Loving Chris (TTSPG Book3)

24

We spent the better part of an hour driving through the city and towards the cabin where our friends were waiting to celebrate my birthday. I wanted to groan as I grunpily sat next to Chris but withheld as I couldn't ignore the giddy feeling he tried and failed to suppress.

"Can you be any more excited?" I asked, trying my best to sound annoyed but failing.

"How can you not be?"

"I hate birthdays."

"Is there anything you don't hate?"

"I-"

"You hate your birthday. You hate Christmas. You hate surprises-"

"I don't hate you." I cut in.

I watch as Chris tries to hide his smile by biting his bottom lip but the sudden deep red of his cheeks did nothing to fool me.

"Moron." He mumbles as the vehicle turns off road.

"That's not what you said last night." I smirk, getting the last word in.

"I-"

"Or this morning."

"Damon." He warns.

"Or a few hours ago."

"Well you-"

"Matter fact, I precisely remember you calling me daddy... love of your life... best you've ever had."

I continue to count off what he moaned, off my fingers and he tries to cover my mouth with his free hand.

"Okay, okay. Cut it out already."

"Focus on the road." I scolded, smirking.

Chris rolls his eye as he ignores me and instead turns up the radio so as not to hear my voice anymore.

We fall into a comfortable silence and I let my fingers grasp at the breeze outside as I stared up at the vast and unending night sky.

Half an hour later and we were pulling into a clearing outside the cabin as the area was littered with people outside and from the sprawled door, inside too.

"I thought you said there would be the most ten people here."

"That's what they told me."

"Chris." I warned, my annoyance reaching its peak.

"Oh come on. These are your friends. You'll love it. Promise me you'll behave and just have fun."

I rolled my eyes and walked ahead of him as I tried not to let my mood ruin the day we had.

"D! What's up yo?" Derek says, throwing his arm around my neck and pulling me towards the inside.

"A party? Really?"

"Excited for tomorrow?" He continues, ignoring me.

I shake my head at him, both in frustration and in answer to his question.

"It'll be fun. There's weed, alcohol, fun games and-"

"And a room with a door so I can escape you people?" I asked hopefully, side eyeing him.

"And presents. I was about to say presents."

Before I got a chance to respond, a hoard of people suddenly came to hug and greet me and our conversation was forgotten as I reluctantly got into the groove of being there.

I didn't want to admit how much fun it was to finally be around so many familiar faces after being so alone the past few years. It even felt good to listen to the boring stories of what everyone was up to and I believed them when they said they'd missed me.

About an hour into exchanging stories my mind wandered around the room and as though by static, they landed on Chris as he was engrossed in conversation with Trent as Alexis stood quietly, hands folded in front of her.

My mind immediately turned from the people around me as I grew curious and the second the trio left through the back door, I heard myself mumble a lame excuse before following after them.

The cabin we were staying in was one of about ten, located on 100 acres of land and each was given enough space between them for privacy yet not enough that someone couldn't get to another if need be.

Trent was siting on a log big enough to fit 2 people as he vehemently tried to say something to Chris, Alexis still had her arms crossed but now she had an annoyed look on her face and Chris, well, I couldn't see his expression as he backed me.

I silently slipped behind a tree that was closest to the side of the house as they were in a clearing towards the center and was happy that Trent was speaking loudly, almost shouting and that the music in the house was low from out here.

"- that's because you don't ever think things through Chris!" Trent all but shouted. "You just do whatever you feel like and fuck the consequences then when shit hits the fan, we are left to clean up the mess."

He pauses for Chris to respond and I don't hear him and I'm tempted to move closer but stop myself as in doing so would only get me seen.

"He isn't your only epic love, Chris. Trust me, there are more epic loves out there. You can't just uproot your entire life and change shit around just cause you let him hit again. News flash bro, you already know how this story ends."

My blood was starting to boil as I stood there silently listening to him bash me while Alexis said nothing and I couldn't even hear if Chris was agreeing or not.

Did Alexis truly not forgive me? Wasn't she happy that we were working on fixing us? Was her forgiveness a lie?

"I get it! I truly do. You love him. He's your first true love but he isn't your only and just as you survived without him before, you can again."

Barely!

He said it tore him up the same way it did me.

"That isn't good enough Chris!" He shouts and my hands created fists as my narrowed eyes zeroed in on him, fully preparing to make a mess of his face.

"Stop yelling at him!"

"Am I wrong Lex? Did you forget the day he came over and sat on the floor of my living room, for 3 days! He didn't eat, he didn't move, he barely slept. Just crying the entire time. Did that not break you to know that one guy was enough to ruin him like that?

He was so in love with that asshole that he ignored the fact that, that dude was constantly getting drunk and fucking girls almost every week for the 2 years that they were together. He made Chris feel worthless and as though he didn't deserve love. Even when we tried our best to make him leave, he wouldn't.

He struggled so hard to get over that scumbag and now that he has, now that he has his life back on tract, now that we all came around to the idea of him going back home to take care of the business and to be with his mother. Now that he is himself again, you mean to tell me I should just be okay with him letting some guy fuck with his mind again?"

"Trent-"

"The first few weeks of them talking, Chris was crying again. He was depressed again! We were dragging him to clubs just to cheer him up so he wouldn't go back to the way he was. We nearly died trying to make him forget about that guy. Yet you wanna defend him?! Really?"

"I can't live without him." Chris' broken voice said and I felt my body beginning to move towards him on its own.

A firm hand on my shoulder stopped me and I turned to see Eric shake his head before walking forward.