Time After Time ✔️

Chapter 3

I wake up a few hours later to Chris running small circles along my back. I moaned, turning to face him, "when will you be back?"

He sighed, shaking his head, "I don't know. As soon as I can."

"I can always come and visit you in Boston."

He shook his head, standing up from the bed, "no. We've talked about this before Nik."

I see him leave and come back with his bag, pulling out clothes to get dressed.

"Take me out, before I have to leave."

I sighed, getting up to get dressed too. He liked being out in St. Louis, he didn't have to worry about being seen, because why would Chris Evans be in St. Louis? And he wore a STL hat I bought him for when he's in town. So no one really ever recognized him. I watched him put it over his hair, pulling it over his eyes.

"You know I hate wearing this right?"

I laughed, wrapping my arms around his torso, "I know. But I love it."

He nodded, "I only wear it for you." He leaned down, kissing her softly on the lips, "come on. Not everyday I can go out on the town with a girl without people recognizing me."

"Yeah. Yeah." I grabbed my stuff as he grabbed my hand, leading me out of my apartment.

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We sat on a bench looking out on the river under the Arch, eating lunch. I watched him for a while, knowing he noticed but neither of us wanting to talk.

Finally he sighed, "what?"

I shook my head, looking back over the water, "nothing."

He shook his head, putting down his food, "Nik. We've talked about this. I can't bring you to Boston. As soon as I do everyone will know who you are. You know we do it this way to protect you."

I nodded, still not looking at him, "just feels sometimes like I'm some kept secret you keep hidden. Ashamed." I started to get annoyed, "I mean how do I know you don't have other women stashed elsewhere?"

"Nik. Come on. Look at me," he grabbed her chin, noticing the tears that were welling already, "we've known each other for how long? Almost 15 years? You don't know me better than that by now?"

I nodded, "I know. I didn't mean it. I see you with other women, bringing other women home to Boston."

"Yeah. And they know what they're signing up for. I want to protect you Nik. And we discussed this a long time ago when we decided to start sleeping together, that it was just that. Don't tell me you're jealous now."

I shook my head, "not in that way. I want to be able to see where you grew up. Where you hung out with your friends. Where you took girls when you were a teenager. Like I have here for you."

He laughed, "I know. For the record, I've never done that with a woman I've taken to Boston."

I nodded, "yeah. But they've met your family. We've been friends forever, and I've only met Scott a few times. Yet you call me your best friend. I mean, does your family even know about me?"

He groaned, "I know. I know that you're right. I just don't know how to do it. They do know about you, of course they do. But they would assume you were more than just a friend just because you're a woman."

"If they know about me, what do they think?

He shrugged, "they think you don't like the spotlight. But they know I come visit you. They don't know I visit as often as I actually do, but they know."

I shrugged, "would that be such a bad thing if I came to Boston?"

Chris shook his head, looking at the ground, "no, of course it wouldn't. What happened to this being our private universe? What if I bring you into my world and it messes up our friendship?"

I sighed, "we thought sleeping together would ruin the friendship, but it hasn't. And how long has it been now?"

He laughed, looking back up at her, "almost 10, amazing years. We're really great at it."

I laughed, "we are. Has it ruined the friendship?"

He shook his head, leaning his lips close to hers, "no. I enjoy it." He kissed her softly, moaning when she quickly parted his lips with her tongue, teasing him. "That's a dirty trick."

I laughed, leaning back, "I know."

He sighed, putting his arm up for her to move closer to him as he rested his head on hers, "I don't know Nik. I'll figure out something. Okay?"

I nodded, "thank you. I want to be a bigger part of your life."

"You're already are. But I know what you mean."

**Flashback**

I sat on my couch with Chris watching a movie on his third visit this year. We had been friends going on almost 5 years already. He came to visit me whenever he could. Sometimes I saw him twice a year, sometimes every few months. It had been less than two months since he had last been here. I think because he just got out of a serious relationship and needed to be around a friend. He laid his head on my lap as I carded my fingers through his hair. He rolled on his back, closing his eyes as I see him softly smile.

"Third visit in the last few months, I must be a lucky girl."

Chris laughed, looking up at her, "I missed you. And had time. I can go if you want."

He pretended to get up and I pushed him back down on his chest, "no no." He held my hand, keeping it on his chest as he looked at me. "What?"

He shook his head, letting go and sitting up, "nothing."

"No, what?" I knelt on the couch, hitting him softly in the arm.

He laughed, "you better stop."

I giggled at his smirk, "or what?"

"This." He grabbed her firmly by the waist, pulling her to him, kissing her before she could protest.

I moaned, never having been kissed by him before as he pulled me into his lap. I quickly straddled him, my lips never leaving his. His moans turned me on as I felt his hands on my back, trailing up under my shirt and I felt him hard under me. I finally pulled away, "what are we doing?"

He shook his head, "I don't care. Don't stop."

I heard him groan as he leaned back in and I pulled away, "Chris. We're just friends."

He nodded, "and we can remain just friends. I want you. I always have. It doesn't have to change anything."

I shook my head, "what if it does?"

"We won't let it." He moved his hands around us, "this is our own private universe and what happens here stays here. It won't ruin it if we don't let it." He kissed her again urgently as he removed his shirt, "tell me you've never thought about it."

I moaned, "of course I have."

He nodded, removing her shirt, "good." He pulled her lips back to his and he started to undo his belt, laying her back on the couch as he watched her make quick business of removing the rest of her own clothes. He moaned, looking over her naked body for the first time, "you have no idea how long I've wanted this."

**End of Flashback**