Louder Than Words // Andrew Garfield

xxi. real life

FLORA WAS EXCITED TO SEE EMMA. She was also very nervous. Excited because she hadn't seen her friend since their 2019 awards season due to life and the pandemic. Nervous because she was such a good friend to her and she was starting to fall for her ex boyfriend. The press and the online trolls already gave her such a hard time with her dating history. If truth be told; Flora was scared about anyone finding out and it ultimately ruining another relationship.

Seeing Em stop at the top of the stairs, Flora waved from across the restaurant as the red head made it over to the booth Flora was sat in. Standing to greet her friend, the two women pulled one another into a tight hug before sliding into the booth.

The two women smiled politely at the server as she poured them some water before leaving to grab their drinks. The two women giggling as they skimmed the menu for what to have for dinner, deciding to go all out. They hadn't seen each other in so long and who knows when the next time they'll get to hang out, so they were throwing caution to the wind and ordering all the naughty stuff they shouldn't be eating and their favourite wine. Well Flora's favourite wine!

The pair eagerly tucked into the starters that had been brought over to them before being left alone again. "I thought it'd be busier in here?" Emma said, as she looked around the seemingly empty restaurant.

"Well I'm sure they usually are but I booked out the floor. I just don't really trust anyone to not overhear and sell gossip on me anymore. It's shit but it's happened more than it should or I would have liked." Flora sighed.

Agreeing that the price of privacy is something that unfortunately comes with the job of being in the public eye. They both quickly settled into talking about their fellow cast members and how they should really try and organise some sort of get together now that restrictions had been lifted. It was hard though with everyone all over the world; Nick and Emma were in LA, Joe was in NYC, Olivia and Flora both in London. But if she had to fly across the globe to squeeze her friends, then she bloody well would fly to the other side of the world.

"I'm sorry to hear about you and Ben." Emma sent her a sympathetic smile, just as their server took their mains away. Flora took the wine out the ice bucket and poured herself another glass. "Thanks Em." Flora returned the sad smile at her friend.

"Are you doing okay? I know you thought he was the one."

"I'm fine. It's nearly been a year and we're still friends, which I'm so happy about. I think it just came to a natural conclusion as sad as that is to admit, I thought I was going to marry Ben. The trolls had a field day when we announced we split." Flora rolled her eyes as she took a large gulp of her wine.

"It's why I don't do social media."

"We didn't even post about each other and we were together two years. Twice a year at most! Birthdays and anniversary's that's it and if was always so vague too! And people still thought they could say nasty stuff under all my posts. I guess that what happens when you're dating one of the 'internet's boyfriends' or whatever they call him!" Flora threw up some quotations marks. "Thank god for Tom letting me move in so we didn't have to quarantine together any longer!" The brunette chuckled.

"How is Tom?"

"Good I think? This is the longest I've not seen him in years. He's in Atlanta finishing Spiderman 3 which obviously you know, I'm not working on. So it's been a peaceful few months, I didn't even see him at Christmas, that's how short his break was. But I can't wait to squeeze his little annoying face!" The two of them chuckled, "Anyway, enough about Tom! How are you doing?"

"I'm getting read for the Cruella release in a couple of months and I'm so excited!! And of course the little one is on her way!" Emma beamed.

"You and Dave are going to be amazing parents! I can't wait to meet the little one! You're heading back to LA tomorrow before you're stuck here right!"

"Heading home tomorrow and then ready for baby, press and premiere! You broody yet?! You see babies in your near future?"

"I'd have to have a man for half of that transaction Em!" Flora scoffed. "But I do every now and again when I see a cute kid! I'm sure that feeling will return when I meet your little one!"

"Well have you met anyone?!" Emma asked innocently but Flora caught the glint in her eye. "You're a beautiful woman Flora! Surely you have men dropping at your feet!"

"Actually..." Flora hesitated, she didn't know how to just come out and say it. "I have..." And that's when she started rambling, the words just falling out of her like word vomit. "I didn't mean for it to happen. He's just so charming and genuine and so fucking handsome. And then he got permission off Tom to send me flowers to congratulate me on my job. But Tom doesn't actually know about anything past that. Nobody does. You're the first person I'm telling." Flora took a deep breath before continuing. "You know I'm a girls girl and this has really chewed me up thinking about how guilty I feel especially when I thought that it'd take me years to get over Ben and it takes me what — months! And then I think about you and the press and everyone else who's gonna throw their negative opinions at me and I hate that I'm so well known to a point people care about this shit. I hate it and I hate that you could possibly hate me too. Please don't hate me." Flora begged.

When Flora stopped rambling, she took a moment to just look at her friend who sat across from her. Emma had a neutral expression on her face before smiling at Flora, who now in turn looked confused. Why was Emma smiling at her like that. "I know."

"You know?" Flora questioned; realising that amongst all her rambling, she never actually mentioned Andrew's name.

"Andrew called me. He told me you flew out to meet him a couple of months ago and that he and I quote 'I really fucking like her Em' " She mimicked Andrew with a laugh. "He asked if it would be okay to ask you out because he didn't want it to be awkward between us." Flora's jaw dropped a little as she stared at Emma. "He really said that? He called you to talk about me?" The brunette felt her lip jut out and her eyes prickle, why the hell was he so cute?

"He said that." Emma just smiled at her warmly again. "He said it was only proper to get my blessing. Which is silly because you guys don't need it but you'll always have it."

"And you don't hate me? I don't think I could stand it if you hated me."

"I could never hate you. Either of you! I love you both and I want nothing but happiness for the both of you. Plus -- you'd have the most beautiful children." She grinned.

Flora blushed at her friend's words. They hadn't even made it official yet, their week in New York and the kiss they shared and the night they shared together on her last night at his apartment was all that they had between them. She hadn't even thought about having kids or anything like that with Andrew but what she did know was that she wanted to be with him and with Emma squeezing her hand and sending her a warm smile. Flora felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders with Emma's blessing and knew that being with Andrew would make her soul truly happy.