The Stranger / Chris Evans x OC

Chapter 50: Not Ready

AMELIA

I'm sitting next to Chris as he talks on the phone. 

His hand hasn't left mine for thirty minutes, his thick fingers making mine ache slightly from the stretch as his stay laced with them. 

My mind is racing the entire time he's on the phone with his mom. 

This is not how these things are supposed to go. 

His mom is not supposed to find out about his new girlfriend through the media. 

His mom is not supposed to get her first impression of his new girlfriend because of a photo and video leaked on the internet. 

His mom is not supposed to wonder about his girlfriend, and whether she just likes him because he's famous. 

None of the things currently happening right now are how they are supposed to be. 

And that terrifies me.

"Mom, I promise to explain everything to you." 

Chris' words snap me out of my thoughts and I look over at him hesitantly. 

He doesn't notice because he's preoccupied, watching his fingers as they untangle themselves from mine but continues to play with them, touching them gently and comfortingly. 

"Yes, I promise you'll meet her soon," he says with a chuckle. 

His words make me stiffen in my seat. 

What?

This entire situation is terrifying enough already. 

Putting his mother, or the rest of his family for that matter, into the mix only makes it worse. 

I look at Chris with wide eyes but he doesn't notice. 

He's still focused on his fingers currently moving around my own, as he continues speaking to his mother.

"Mom, I can't promise that. I don't know if she would be up for that, it might be a bit too much.." 

He trails off, and it's not until then that his eyes dart up to look at me. 

When he sees the expression on my face, he clears his throat, "I promise you'll meet her when she's ready, okay? Just.. Give us some time."

That makes me take a deep breath, relief washing over me. 

I may be in love with him, and he may be my boyfriend, but it all happened so fast. 

Promising a commitment does not mean that I'm ready to meet his family already. 

Despite my feelings I am still a rational human being.

And I know this entire situation has been moving too quickly since the day we first spoke to each other. 

Feelings I can't ignore, or deny, but ultimately feelings that developed too quickly. Feelings that were too much. 

Feelings that got us into this entire mess. 

Chris glances up at me again and then he watches me as he says, "Mom, I have to go.. Yes, of course.. Okay, I promise.. Yeah, okay.. Yes, I swear." 

And then, right before he hangs up, he quietly says, "Love you too."

He's still looking at me when he hangs up the phone and all I can do is hold his gaze. 

Right now, I would do anything to keep my sanity, I would do anything to keep myself grounded.