Worth It (A Chris Evans Story)

Chapter 11: This is a good thing

*Flashback*

"What's your favourite colour?" Chris asked as he stared up at the stars above him.

"Blue" Lily answered.

"Hey mine too" he chuckled as he titled his head to the side so he could look her in the eye. She was laid next to him in the grass at the park as they stared up at the night sky. It had been a couple weeks since Lily had told Chris the real reason she didn't want to go home after school. Now it was another Friday night, they'd just been to Tony's and decided to stop at the park after and play twenty questions.

"When's your birthday?" Lily asked.

"13th of June, yours?"

"21st of November"

"Wow that's only a few weeks away" Chris smiled as he sat up and turned to face her. "What shall we do for it?"

"Nothing" Lily sighed as she also sat up, playing with her fingers in her lap.

"Nothing?" Chris asked, surprised she wasn't more excited about her birthday, girls loved parties, right?

"I hate my birthday; ever since Daisy died I don't see the point in celebrating it if she doesn't get to either. I've been dreading it, this will be my first without her" Lily sniffled slightly as she felt a tear drop down her cheek.

"Well we don't have to celebrate it" Chris smiled softly as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her back to lying down, resting her head on his shoulder. "It'll just be like any normal day, you can come and stay at my house if you like? If you don't want to be at home? My mum won't mind"

"Yeah that sounds like fun" she smiled and for the first time since Daisy died, she wasn't completely dreading her birthday.

"So can I still get you a present?" Chris asked as he gently played with Lily's soft brunette hair.

"If you want" she smiled, "although I already got the best birthday present ever when I was 10"

"Oh yeah? What was it?" Chris asked curiously.

"It was a joint present for me and Daisy, it was a bright pink karaoke machine. We used to spend hours singing together and making up dance routines and then forcing our parents to watch them" she giggled as she brought her hand up to wipe another fallen tear and Chris wrapped his arm tighter around her to comfort her, "we even decorated it with little gems and we placed them in the shape of a daisy and a lily. We used to rush home from school every day just so we could play with it. Then when we were 12, Ash accidentally spilt a full glass of milk over it and it never worked again. I think I cried for like six days."

"Typical Ash" Chris chuckled.

"What I would give to just be able to sing on that karaoke machine with her one last time"

*Present Day*

"Chris are you even listening to me?" Amber asked as she snapped her fingers in front of Chris's face.

"Huh what?" Chris was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts.

"So I'm just talking myself then?" Amber laughed a she took another bite of her food.

"Sorry Amb, I zoned out for a little there" he sighed as he resumed pushing his food around his plate with his fork.

"Lily?" she asked, clearly she could read him like a book.

"How did you know?"

"Come on I know you well enough by now"

It had been two weeks since Halloween and Chris hadn't heard anything from Lily after she just walked out. Amber had seen her at work but she wasn't herself, Lily barely spoke to her or Jess for that matter. She'd also barely seen her parents and Ash, avoiding them as well.

"I'm just really worried about her Amber" Chris sighed as he dropped his fork on his dining room table and placed his head in his hands, rubbing them over his beard.

"I know you are, but the best thing that you can do at the moment is just let this play out, Jack will fuck up again he always does and then when she needs someone you be there for her and you try your best to pull her back, okay?"

He just nodded as he picked up his fork and went back to playing with his food. He'd barely been able to concentrate on everyday life since this all happened and now this afternoon he had to go to LA for a few days for work and he was fucking dreading it. What if something happened with Lily whilst he was away? He really wished he could hate her after the things she said to him but he just couldn't. Plus Amber had really helped him understand what controlling relationships like Lily and Jacks were really like and he knew that this was all Jacks doing.

"Want another drink?" Amber smiled as she collected the two empty beer bottles from the table. Chris just nodded as she got up and headed to the fridge.

As she walked past the kitchen counter she noticed Chris's pile of mail on the side. She took a double take when she noticed Lily's name, walking over and picking up the piece of card.

"Hey Chris, have you read your mail yet?" she asked from across the room.

"No, why?" he asked.

"So you haven't seen this?" she asked as she held something up. Chris stood from his seat and walked over to her. He hadn't had the chance to go through his mail yet, deciding to just leave it on the counter until he had time.

As he walked over Amber gave him a saddened look as she passed over the piece of card in her hand. Chris took it from her and looked down to see an invite. But it wasn't just any invite, it was an invite to Lily's birthday party.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me" he shouted as he threw the invite to the floor and proceeded to pace the length of the kitchen.

"Chris think about it, this is a good thing" Amber started.

"How the fuck is this a good thing Amber?!?" he shouted as Amber looked at him taken aback.

"First of all don't fucking shout at me"

"You're right I'm sorry" Chris sighed as he leant against the counter and dropped his chin to his chest.

"As I was saying, she invited you that's a good thing, it means she hasn't fully cut you off"

"Yeah I guess you're right"

"Yes I am right" Amber said matter of factly, "this will give you a chance to show you're supporting her, I know you don't want to go and I know how much you hate Jack, but if you show her you're still here then she won't be completely isolated and she won't be lost to Jack"

Chris sighed as he stood up straight, he really felt like he was just gonna break down in tears. As she usually does, Amber read Chris's mind and moved to wrap her arms around his torso bringing him in for a hug. He instantly accepted her gesture. He honestly didn't know what he would do without Amber, she'd been his rock through this whole thing.

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A/N: Please vote and comment! Also I'm sorry for the short chapter, it's just a filler, but i will be posting another one tonight!

A xx