Worth It (A Chris Evans Story)

Chapter 13: Nightmare

Lily sighed as she took another sip of her drink. She welcomed the burn that the brown liquid provided as it travelled down her throat. Quickly her drink was gone, so she turned behind her to the kitchen island covered with bottles of liquor and poured herself another. As she did she glanced around her kitchen at the people surrounding her.

It was an hour in to her birthday party and she already hated it. She knew she would, she hates her birthday, but like Jack said she needed to grow up and learn to celebrate it. So she was doing this for him.

It might have been easier if he had actually said more than a few words to her since the party started. As soon as people started arriving he was flitting around the party greeting guests and talking to his friends.

That was another thing that was bothering her. As she looked around the party she realised she barely fucking knew anybody. The whole house was filled with Jack's friends and she felt like a spare part at her own birthday. She shrunk further into herself as she just blended in to the background. This was her worst fucking nightmare.

She wished Daisy was here, Daisy always knew what to do. Her mind began to wonder off as she started to think about what her birthdays would have been like if Daisy was still here. She knows that they would definitely still be having joint parties, Daisy would never have it any other way. They used to talk all the time what their 30th birthday would be like. Daisy always wanted them to have a huge party and she always said that she would be married with four kids and she'd live in a beautiful house just outside of London and that Lily would live just next door with her husband and their many dogs.

Lily felt a tear slip down her cheek as she thought back on the memory. The fact that Daisy never even had the chance to have the life she wanted always tore Lily apart. Daisy's death left Lily with a hole in her heart that she didn't think could ever be filled.

She quickly wiped away her tears to stop herself from violently sobbing. This day always made her incredibly emotional. Especially this time as she had no idea if the people she wanted here the most would even bother showing up, not after the way she acted. She knew her parents were coming as they had called her, but everyone else? It was anyone's guess. Deep down though she only really cared about one person being there and she was pretty sure he hated her right now.

Picking up her drink she decided to venture in to the living room to see if she could find Jack. As she walked in she saw him talking to a group of his friends across the room. She walked over and quietly stood next to him, trying not to be a bother. She reached out between them to hold his hand to let him know she was there. She felt her chest tighten as he didn't even look at her, just gave her hand a squeeze and dropped it.

She felt her cheeks heat up as she felt utterly humiliated. Luckily she was literally saved by the bell as the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house. She quietly left the group Jack was stood with and made her way to the front door. On the way there Wolf joined her side after keeping to his bed in the corner of the room all night, he also wasn't keen on any of these people.

She reached the door and twisted the handle and as she opened it an audible gasp left her at who was stood on the other side. She smiled widely as she saw her parents stood there with Lisa. She immediately threw herself in to her mother's arms, knocking Cora back slightly.

"Woah careful there sweetie" Cora chuckled as she enveloped her daughter in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you guys are here" Lily smiled as she pulled back and turned to hug her father and then Lisa.

"We wouldn't miss it" Lisa beamed as she pulled away.

"Happy birthday honey" Mark added as he gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek. He then handed her a large gift bag full of presents.

"Thank you Dad" Lily smiled, she couldn't contain how happy she was that she wasn't going to be alone all night.

"I'm guessing it's just you guys?" Lily asked as she began to feel a little sad that nobody else had decided to come.

"Not quite" she heard from behind her father and as he moved to the side she saw Ash at the top of the steps and she was so happy she flung herself at him.

"Woah Lil, calm down" Ash chuckled as he hugged his sister, "I'm surprised you didn't knock Mum over"

"She nearly did" Cora laughed.

"Happy birthday little sis" Ash smiled as he held up yet another bag of gifts, but Lily didn't need any of them, them just being here was the only gift she needed.

"Hey don't leave me out" Lily literally jumped with excitement as she heard Scott's voice and saw him appear behind Ash. She grabbed a hold of him, pulling him in for a hug.

"Oh I always love a warm welcome" Scott smiled as he hugged Lily tightly and placed a kiss to the top of her head.

Just then Lily felt little hands wrap around her legs. She looked down to see Stella's beautiful eyes staring back at her.

"Well what do we have here" she smiled as she bent down to pick the little girl up and cuddled her tightly as Stella giggled in her hold.

"Happy birthday" she sing songed as Lily started to tickle her.

Carly and Shanna then both joined them along with the boys, all of them greeting Lily with Happy birthdays and yet more presents.

"Don't be having all the fun without us" Jess smiled as her and Amber joined the group at the door. Lily felt like she could cry as she saw the two standing there, she had been so off with them both at work and still they had come to see her. She gently placed Stella back down and made her way over, embracing them both at once, both women immediately hugging her back.

Lily pulled back and smiled widely as she looked around her at all her family, she began to feel all warm and fuzzy until she instantly became cold again. He wasn't here, he didn't come, he hated her and she had lost him. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and as if Lisa could tell what she was thinking, she wrapped her arm around Lily smiling.

"He's just getting your present out of the car" she smiled as she pointed down the steps at the driveway. Lily looked over and sure enough she saw him standing there by his car as Dodger hopped out the passenger seat. Chris could feel eyes on him as he opened the trunk of his car to get Lily's present. Looking up he saw her there smiling brightly down at him. He didn't know how it was possible but she was even more beautiful. He had a pain in his chest since the last time he saw her and now instantly after seeing those beautiful brown eyes it was gone.

He quickly grabbed her gift and walked to the porch steps, Dodge following behind him. Just then Wolf came running out of the house and down the steps going straight to greet Dodger, clearly they had missed each other.

Chris reached the top of the steps and held the box out to Lily, "Happy birthday" he smiled as she took it and thanked him, before she passed the box of too Ash stood beside her. She then quickly flung herself at Chris, nearly knocking him over like she had done everyone else.

He smiled brightly as he held her close, the scent of lavender and honey flowing through his nostrils. It felt so good to have her back in his arms.

"You came" she softly whispered in his ear.

"Always" he whispered back and Lily felt a shiver travel down her spine. That was new. She brushed it off as she pulled away from him and turned back to everyone.

"Let's get inside it's freezing out here" she smiled as she gestured for everyone to step in to the house. She smiled brightly as she followed everyone in, extremely thankful she wasn't going to have to endure this night alone.