Closer to Love 💚

Chapter 13

"So?"

Francesca looked at Richard as they talked at the filming wrap party on set. "So what?"

Richard groaned, "come on Franny. We don't work together anymore. I want to be with you."

"Ugh. Come on Richie. We had sex once almost 5 months ago. How can you know that you want to be with me, let alone love me?"

He smirked, "and we've hung out and spent almost everyday together since then. What I don't understand is how you can not know?"

Francesca groaned, watching him, "I don't know Richard."

He sighed, "yes you do Franny. Stop running and leap with me."

She watched him walk away to talk to someone else. She sat, watching him, seeing him look up at her every so often as she thought about getting to know him over the last few months. Nick told her he loved her, why couldn't she tell him she felt the same? Did she feel the same? Was she wasting both their times? She looked up to see him come up to her with a plate of food.

"You should eat something."

She smiled at him as he sat next to her, "thank you Richie." 

He laughed, nudging her shoulder, "you know I only let you call me that."

She shrugged, "well you're the only one I let call me Franny."

He nodded, placing his hand on her thigh, "I know. That tell you anything?"

Francesca sighed as she chuckled, "why are you so charming all the time?"

Richard laughed, "it's just who I am love." 

She shook her head before taking a bite of her pasta, dropping some on her blouse. "Fuck." She tried to clean off her blouse but a giant red stain remained. She groaned and she heard Richard laugh as Alison came up to them. She noticed the stain on Francesca's shirt, chuckling a bit.

Francesca looked up at her, "can I borrow a shirt?"

Alison scoffed, "so you can ruin one of mine? No way."

Richard rolled his eyes as he grabbed Francesca's plate and set it on the table next to them. He stood up and held out his hand to her, "you can have one of mine love."

She followed him into his trailer, seeing him pull out a white t-shirt for her, "thanks." She begins to unbutton her shirt, seeing him still watching her, "well turn around."

He smirked, "I've seen you naked Franny. Think I can't handle seeing you without a shirt on?"

Francesca laughed, placing her hands on her hips, "something might have changed in that time."

He took a step towards her, "right." 

She didn't move as he approached her, bringing his hands up to her shirt. He smirked as he heard her breath hitch as he continued to unbutton her shirt for her. "Rich.." 

He didn't let her finish as his mouth crashed into hers as he removed her shirt before she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands in his hair. He smiled as she moaned softly as he guided her back to the bed. 

She moaned as he pinned her under him, his lips trailing down her neck. He slipped her bra strap down her shoulder as he trailed kisses following it. 

"I love you Franny." 

She nodded as he moved his kisses down her chest. She moaned as she pulled his mouth back to hers.

He hovered his mouth over hers, "I want you Franny. Just say the word. I want to be inside you."

"Richard, just kiss me." She heard him chuckle as he pressed his lips back to her neck.

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Nick enters the set, unable to find Francesca but is recognized by Alison. "Hey, do you know where Francesca is?"

Alison nodded, "yeah. I think she spilled something on her shirt so Richard offered to give her one of his shirts."

"Okay? Why didn't you offer her one of your shirts?"

She scoffed, "I don't share clothes. I'll show you where his trailer is."

Nick rolled his eyes as he followed her to Richard's trailer. Alison knocks softly before opening the door. They see Richard on top of Francesca on the bed. Nick groans, feeling his heart sink to his stomach as Alison pulls out her phone to take a picture of them.

Alison crosses her arms as she cleared her throat loudly.

Richard leapt up off of Francesca as she sat up, holding his t-shirt over herself. She looked up to see Nick just looking at them, a panged expression on his face. She stood up, "Nick, I.."

He shook his head, not saying anything as he walked out of the trailer.

She groaned, pushing past Alison as she threw on Richard's shirt. She called after Nick, but he ignored her and kept walking.

Richard looked at Alison, "I'm sorry Ali."

She shook her head, "you will be." She left before he could say anything else.

After a few minutes he heard Francesca come back into the trailer, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed with her tear streaked cheeks, "I'm so sorry Franny."

She groaned as she rested her head on his shoulder, "please just stop talking." She heard him sigh before putting his arm around her as she cried.

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Francesca returned back to her apartment to find a box outside her door. She carried it inside, setting it on the kitchen counter. She opened it to find all the things she had left at Nick's apartment over the last few months. She groaned, sitting on the couch as she began to cry again.

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The next morning Francesca is drinking coffee when she hears someone knock on the door. She opens it to find Richard standing in front of her, "what are you doing here Richie?"

He smirked, seeing her still in his shirt from the day before, "can I come in? I wanted to talk to you about something."

She nodded as she sighed and moved to the side, "do you want some coffee?"

Richard shook his head, "no. I can't stay. Look Franny, I love you.."

She groaned, "Richard.."

He put his hand up, "no. Let me finish. I love you and I want to be with you. And I know it's terrible timing, with Nick and everything. But I need you to leap with me love." He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to her, "I'm going on a small holiday with my family in a few days. This has all the information you need to join me, the time, place. Etc. I want you to come. Please. I'll wait for you. If you aren't on the plane I won't bother you anymore."

She scoffed, "don't give me an ultimatum Richard. Either I go on holiday with you and your family or else there is no chance for us in the future? That's insane."

Richard shrugged, "maybe. But I need you to know how serious I am. You haven't gotten the message up until now. So... I love you and I hope to see you in a few days." He pointed to the shirt, "and that looks good on you." 

She blushed as he smirked at her before leaving her alone in her apartment. She groaned as she plopped back onto the couch, thinking about his proposal.