Starting Over 💙

Chapter 2

Ellie groans as Tara drags her inside the party to the party on New Year's Eve. She's been taken to a giant house outside the city. "Come on Ellie, it'll be fun." Tara turns back to her friend, "Hey. Just breathe, okay?" She knew Ellie was shy, but she knew she needed to introduce her friend to Chris. Tara guides her downstairs to where the noise was coming from and hands her a drink. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what Tara? Why are you acting so..." Ellie practically gasps as he stands before her, much taller than she would have imagined. He does that signature smirk that she's seen him do in interviews. His features were soft, and warm. He offers her his hand and his name, and she takes it gently. "Hi, I'm Ellie." She looks back at Tara, "you didn't say your friend Chris was Chris Evans." Tara just winks at her before leaving her alone with him, causing her to blush.

"You're disappointed?" Chris leans towards Ellie and she takes a step back, after all this time it was still habit.

"Um, no. Of course not. Just not what I expected." She starts to say something else, but she hears someone call for him.

"Sorry. I'll see you around." He touches her arm gently, making her flinch and she hopes he doesn't notice.

Ellie mingles a bit, but mostly keeps to herself at the party. She finds being around so many people overwhelming, especially ones she doesn't know. She finds a drink and makes her way outside on the empty patio. She didn't hear him walk up behind her until she felt his body heat beside her.

She jumps slightly as she turns as he laughs, "hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

She shakes her head as she places her hand over her heart, trying to slow down her erratic heart beats. "It's fine."

Chris leans on the edge of the fence beside her, watching her. "So you work with Tara? Are you from around here?"

"I'm from New York originally. I lived in the UK for the last 13 years or so. I moved here to Boston around 6 months ago."

"The UK? What took you there?"

"School? And I've always been an anglophile. I actually have a business degree from NYU and then I went to Cambridge where I got a theology and religion degree. So school took me there. Love, or what I thought love to be.." She looks away from him, leaning on the fence next to him, "kept me there." He stands up and looks at her, or through her, she wasn't sure. Either way, his gaze made her nervous.

"It wasn't love?"

"If it was, it isn't any sort of love I want." Ellie looks down, no longer comfortable with keeping his gaze. She feels his hand brush hair out of her face, making her flinch as she looks up at him and takes a step away from him. "I'm sorry, I don't like people touching my face."

"No. It's fine. I'm sorry." He puts his hand in his pocket, shaking his head, embarrassed.

"I'm..." She wanted to say she was broken, that she'd never be able to let anybody in. She wanted to tell him that he should stay far away. Before she can continue her sentence though, he gets beckoned again.

"Sorry, I should." He points back to the house to the party.

"Yeah. Go. It's your party after all." She gestures to the house with a smile, thankful she'll soon be alone again.

He turns back to her, "I hope we get to spend some more time together."

Ellie watches him walk away before she can respond. She decides to slip out of the party without saying goodbye to Tara or Chris. Being at the party made her realize she just wasn't ready for that sort of stimulation yet. And she certainly didn't feel like being around Chris. The last thing she needed was to have one of her favorite celebrities think she is crazy.