A Chance Meeting | Chris Evans

Chapter 98

A/N: A much needed piece of straight talking from Lisa. I really enjoyed writing this chapter  - I hope that you enjoy reading it as much. C xx 😘
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12.39am
Chris pulled into his parents' driveway and turned off the engine with a small sigh.
The front of the house was dark and he'd assumed that everyone would be asleep, so he was surprised to see a light still on in the kitchen. His mom was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book.
'Hey mom. You're up late.'
'Hello sweetheart.' His mom said, putting the book down and coming over to kiss him on the cheek. 'Have you been with Becs all this time? Your brother and Nick got in a long time ago.'
'No, I...err...went for a drive after I dropped Becs off.'
He waited for his mother to say something, ask him about it - she knew that he went for long drives alone when he was feeling anxious, but she just nodded.
'How was your evening? Was the film good?' She asked.
'Yeah, really good.'
'Did Becs enjoy it?'
He smiled. 'She didn't stop talking about it all the way home.'
'And the food was good? Did you go to Carluccio's?'
'Yeah, we did, and the food was great.'
'But...?'
'I didn't say 'but'.' Chris pointed out.
'I'm your mother - you don't think I can tell when you've got something on your mind?' She said.
Chris sighed.
'Sit down and have a camomile tea with me.' She said, turning on the kettle.
Chris did as he was told - maybe talking to his mom would help him to untangle his thoughts.
'I'm not sure where to start.' He said after a few moments.
'It doesn't matter where you start, just let it all out.' His mom said. 'Did you and Becs have a fight?' She added after a minute when he hadn't spoken.
'No. God, no, nothing like that.' He said.
'Well, are you having second thoughts about her?' His mom suggested. 'Have your feelings changed?'
'No, not at all. You know how much I like her - more than like her, but I...' He trailed off.
It was so frustrating - everything felt twisted and tangled in his head and it couldn't see anything clearly.
This time his mom just let the silence build up until he felt compelled to fill it.
'It's just, I... I'm worried that...I'm not sure that she feels the same way.' He admitted.
'Well, I've only seen the two of you together for a short while, but she seems very fond of you.' His mom said.
'I don't want her to be fond of me! I want her to-' He stopped and let out a sigh. 'I want her to feel more than that.'
'Maybe you just need to give her a bit more time to get where you are.' He mom reassured. 'Ever since you were a little boy you've always thought so much and felt things so deeply, but some people need longer to develop those feelings.'
'Yeah, yeah, I know, and if that's all it was...but there's other things...'
'Such as?'
'Well, ever since I met her, she's been very guarded, very hesitant about letting me get to know her. I just put it down to her being shy and took it slow, but what if it's not that at all? What if she's just trying to keep me at arm's length because she's not that into me? Or worse, because she's still in love with someone else?'
'You're talking about the ex-boyfriend back in England?'
'Yeah. She admitted to me that she doesn't know how she feels about him and probably won't until she sees him again.'
'Well, I'm sure it hurts that she can't give you a straight answer, but it sounds like she's being as honest with you as she can be.'
'Yeah.' He said disconsolately.
'But what did she say when you told her?' His mom asked.
'Told her what?'
'What did she say when you told her how you feel?'
'Err...'
'Christopher - you have told her how you feel? Haven't you?'
'Not in so many words.'
'Why on earth not?'
'I've been taking it slow.'
'There's slow and there's slow.' She said.
Deja vu much? This is like the lamp conversation all over again.
His mom was quiet for a moment, thinking. 'Where exactly is this relationship at, Chris? Have you been intimate yet?'
'And by intimate, you mean-'
'Sex. I mean sex.' His mom interrupted. 'Have you had sex yet?'
'No, because I-'
'You've been taking it slow?'
'Yes.'
He knew that some people would be mortified to have this sort of conversation with their parents, but he'd always been able to talk to his mom about anything.
She looked at him closely. 'But you've been doing things other than sex? I think you call it 'making out'?'
'No.'
'No, you don't call it that? Or no, you haven't been doing it?'
'No, we haven't done that.'
His mom frowned at him in confusion. 'But you've kissed her?' Then seeing the look on his face, she added, 'You haven't even kissed her? Why ever not?'
'Because I was taking it slow.' He mumbled, embarrassed at how stupid it sounded.
His mom laughed softly. 'Oh Chris, honey.' She said. 'You've had your brain all twisted into knots about how Becs feels, and you haven't given her the first clue about how you feel.'
'But I have! I've brought her home to meet you guys and introduced her to my friends, and we've hung out loads.'
'Have you done anything that you wouldn't do with a really close female friend?' She asked.
He thought about it for a second. 'Well...no.' He said. 'But she hasn't done any of that stuff either.'
His mom smiled at him. 'Well, some women don't like to make the first move, especially if they're shy, and I think your Becs is a little shy. So I think you're going to have to be the one to make the first move.'
'Yeah.' He smiled, liking the way his mom called Becs 'his'.
'But what if I make the first move and she tells me that she doesn't like me that way?' He added.
'Well, I wish that I could guarantee you that that won't happen, but I'm afraid I can't.' His mom said gently. 'Nothing in life is without risk.'
He nodded.
'Was that all you were worried about? Or was there something else?'
He hesitated. 'Sometimes she seems like she doesn't want anyone to know that she knows me.'
'What do you mean?'
'I don't think she wants me to meet her friends, and you saw what happened earlier when Scotty suggested that I go to the library.'
'I thought that you'd met her two best friends?'
'Well yes, but that was by accident - I just turned up and they were there. Becs didn't arrange it. And there have been other times when I could have met people and she made excuses - a while ago I suggested I go out with a group of them for drinks, and she said it was a girls' night. But I'm sure that wasn't true.'
'And she hasn't told her family about me - at all.' He said.
'What if she's embarrassed for people to know?' He added quietly.
'Why on earth would she be embarrassed of you?'
'I don't know.' He said, picking at his fingernail. 'Maybe the anxiety...'
'You told me that she's got a Psychology degree and the anxiety didn't bother her.' His mom pointed out.
Chris shrugged.
'Well, I don't know Chris, is it possible that you're reading too much into this? You know that you do that sometimes...'
'Maybe. I don't know.'
'Have you considered that she may feel a little unsure where she stands with you, and that's why she doesn't want too many people to know about it? Maybe if she knew how you felt, things would be different.'
'You think?'
'I do.'
'You're right, of course you're right.' He said after a minute. 'Next time I see her, I'm going to be honest and tell her how I feel.'