The Girl Next Door (Chris Evans Fanfiction)

Chapter 37

Loud giggling echoed down the hallway and Chris couldn't help but follow the sound. He poked his head into Erica's bedroom and found the the source of the noise. Erica was sitting on the floor near her closet with his nephews and Stella nearby. He slapped his hand to his toned chest and laughed when he saw what they all were doing.

Ethan and Stella sat on either side of Erica while Myles tried to wobble around in a pair of Erica's high heeled shoes. He ended up tripping and tumbled to the ground and laid there, engulfed in laughter. Chris smiled as he watched Erica tip her head back and crack up at the little boy and he couldn't help but think about how cute it will be when one day a scene just like this is playing out with their own children.

"Hey," Chris started, strutting into the room and teasing the kids, "Weren't you guys supposed to be helping Auntie Erica put her stuff in boxes so we can carry it over to my house?"

"We are helping!" Myles argued.

"Yeah, Myles was going to wear her shoes over to your house!" Ethan made them all giggle.

Chris playfully glared at the kids before scooping up each of them and tossed them onto the bed effortlessly before he tickled them all, making them squeal and tried to wiggle away from their uncle. Chris then grabbed them all and kissed each of their cheeks before telling them, "Jacky and Dodger are out in the backyard, I think they need you guys to play with them."

The kids all squealed before running down the stairs and out to be with the dogs. Chris then took the opportunity to go over and pull Erica to her feet and kissed her deeply. Erica melted into the kiss but when they parted, she quickly got back to work and said, "Alright muscles, put out those hunky arms of yours."

"Yes ma'am," Chris joked while she grabbed her clothes still on the hanger and piled a bunch of them in Chris' arms before taking a pile herself before they headed down out of her house and crossed the yard to go to Chris' house.

"You're pretty good at taking directions from me so I think this whole marriage thing is going to work out just fine," Erica laughed while stepping into Chris' house ahead of him.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep going sporty spice," Chris teased while giving her behind a soft smack, causing her to laugh. "I really had no idea that one person could own this many band shirts."

Erica started heading up the stairs, careful not to drop her pile of clothes on the way to Chris' bedroom, "Well you have like 20 baseball hats but only wear like three of them so I'd say were even."

"Hey, I got rid of a few to clear some closet space for your stuff," Chris told her when they finally made it to Chris' closet and hung up her clothes next to his.

She just let out a cheesy, "Awwww!" Before putting her hands on either side of his bearded cheeks and kissed him sweetly.

The two would have loved nothing more than to just stay there, swapping kisses back and forth but they heard Lisa calling for them so they walked back over to Erica's little kitchen and found where Lisa, along with Carly and Shanna, had finished stacking all of Erica's dishes in some boxes and Lisa ordered her son, "Take these over to house, they're heavy and I don't want to carry them."

He just chuckled before kissing her cheek, "Okay Ma."

"Oh wait, no! Don't carry them over yet," Lisa stopped him and then turned to Erica. "Keep him out in the backyard! Carly is going to go up and get your wedding dress and take it out to the car!"

"Yeah, you're not allowed to see my dress until this Saturday," Erica beamed while grabbing his big hand and pulled him out to the backyard.

Chris wrapped his thick arms around her waist loosely and told her, "I can't wait until I get to see you walking down that aisle toward me."

She squeezed his arms and buzzed with excited eyes, "We're getting married in four days!"

"Moving all your things into my house makes it feel so much more real. It's finally now going to be our house," Chris looked down at her from under his long eyelashes. "I love seeing your clothes hanging next to mine, your band posters on the wall in the hallway, and all of your shampoos and conditioners cluttering the shelf in the shower."

"I can't help it, I have thick hair," Erica laughed softly.

Chris tightened his grip on her to pull her closer and told her, "I love seeing all those things because it's a reminder I'm going to be with you and share every bit of my life with you forever."

"Oh Chris," She smiled, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. "I love you so much and I can't wait to build so many memories in that house."

"I have one for you..." Chris trailed off.

Erica wrinkled her eyebrows up in confusion, not understanding what he meant but she let Chris take her hand and lead her through the backyard. They stopped momentarily to laugh with the kids as they played with Jacky and Dodger before Chris led her farther into the yard where a big tree grew.

They had spent many days sitting under it while they played with the dogs and many nights laying under it while they would talk deep into the night. It was kind of their little spot in Chris' backyard and he brought her right up to the trunk and showed her a new addition to the tree.

"I carved our initials into it," Chris said while her fingers gently glided over the carving of their initials surrounded by a heart. "I remember the first time I ever heard your voice was when I was standing under that tree and from that moment on, my life has never been the same."

Erica just looked at Chris for a long time before hugging up to his chest tightly and cried into his shirt. He rubbed her back while she told him how much she loved him and he returned her words emphatically. Erica knew without a shadow of a doubt that the best decision she had ever made in her life was moving into the house next door.