fuckboy

chapter xii

Chris's P.O.V.

"Tell me, did you pack a bikini?" I asked, pointing towards the pool when she reappeared at the common area of the rental we were staying in. I always made sure to keep the entire place for ourselves for privacy, so that's how I could make sure she had a room of her own despite the relatively rushed decision of asking her to join us.

Not that I regretted it in the slightest.

She frowned at my question, and then pouted. "No, actually." I shrugged, taking a sip of my beer as she approached me while staring up at the sky. "Oh, wow!" She sighed. "Look at that moon!"

It was full and bright, particularly beautiful contrasting against the black sky, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. "You're prettier," I confessed, only to ear an eye roll from her.

I wonder if we were getting closer to the day she'd actually believe what I told her.

I watched her get closer and closer until she was close enough for me to touch, but before I could reach out and pull her into my arms, she swiped my beer and sat on the other recliner, grinning at me.

"Hey!" I jokingly complained, only to earn a stuck out tongue from her.

"Sharing is caring," she lectured me. "And if I remember correctly, you've done the same to me in our trip to the mountains. I didn't mind sharing with you then, so you can't act all grumpy about it now."

I smiled at the memory. Sure, perhaps I should consider that trip one of the worst experiences of my life. Lord knows that car ride home was brutal. But all I could feel whenever I reflected back on it was warmth - and perhaps a healthy amount of arousal, considering how fantastic the sex had been between us back there.

"Hey," she caught my attention, nodding towards the pool. "Do you want to go take a swim?" Frowning, I reached for my beer as I tried to understand what she was asking me.

"You told me you didn't pack a bikini..." But when she wiggled her eyebrows, her face sporting the most mischievous of smirks, I immediately caught on to what she was implying. "Oh, come on..." I moaned as she got up from the chair and easily pulled her dress over her head, discarding her underwear along the way before she turned around and offered me a hand.

"Well, you can't be the only tease around here," she winked. "You coming?" Swallowing around a dry throat, despite the considerable amount of liquid I'd ingested since the rest of my family had called it a night, I took in her state of undress, already feeling my member hardening inside my shorts.

"Fuck, you look so good," I commented, earning another eye roll. "Okay, okay," I relented, getting up and discarding my own clothes before accepting her hand. "But if we get caught, this is all your fault," I reminded her, cherishing the giggle she let out and the fact that I was the reason for it.

"Whatever you say, Evans... Whatever you say!"

Y/N's P.O.V.

The next morning found us a bit more tired than we probably should have been, considering the very hyper kids who wanted our company everywhere, all the time, but I couldn't stop smiling. I adored Chris's family, and the way they welcomed me so easily.

"There you go, babe." He drizzled maple syrup over my pancakes and I smiled gratefully at him, occupied with helping Miles cut his food when his mother said the words that froze me.

"Why aren't you two dating?" Chris and I look at each other like two deers caught in headlights, not knowing what to say. "Seriously, Chris. She's everything you could want in a wife."

At the title that once belonged to me, I cleared my throat, flinching at the sound of my own fork falling on the plate. "Excuse me," I forced a smile, needing to get some fresh air before I started to bawl my eyes out in the middle of the breakfast table.

Hugging myself, I looked into the distance as I tried to coach my own breathing to remain deep. I could do this. I could totally do this. Fuck, I thought I was over this. A few tears escaped the corners of my eyes as I thought back on the happiness I used to know. I wasn't sad anymore, I wasn't sad at all, but it was different before. I wasn't alone, I belonged to someone, and that someone belonged to me.

"You okay?" Chris's voice broke me out of my own thoughts, and I made sure to wipe away whatever traces of my minor breakdown still visible before I turned around to face him.

"Yeah. Sorry about that," I cringed at my own behavior, but was immediately caught of guard by how he was the one to shake his head, arms extended to me as he said, "No, no, no! I am the one who's sorry. Fuck, ma should know better. Hell, she does know better, she just can't help it..."

It was my turn to shake my head and reach out to meet him in the middle, allowing him to wrap his arms around me as I relished in the feeling of his strong chest against my cheek. "I know what she meant. She meant well, she obviously only wants what's best for you... and well, look at me."

My silly joke had the effect I was hoping it would achieve. It instantly melted away the awkwardness, leaving only the comfortable and familiar sense of... camaraderie that we had between us.

"Yeah," he agreed once his laugh subsided, clearing his throat and settling his eyes on me. They looked warm and held a peculiar softness on them. "You truly are the best." We were still grinning at each other like two silly teenagers when his brother interrupted us.

"Hey, you two, lovebirds. It's time to hit the parks, let's go." I let him hold my hand as we joined the group, only because whenever our eyes would meet, he'd squeeze it and my heart would skip a beat.

Maybe I wasn't so alone, after all.