The Best (Wo)Man • Chris Evans (BWWM)

37. Chris

"Kit." Lizzie spoke, breaking our 45 minute long streak of silence. She ran her fingers through my hair as I laid on her couch with my head resting in her lap.

"Movie isn't over yet," I replied quietly, my eyes still glued to the television that was currently playing Beauty and the Beast.

After the afternoon I had, I needed something to take my mind off of the urge to physically hurt Brandon Gordon. So the first thing I did upon arriving to Lizzie's apartment was pull her onto the couch and turn on one of my many comfort movies. And I hadn't uttered a word since.

To be fair, I had every intention of discussing everything with Elizabeth as soon as we left Scott and Brandon's but all of that flew out the window as I began processing what had occurred. The more I thought about Brandon's selfishness and what it cost Lizzie and I, the more angry I got.

While I was initially relieved to learn that the reason she ended our relationship had nothing to do with my doing or saying something wrong, that feeling was short lived. I couldn't get over the fact that Brandon was so jealous of his sister finding happiness that he forced her to give it up so he can bask in all of the glory.

"Chris, you've seen this movie a million times. Can we talk now? Please?"

I took a deep breath and looked up at Lizzie for the first time since the movie began. She looked as beautiful as ever, even through her worried expression.

"I don't want to talk right now Liza. I'm still a little upset and the last thing I want to do is take my anger out on you." Though the red hot anger was no longer clouding my mind, it hadn't completely gone away either.

"Okay." She exhaled then looked away from me and up toward the plasma tv that was mounted on the wall. I could feel the frustration in her body as her legs tensed beneath my head.

Her body didn't relax again until we reached the part of the movie where Belle told Beast that she loved him as he was dying. I smiled, remembering the day Lizzie thought I was in a car accident and told me she loved me for the first time.

"Hey." I reached up to poke her cheek after the movie ended. "You told me you love me."

She smiled, gently stroking the side of my face with her hand. "You're about an hour and a half late, babe."

My heart skipped a beat and I closed my eyes, hoping to slow my pulse that had jumped instantaneously. I could feel my smile growing as I kissed her palm, savoring the moment. "Babe."

She moved her hand down my face then began stroking my beard. "I know you're still angry but can we talk about how in love with you I am? How I think about you when I wake up in the morning and when I go to sleep at night? How I want to be with you and only you?"

Wait, what?

I snapped my eyes open and sat up so quickly that I lost my balance and rolled off the couch, hitting the ground with a thump. "WHAT?"

Elizabeth laughed as I struggled to get to my feet and I accidentally knocked a stack of neatly placed books off of the coffee table in the process.

"I'm in love with you and I want to be with you."

I couldn't control the dumb smile that spanned from ear to ear. After so many months of hoping Lizzie would give me another chance and imagining her saying those exact words to me, I didn't even know how to react.

ELIZABETH FUCKIN GORDON LOVES ME AND WANTS TO BE WITH ME!

"I want that too. More than you can even know." Wrapping my fingers around her ankles, I dragged her down onto the floor with me and planted an urgent kiss on her mouth. I could feel her grinning against my lips as I drew her closer to my body.