The Girl Next Door (Chris Evans Fanfiction)

Chapter 12

"Alright squirt," Dave said to his niece once he had given her a hug and she had sat down on the couch. "Let me get a box of tissues then spill."

She leaned her back against the armrest, reaching her arm down to rub Jacky's fur from where he laid on the carpet. When Uncle Dave came back and tossed a box of tissues to her, he sat down on the couch and she rested her feet in his lap.

"So tell me what happened," He wanted to know.

Erica took a deep breath while tipping her head back, "Well I pretty much told you everything on the phone but Chris told me that he has feelings for me and I just totally freaked out. I want to be with him, but then I kept thinking about everything that comes with him and I just can't handle that."

"Why don't you think you can handle it?" Dave rested his elbow on the armrest and then rested his knuckles against his cheek.

She just snorted and ran a hand through her curls, "Oh yeah, can't you just see me, plain ole' Erica Hoffman who works as a receptionist as the girlfriend of Chris Evans. Yeah we'd make quite the pair. I'd be the perfect girl to walk down the red carpet with him."

"His life isn't just walking down red carpets," Her uncle couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah he has photoshoots and interviews and flies all over the world for filming and has fangirls freak out over everything he posts on social media," Erica added.

Dave thought about it for a long moment and told her, "Squirt, I think we both know life isn't always perfect and I'm the poster child for life doesn't always go the way you think it will. But you want to know something? My life has been more wonderful than I could have ever imagined it would be."

Hearing this made Erica have to pull the tissues out of the box and wipe at the tears that now were flowing easily from her eyes, "Uncle Dave, I would be such a disappointment to him. I wouldn't be the girl he needs."

"How do you know that?" He said while patting her legs.

She was quiet for a long time as she silently cried but then humorlessly laughed and said, "This is just so typical of my life. I find the most amazing guy in existence and he even has feelings for me but oh, by the way, he happens to be famous!"

Dave couldn't help but laugh at her niece's sarcasm but then felt his heart soften when he looked at her tear stained face. He took a deep breath before telling her, "You know Erica, times like this I really wish your mom was here. Sarah was always the responsible one, she always knew the right things to say, not me. But you know what I think she would have said if she was here? I think she would have told you that if you really love Chris, the rest won't matter. And if it is too much for you to handle the fame, you've got to let him go for not only your sake but his."

She wiped at her tears with her wadded up tissue and wiped at her tears, thinking about her mother and couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Dave... do you think my mom would have liked Chris?"

He smiled widely while he chuckled, "Like him? She would have adored him. Sarah would have thought he was hilarious and would have loved his joyful spirit just like she would have loved yours."

Again she was silent for a long time while she stared down at her lap but then looked up at him and questioned, "Do you like Chris?"

Dave looked at her and said, "I do. He's a good genuine man. Personality wise, I think you two are perfect for each other and that's saying a lot because I think we both know how protective I am of you. But I know that this is a unique situation and it doesn't matter what I think. Erica, this decision is yours to make and nobody can make it except for you and there isn't a wrong or right answer, it just has to come from your heart."

Erica sat up and threw her arms around her uncle's neck and hugged him tight. She knew he was right, but she still had no clue what to do.

Meanwhile, over at Lisa's house, Chris was in a similar situation sitting on his mother's bed along with Carly while he explained everything that had happened. Lisa rubbed his back when he finished the story and Carly held her brother's hand to comfort him.

"Exactly what I was afraid of happened," Chris told them. "This is why I waited longer to say anything but I think that made it worse because now I'm so damn attached to her."

"Honey, it'll be alright," Lisa tried to soothe him.

Chris ran his hands over his face, sniffling as he tried to blink back his own tears that filled his blue eyes as he told them, "After all these years, I finally find the girl who I think is the one and she doesn't want to be with me."

"She did say that she has feelings for you Chris," Carly tried to encourage him.

"That's the worst part though," His blue eyes lifted to hers. "She doesn't want to be with me, not because of me but because of being famous. The thing that is such shit too is that even if I gave it all up for her and quit acting, it wouldn't all just go away overnight so I can't even do a damn thing about it."

"Honey," Lisa cooed, rubbing his broad back. "I wish I had all the answers for you but I'm so glad that you at least told her. At least you know."

Chris sniffed while wiping at his tears and taking a deep breath. He knew his mom was right, it was better to know than always be wondering but the deep pain in his heart only reminded him how deep his affection was for her and Chris hated to know that it wouldn't be easy to let her go.