The Girl Next Door (Chris Evans Fanfiction)

Chapter 8

Hearing scratching at the door, Chris walked into his living room and found the culprit. Dodger whimpered while pawing at the door, letting his master know he needed to go out. Chris walked over and rubbed his head before opening the back door.

Dodger ran out into the yard and did his business while Chris stood at the door and waited for him. When Dodger finished, instead of coming back to Chris, he trotted over to the fence and wiggled his way underneath it where he had dug a hole.

"Ugh, Dodger, come back!" Chris shouted through the evening air.

He stood at the back door for a long while, whistling and calling his name. Normally, he wouldn't care if he was over there, figuring he was out with Jacky but Erica's house was dark and he had sent her a text a half hour ago and it went unanswered so he wasn't even sure if she was home right now.

Chris decided to just hop over the fence and go get Dodger since he wasn't responding to his calls but once he was in his neighbor's backyard, he saw why he wasn't coming back. Erica was laying in the middle of her grass on her back, her dark curls splayed out around her and her legs crossed at her ankles. Jacky was snuggled up on one side of her with his head on her arm and Dodger had quickly made himself at home on the other side while she stroked his soft fur.

She had earbuds in and was softly singing off key to some 90's song and he chuckled to himself at the sight. He quickly snapped a picture before walking over to her. She was too busy snuggling the dogs and singing along to her music to hear him come up and it wasn't until he was standing over her that she opened her eyes and screamed.

The dogs sat upright immediately but then laid back down recognizing the human but Erica's eyes were still wide while she held a hand on her heart that was pounding, "Christopher Robert Evans! You are going to make me go into cardiac arrest!"

He just cracked up while she pulled her earbuds out and he confessed, "I swear I wasn't trying to scare you. Dodger just came over here and I came after him. I didn't realize that you didn't know I was here."

"I need to put a bell around your neck or something so I can hear you coming," Erica giggled while laying her head back in the grass and cuddled with the dogs.

Chris shook his head while lightly kicking her foot and asked, "So what are you doing?"

"Just looking at the stars... it's so peaceful," She smiled up at him.

As his big frame towered over where she was lying, he asked, "Can I join you?"

She nodded so he sat down before laying his back down on the grass next to her with Dodger inbetween them. He put an arm behind his head and looked up and then pointed with his other hand and said, "There's the big dipper."

"Nah, the big dipper is laying right next to me," Erica teased, referring to him.

"And you said it was peaceful out," He chuckled, unable to keep himself from laughing at her joke.

All she did was look over at him and give Chris a cheesy grin, making him laugh again before they both looked back up at the stars. It was quiet out and the two laid in a comfortable silence for a long time, only hearing the sounds of the two dogs breathing as they slept.

"Erica," Chris broke the silence.

"Hmm?" She studied the stars with her eyes.

"What do you want most in life?"

His deep question caught her off guard and made her turn her head and looked over at him. She thought for a long time, keeping her dark eyes on his blue ones as she searched her own heart.