What Matters Most

Chapter 5

When Christopher first met Leigh he thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He didn't even notice the steaming hot coffee that she had just spilled all over him. He was too busy looking at her.

Christopher was thinking about their first meeting as he was trying to come up with a way to tell Leigh he was moving to New York. He knew no matter what he said to her, she would be hurt. They had been spending a lot of time together and had become really close. He had even taken her to his sister's wedding to meet his family a few months ago.

They were not officially in a relationship. However, neither one of them was seeing anyone else so that would be the next step for them. Christopher wanted to be exclusive with Leigh, but he knew that would not be fair to her since he was moving to New York.

He didn't know when or if he would be coming back. If only she could come to New York with him, then everything would be perfect. He knew he couldn't ask her to leave with him though. She had relocated here for her job, and she loved her job.

Maybe after he got to New York and made a name for himself, he could talk her into moving there. She could get a job at one of the production studios there. While Christopher is explaining all of this to Leigh he could see the tears in her eyes.

They had just finished dinner and had had a great evening together. Christopher hated to ruin it by telling her about moving to New York, but he couldn't put it off any longer. He was leaving in two weeks.

She tried to hide how upset she was, but she couldn't hold it back. "I understand you have to do this Christopher, and I won't ask you to stay with me. I will just miss you a lot."

"I will miss you too Leigh. I wish I could take you with me, but I know you can't leave Atlanta right now."

He couldn't bear to see her cry. He didn't want to hurt her anymore. All he wanted to do was kiss her. So he leaned forward and gently kissed her on the lips. They had kissed many times before, but this kiss meant so much.

He wanted to show her just how much he cared about her and wanted her in his life with that kiss. When they pulled back they were both breathless. Christopher said "We can keep in touch by phone and email. I don't want to lose you, Leigh. This doesn't have to be the end for us."

She agreed to try. However, Leigh was thinking he would probably get to New York and fall in love with some beautiful supermodel. Then he would forget all about her. I'm sure his brother Chase knows plenty of beautiful women that he could set him up with.

Christopher interrupted her thoughts by saying "I have one more thing to tell you, and I'm not sure you are going to like it. Chase is going to be coming to Atlanta to work on a movie, and stay at my place while he is here."

She asks Christopher, "Why would you think I wouldn't like the idea of Chase being here?"

"Well since he looks exactly like me, I didn't want you to get upset every time you may see him in the hall on your way out."

"To be honest I don't know if I am all that crazy about my brother living across the hall from you while I'm gone either."

"What? Why?" Leigh asks. 

"I know he will look out for you, and do anything for you that you need so don't hesitate to ask him if you need anything."

"He just seemed to be getting a little too friendly with you at Christina's wedding," Christopher says.

"Relax Christopher. Chase is harmless. He was just trying to get under your skin and get you all riled up."

"That's what I'm afraid of. He likes to push me too far sometimes to get a reaction out of me. I don't want you to get caught in the middle. I will ask him to leave you alone, and hopefully, he will listen to me."

"You will do no such thing," Leigh says. "Don't worry I can handle Chase."

Over the next two weeks, Leigh and Christopher spend as much time together as they can. On their last night together neither one of them is ready to say goodbye.

"Just try to keep in touch, and maybe when can even try to visit each other a few times while you are gone. I hope you won't forget about me when you get all famous up there in the Big Apple."

"I could never forget about you Leigh." He gives her one last kiss before he goes home to finish packing for his early morning flight. He would really like to stay here with her all night, but he knows tonight is not the time to take that next step.

Hopefully, one day soon he will get to be with her in every way and show her just how much he wants her.

He gives her a copy of the key to his apartment. Chase will be arriving in the afternoon after Christopher is gone. He will have to come by her apartment to pick up the key to get in.

Thank goodness Christopher already has a copy of the key to Chase's apartment. Chase had one made for him when he visited him about a year ago. That way Christopher didn't have to stay cooped up in the apartment when Chase had to go to work.

Christopher tossed and turned all night. Was he making the right decision leaving Leigh and moving to New York? His agent already had some photoshoots lined up for him as soon as he got there.

Maybe once he got there he would feel better about the move, but right now he felt like he was making the biggest mistake of his life. The woman he was falling for was right across the hall, and he had to force himself to leave her in the morning.

Leigh had taken the next day off to go to the airport with him. When the time came to leave, he decided not to wake her. Leigh didn't know that he had turned her alarm off before he left her apartment the night before. He would call her as soon as he got there and got settled.

Leaving was going to be so much harder than he thought, but he had to try or he would always wonder what if. So he got in the cab and headed for the airport.

As Leigh woke up the next morning she jumped out of bed when she saw what time it was. She grabbed her phone to call Christopher thinking he had overslept and missed his flight. Then she realized Christopher had already left for the airport.

He had texted her saying he didn't want to wake her when he left but would call her as soon as he got there and got settled in.

Now what? Could they really do this long-distance thing? Especially since they just got together. He wasn't really breaking things off with her, but he was moving away.

She wouldn't be seeing him every day anymore. Well technically she would it would just be another version of him that would be arriving in a few hours.

Not wanting to cry anymore she got up made some coffee, and ate some breakfast. Then she got in the shower to prepare for Chase's arrival.

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