Fight For You (Chris Evans)

Chapter 5

Sophie's POV:

"Sarah, I can't fall in love with him. I'm leaving in less than a week" I state anxiously. I suspected that I was but I explained it as Chris making me feel seen since Jake's cheating didn't help at all with my self-esteem. But after our movie night, I couldn't deny it anymore. The way he responded to my issues with cheating and wondering what was wrong with me was perfect. And promising to prove to me how perfect he thinks I am. Then there was waking up on his sofa the following morning, wrapped in his arms. The ways he made me feel that night and morning was undeniable. I love him.

"Sophie, babe, you need to breathe. There are ways around this. It doesn't have to end because you're coming home in a few days" Sarah tries calming me down. "You should tell him. He clearly cares about you, if not loves you. You can figure out what to do when you come home" she adds and it makes me stop in my tracks.

"How? Long distance? They never work, what if he gets fed up of waiting? What if he cheats on me too?" I panic, starting to pace my room while Sarah watches me from my laptop screen. "Listen, I know that Jake really screwed with your head and I wanna kill him for it. But Chris really doesn't sound like that, he promised you he'd never cheat and I believe him. You'll never know if you don't tell him. Maybe he'll have an idea that we haven't thought of. I'm sure he'll ease your anxieties about it, far better than I can" she argues and I realise that she's right. There's nothing that she or I can do ourselves. This needs to be something I discuss with Chris, no matter how terrifying that conversation may be.

"I don't think I've seen you as happy as you have been on this trip, and I think that's because of Chris. He makes you smile. He makes you smile in a way you haven't in months. I don't want you to lose this because you're scared. Fight for him. Fight for the happiness you feel when you're with him" she adds with a pleading expression and I realise how happy I've been lately. I haven't felt this free and like myself in a long time. I almost forgot what it felt like.

"You're right. I'm meeting him later so I'll talk to him. I want to give us a shot, even if it scares me" I nod, trying to instil this confidence in myself. "Good, you'll be ok" she assures me and I smile at her before she starts updating me about her life in Brooklyn.

Chris' POV:

"Scott, I'm falling in love with her. What am I gonna do? She's only here for another few days" I worry, hoping my brother will have some useful advice. "That doesn't mean it has to end. She can move here, you can move there, you can do long distance, you can travel back and forth. Brooklyn is relatively close. It could be much farther. You can figure something out" he suggests. He's right, it may not be conventional but we could make it work. But I know how nervous and hesitant she already is after everything Jake did, what if this is just too much on top of that?

"You clearly love her Chris, you'll regret it if you don't even try" he adds and I nod in agreement. "You're right. I just don't know whether it'll be too much for her. I don't want to add to her plate" I explain briefly but ultimately deciding that I'll talk to her about it.

I wait at Sophie's door after knocking and she opens the door with a smile. "Hey baby" she greets and I smile at the nickname she chose for me. "Hi sweetheart" I reply, offering my hand once she shuts her door. She takes it happily before we make our way out of the hotel. Our conversation is the same as usual but I can't help but feel the gnawing confession settled in my chest. I'll tell her, when we're at my place.

She sits at the counter across from me while I cook. I decided to cook her something today so she sits and watches me while we chat. "Sweetheart" I call, getting her attention after a few seconds of silence. "Yeah" she smiles up at me. "I know that you're leaving in a few days but... I'm falling for you" I finally confess and watch her expression soften and her smile drops. The excruciatingly slow seconds pass as I wait for her response, my heart almost beating out of my chest. Moment of truth.

"I'm falling for you too" she states with a smile and I sigh in relief at her reciprocation. "I know it's complicated because I'm going home soon but I don't want to abandon this" she adds, reaching a hand out to me. An almost overwhelming feeling of relief flows through me at the fact she wants to try. I ignore the hand she offered me and instead, make my way around the counter to reach her. "I don't want to abandon this either. I want to try, whatever you're comfortable with" I assure her as I stand in front of her, giving her the control.

"I don't think either of us can move. You have your family here and I have mine in Brooklyn and my job. I'm willing to try long distance, even though the idea itself scares me but I want to try with you" she suggests hopefully and I smile at her. "We can try long distance, but why does it scare you?" I ask, wanting to do what I can to relieve her of any worries and she takes a deep breath, seemingly to open up more than she usually would. I'm beyond grateful that she's willing to open up to me so much, especially after not knowing me for very long.

"What if we can't handle the distance? What if we can't wait until we can be together like this? What if- What if you can't wait and you cheat?" she explains and as I go to reassure her that I'm all in, she raises her hand to stop me so I wait for her to finish. "I know you promised you'd never cheat, but long distance feels like a completely different thing than what we talked about the other day. It has so much more to it and I don't think I could handle it again" she continues, her eyes welling with tears and I feel my heart break for her.

"I know that long distance is more than either of us expected from this but I promise you I'm all in. I want this to work, I want to be with you. I can't imagine feeling this way about anyone else, no matter how far apart we are. And I know that actions speak louder than words so give me the chance to show you that you're the only one I see" I assure her as I cup her face, ensuring she sees the truth and dedication in my expression. I need her to know that I will do anything to prove that to her. I use my thumb to wipe a tear that slips down her cheek as she gazes back at me and I give her the time she needs to believe what I've just told her.

She begins to nod slowly and I'm filled with hope. "Ok, I trust you. Let's do long distance" she agrees with a smile before reaching for my waist and hugging me. I wrap my arms around her shoulders and rest a hand on the back of her head while her cheek rests against my chest. "And I'll come to Brooklyn from time to time, I'll pay for your flights to Boston. We'll still see each other, I promise" I assure her with a little squeeze. She pulls away with a nod. "We'll make it work" she assures me and I kiss her happily, glad she's willing to at least try.