms crossed in front of his chest – something he used to do when he was nervous. There was a small smile on his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Also a sign for nervousness.
I kept staring at him. From the last time I'd seen him months ago, he didn't change at all. He still liked to let his blond hair fall into his piercing blue eyes, even if it bothered him sometimes. The beard I'd hated so much on him was still there and I still thought that it made him look kind of shady. And he kept wearing those horrible shirts with the checked pattern. Next to the leather jacket he loved so much.
"Surprised to see me?" He asked when he realized that I wasn't going to speak.
"What are you doing here?" I asked when I was able to move again. I took a step back instinctively. Unfortunately, this made him come closer and the possibility to slam the door right into his face vanished.
"I wanted to see you." Ben said simply and took another step towards me. He smiled charmingly. When he looked at me like that, I couldn't understand how I could ever think that he was beautiful. Or that his smile was sweet.
"How did you even know that I'm here?" I raised my eyebrows. No one except for Daisy and Irina knew that I was in Griffin. But would they tell Ben of all people that I was here?
"I ran into Daisy this morning. She was looking so tired and she might have mentioned your name." Ben explained and frowned. "Don't blame her for this, I think she didn't want to mention you. It just slipped."
"And you just thought that coming here is a good idea?"
"V, can you please stop asking questions?" He looked at me helplessly. "I'm so happy to see you again. I've missed you so much. And you let it sound like seeing me is the worst thing that could happen."
He was nearly right. "I thought that I made it very clear that I never want to talk to you again." I said slowly, remembering our last conversation very well. When he'd admitted that he'd cheated on me.
"I made a mistake." Suddenly, he looked sad. "Cheating on you was the biggest mistake of my life. I regretted it immediately. And then you left and no one knew where to find you..."
"If you think that it was a mistake, you should have considered this before doing it, Ben. You really hurt me." I crossed my arms. "So what do you want?" I knew that I was being impolite, but in this moment, I didn't care.
He sighed. "When Daisy told me that you're here, I just had to see you. And since she and Irina are still at work, I knew that you must be here alone. I needed to see you. You look terrible, V. What happened?" The concern in his voice sounded real, but I wouldn't let him fool me. Not again.
"That's none of your business."
"Then tell me where you were those past months. Even your parents wouldn't tell me."
"Also not your concern." I shot back immediately.
"Why are you so angry?" He asked, sounding helpless.
I fought back the urge to roll my eyes. "You know that very well, so I won't mention it again." I hoped that he would leave soon. First Tony and now this. How could anyone have so much bad luck?
"I really want to apologize. I never wanted to hurt you." He reached out with his hand towards me and I took another step back.
"But you did."
"I want to make it up to you."
I raised my eyebrows. "What does that mean?"
"I miss spending time with you, V." It was still strange that he sounded this desperate. Normally, he was a rather confident person.
"I don't like being called like that anymore." I muttered darkly and now he looked at me questioningly.
"I always thought you liked that nickname." It was true, I liked it before I came to LA. Because it was better than Virginia. But now it just seemed wrong.
"Things change."
He looked at me silently for a few moments. "Something's different about you."
"That's how things are. People change with time." I said simply and when he frowned, I couldn't hold back a sigh anymore.
"You haven't been gone for that long." Ben said thoughtfully. "Did you meet someone?"
"None of your -" I started, but he interrupted me.
"Business, I know." He smiled slightly. "Don't you see that I'm worried? You might have not looked into the mirror, but you look horrible."
"I'm fine." I emphasized.
"You don't look like it. And you also don't sound fine."
"Maybe because you're here?" I asked.
"It's not that. I know how you are when you're annoyed. But you're so sad, V." When he said my nickname again, he smiled apologetically.
"I can deal with it on my own, thank you for offering your help." Slowly, this was getting really exhausting. Suddenly, I wished that my phone would ring again. This would give me a reason to throw him out of this flat.
"I've been trying to find you in the past months." He said suddenly.
"I know. Daisy told me. And even my mother mentioned you." I told him.
"You were really hard to find. I want you to give me another chance, V. I could make you happy this time, I'm sure of it." So here it was. The reason why I didn't want to meet him ever again. I already knew that I would never give him another chance. Not after what happened.
"Well, bad luck then. You won't get another chance." At my words, the smile on his lips vanished.
He took another step towards me and touched my wrist carefully. I suppressed the urge to flinch away from his touch. "We were so good together. In all those years, we were so happy. And we could be happy again, I know it." Just that I would never trust him again.
"You had your chance and you wasted it." I said and withdrew my arm from his touch. "Do you really think that I could trust you again?"
"I know that it would take time. But we could get back to normal." Back to normal. He wanted everything to be like it was. An unhappy, boring life.
"We can't go back. And honestly, I wouldn't want it." I replied calmly. "Ever since I left Griffin, I've discovered that I want more in my life than being in a small town."
"So you really went to a big city?" He asked and when I nodded silently, he smiled slightly. However, it looked unhappy. "That's cool. And I'm sure we could get better than before. I can make you happy, V."
"No, you can't." I muttered and slowly, his expression turned angry. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a loud sound.
My phone was ringing.
I used this opportunity and took another step back. "I have to answer this." And then I ran to the couch where my phone was still lying. I answered the call without looking at the display.
"Pepper Potts." I said and on the other end of the room, Ben frowned at this.
"Pepper, finally you answer! Are you alright?" It was Rhodey and he sounded really worried. Like a real friend. Not fake-worried like Ben, who most probably just wanted to get me into his bed again.
"Yes, I'm fine Rhodey." I tried to talk quietly, but of course Ben moved closer so that he could hear my words. I turned away from him.
"You left so suddenly. And I know what you've seen, but it's not like you think." Rhodey was talking fast now, as if he was afraid that I might just end the call again. "We ran after you and tried to find you, but you were already gone when we arrived at your flat. Only later Tony found out that you booked a flight to Atlanta. I hope you arrived safely in your home town?"
"Wait, Rhodey. You said 'we'?" I asked, ignoring his last question. We ran after you. Did this mean that Tony also tried to follow me?
"Tony was devastated when you left." Rhodey explained, now sounding sad. "It's a big misunderstanding, Pepper. He wanted to explain everything, but you ran away so fast."
"He kissed her." I muttered and on the other end of the line, I could hear Rhodey's sigh.
"No, he really didn't. I saw it, Pepper. You have to believe me. Tony didn't kiss her. She just threw herself at him. He didn't have time to react. And then you already walked into that bar. He was waiting for you. That day really screwed him up again."
I didn't react to this and tried to understand what Rhodey just told me. Tony didn't kiss that woman? That would explain the shock on his face, but...
"Pepper, you still with me?" Rhodey's voice ripped me out of my thoughts.
"Yes." I muttered, still trying to process the news.
"He would never cheat on you. He loves you. I've never seen him like when he's with you. Don't shut him out."
"He's coming, isn't he?" I asked, knowing that there must be a reason why Rhodey was calling instead of Tony.
"Please talk to him, Pepper. He's nearly sick of worry for you. And seeing Tony this sad is kind of scary." At the last words, I couldn't stop myself from chuckling. Then I felt something wet on my cheeks and realized that I was crying. Luckily, I'd turned away from Ben.
"I don't know what to do, Rhodey." I admitted.
"I think you know that pretty well. Just let him explain everything."
"I will." I whispered and swallowed. To my surprise, I believed Rhodey. He would never lie to me, not even when Tony would try to force him to do so. Their friendship didn't work that way. And he was a very honest person in general.
"Thanks for listening to me, Pepper." Rhodey sounded relieved and I smiled weakly, even if he couldn't see it.
"Thanks for calling."
"Let me know when you figured everything out. Now I've got to go. Work is calling."
"Bye, Rhodey." I muttered. He also said goodbye one last time before he ended the call.
Then silence filled the room and I breathed in deeply to remain calm. I couldn't cry, not now. I wiped away the tears with my hands.
"Pepper Potts?" Another voice asked and I turned around reluctantly. Ben was standing in the middle of the room and looked at me with a strange expression on his face. His arms were crossed. "What kind of name is that?"
"My name." I said and breathed in deeply. "And no, you can't ask questions about the things you've heard right now. It would be better if you leave."
He stared at me for a long time. He seemed to find what he'd been looking for since his shoulders slumped in defeat and he sighed. "You know where to find me if you change your mind." And without another word, he turned around and walked out of the apartment.
I waited a few more minutes until I was sure that he was gone. Then I grabbed my phone, put on shoes and left the flat. I had to get out of here and find a place where I could think in peace.