Rain Check?

~113~

   The limo pulls through the gate before stopping in the drive of Chris' LA home. Carly, being the least intoxicated of the groups entirety offers to help me get inside before they head back to the hotel. 

  "Thank you all for tonight!" I call out as I climb into my chair. One more glance around the inside and I see Lisa and my mother using each other to hold themselves up. Conor is crying, staring down at her phone mumbling about Liam while Shana and Sawyer continue to flip back their glasses. "I'm sure we won't see y'all til late tomorrow."

  While I'm perfectly capable of pushing myself  through the house, getting in can sometimes prove to be a little more difficult due to the ramp. With Carly's hands pushing me up I notice there are no lights on in the house, the only gleam coming from the small porch light. "You got it from here?" Carly asks as I unlock the door and push it open. She gives me one more boost over the lip of the door frame.

  "Yeah. All good. Thanks again. I know the wig thing wasn't ideal,-"

  "But it put you at ease." I give her a nod of agreeance. She leans down, resting her hand on my shoulder for just a moment before wrapping me in a hug. "Then that's all that matters."

  She starts to step off the porch before I'm calling out to her. "Make sure your mom drinks a bottle of water before bed. Mine jokes about being a lush in her younger days, but something tells me tonight was not a normal thing for your Ma, like, ever."

  "Will do!" She laughs on her way across the yard, turning back around when she gets half way. "Ya know, she's about to be your Ma too!"

  "Can't wait!" I call out loudly before blowing her a kiss and waving goodbye. I push the door closed, locking it as well before I begin to make my way through the house, turning on a small table side lamp in the living room before continuing my roll down the hallway to the bedroom. 

  A hot bubble bath sounds wonderful right about now. I toss my curls up on top of my head with a clip, before sinking my tired body into the deep tub. 

  I even decide that in order to truly get the kind of rest I need that it may even be beneficial to pop a pain pill before bed as well. 

  Again, thanks to the use of my right leg, along with the longer lip on the tub, and some rather increased upper body strength since July, I'm able to get in and out of the tub on my own. I stopped complaining about all the bicep curls Chris encouraged me through long ago, finally thankful to have seen the reasoning behind them.

  By the time I slip into a cotton sleep set it's just past midnight. With a glance over to the bedside table, I realize my pills are still in the kitchen and begin my journey across the house. I notice a new glow coming from the area closest to the floor to ceiling windows in the back of the house. Just as I'm about to call out to Chris, I hear think tinkling of the piano as he begins to softly play.

  I maneuver my chair around and enter the room from behind him. Pausing long enough to enjoy the melody that he plays straight from memory. I hold back a giggle as he abruptly changes to 'Don't Stop Believing' playing it full out. Deciding it's time to make my presence known I wheel right up behind him. Leaning up I wrap my arms around his waist.

  "Took you long enough," he teases as I lay my head against his back.

  "Sorry. Was enjoying a nice hot bath."

  "I meant the stalking. Why'd you think I switched?" He turns just enough, making me loosen my grip and lift my head. "I wasn't sure you were even home until Carly text me to let me know she shoved some Advil down mom before she passed out."

  "Our moms were a pair tonight," I tell him, unable to hold back my grin. "When your Ma yelled at you across the street! I almost died."

  He hangs his head, chuckling. "I'd have much rather been catcalled by you than my Ma. But, I guess it all played out alright since I don't think anyone caught any photographs."

  "Oh! I almost forgot. I need to tell Ethan's Uncle thanks for the Coke," I smirk.  "I mean, the tequila shots sure livened up the rest of the group, and maybe he should've thought about shots of water instead, but-"

  "I'm sure his mind was strictly on the incredibly divine Bride to Be."

  "How was the 'no drinking allowed' Bachelor party?" I ask, genuinely curious. 

  Chris leans up, resting an arm along the top of the piano before he's rolling his eyes at me. "Scott?" I ask.  He nods. "I gave up trying to enforce the no drinking so basically I was the only one not drinking."

  "You didn't drink at all?" I'm truly surprised and unsure if I heard him correctly.

  One corner of his lip turns up. "I told you I wasn't going to, so I didn't. I'm keeping every promise I make to you, Demi. Every single one."

  "You planning on making more to me, Chris?" 

  In a swift motion he's turned and lifting me out of my chair, setting me on the piano bench next to him. "A lifetime of promises for you. But, I feel like you've forgotten one you made me."

  My brain begins running rampant, trying to discover what possible promise I made to him that I've not kept. I do my best to keep him grounded and remind him of where he's come from, so it can't be that. "Forgive me, but babe, I don't know what you're talking about."

  "I didn't think you would. But, you said you'd ask me for a kiss. I've been waiting a really long time for that request again, Dempsey."  He's trying his hardest to keep a straight face, reminding me of a situation very early on in our relationship, before anything was ever even official. 

  I straighten my body up, my hands tugging on the bottom of my shirt to look more presentable. With a fingertip I exaggerate wiping at the corner of my lips. I clear my throat and turn my head towards him. "Christopher Robert Evans?"

  His eyes dance with silent laughter. "Yes, Dempsey Elianna Abrams?"

  "Would you do me the great honor of bestowing the tender touch of your pouty pink lips on mine?"

  The silent laughter ends and he's near howling at my oddly worded question. "I love you, ya know that?"  

  "Prove it."

  His brow arches  "Prove what?"

  I look at him like he's the crazy one. "That you love me."

  He pulls me closer to him, bringing a hand up to my cheek before his forehead rests against mine. "I am about to give you my last name. That counts for something, right?" he chortles, his eyes looking deep into mine. 

  I smile back at him, my hand coming to rest on top of his own. "That is certainly something," I admit. 

  Chris backs up just slightly. "What's making that hamster run ragged up here?" he taps against my head.

  "I just," I start, afraid to finish. I don't want to give him the wrong idea by misspeaking. 

  "Talk to me, baby." His eyes flit between both of my own.

  A soft sigh escapes me as I run my fingers over the light growth along his jaw. "It's the same question I asked over a year ago. Why me?" He opens his mouth but I ask him to wait. "I know you're going to say the same thing you said back then which was why not you. This all still feels like a dream, a never ending dream that has a few nightmares that pop up sporadically. I'm just not sure why you chose me. Why you chose me to love. Why you chose me to spend the rest of your life with. What makes me so special?"

  I expect for him to become at least slightly agitated over the fact that I'm still struggling with the same things after all this time. But instead, he smiles sweetly at me, "Well, for one thing the fact that you have to ask makes you special. You are incredibly humble, and thank God for it because you've certainly taught me many a lesson on that topic."  He turns back to the keys, releasing me from any type of hold. "I was going to save this for later, but now might be better timing."

  He begins to play, a quiet tune floating through the room. Just as I start to close my eyes to let the music carry me away, there's a knock at the door.  Chris looks at me, panicked before heading through the room to open the front door.

  "Who could be here this late?"

*Unedited