A Chance Meeting | Chris Evans

Chapter 122

(Just realised that I'd saved this second half as a draft and not posted it last night like I thought I had 🙄 )

...continued
'So what's the plan for the rest of the day?' Justin asked later. 'If it was really Christmas we'd be eating our bodyweight in chocolate and watching films.'
'Sounds like a good idea to me.' Becca agreed.
'Why don't you lot choose a film,' Thelma said to Becca, Justin and Viv, 'and we'll get the chocolate.'
'I think there's plenty of chocolate here already mum - Justin didn't eat it all yet.' Becca joked.
'Har har.'
'This is special chocolate, sweetie.' Her mum said, bringing through a box and handing it to Becca. 'You said these weren't easy to get hold of in America, so we thought you'd probably missed them.'
'What is it?' Justin asked, looking over her shoulder.
'It's Lindt chocolate.' Becca said, feeling an ache in her chest.
Just like Chris got me.
She saw her mum watching her and forced a smile. 'Thanks mum.'
'I love these.' Justin grinned, snatching one.
'When's the last time you had these?' Her dad asked.
'I...err...not that long ago actually. Someone bought them for me.'
'The young man you were seeing?' Her mum asked.
Becca nodded.
'How'd he manage to get hold of those in the states?'
'I bet he can get whatever he wants.' Justin muttered.
'Justin.' Becca warned.
'Anyway, thanks for these.' She said, changing the subject.
'You're welcome dear. Now, what film are we going to watch?'
'We didn't choose one yet.'
'One of your superhero ones, I'm sure.' He dad added.
'Ummm...'
Is that wise? I'll probably spend the whole time thinking of him, even if he's not in it.
'Maybe we can watch something else.' Viv said, discretely.
No, you know what? Screw him. I like the Marvel movies and I'm not going to let him spoil them for me.
'No. We'll watch one.' Becca said.
'Really?'
'Yeah. Screw him.'
'Okay. Which one do you want to watch?'
Which one is going to remind me of him the least?
'How about Guardians?'
That should be safe.

But it hadn't worked.
'Are you okay, Becca darling?' Her mum asked afterwards. 'You seem a little down in the dumps.'
Damn. I thought I'd hidden it better than that.
Maybe it's time to tell her.
'Yeah, I am a bit, to tell the truth.'
Her mum glanced across the room at Justin and lowered her voice. 'Is it because of Justin? Because I know you said that was fine now, but-'
'No. It's not Justin. I really am past that. It just...well, you know that things with the guy from America didn't work out?'
'Yes.'
'Well, it went wrong. Like really wrong, like car crash wrong.'
'Oh.'
'Yeah.'
'And you're sad because you miss him?'
'Partly that. I mean, I do miss him because he was so sweet and we got on really well...or I thought we did.' Becca frowned. 'The whole thing was just really confusing.'
'Why?'
'Well, for months he'd been sweet and considerate, and he'd seemed like he really, really liked me. Then he just seemed to change overnight and it was like he couldn't care less.'
Her mum frowned. 'That's strange.'
'That's one word for it.' Becca said.
'Did anything happen beforehand?'
'I don't know. I don't think so. But he said some really mean things the last time I saw him. Viv actually told him that he was a bell-end. Didn't you, Viv?' She raised her voice a little to get Viv's attention.
'Huh?' Viv dragged her attention away from the TV.
'I was telling mum how Chris went from seeming really nice and sweet, to a complete prick who didn't give two stuffs about me.'
She couldn't miss the look that passed between Viv and Justin.
'You've got to tell her. She'd want to know.' Justin said to Viv.
'Tell me what?' Becca asked.
'Ella didn't want me to tell you, but Chris came by the flat on Saturday.' Viv said
'What?! What the hell did he want? To tell me again that I'm nothing special and easily replaced?'
'He was-'
'I hope you told him to sod off!' Becca said vehemently.
'He looked awful, Becca.' Viv said. 'Really rough. Like he'd been drinking for days and he had the world's worst hangover.'
He's not meant to drink on his meds.
'Well that's not my fault. What did he want?'
'He said that he needed to talk to you and tell you he was sorry.'
He did?
'And then what?'
'Well, Ella turned up at that point and kind of laid into him. And she said...she told him that you weren't at the flat any more because you'd gone home...with Justin. She made it sound like you'd gotten back together.'
'What? Why?'
'She said that she didn't want Chris to have the satisfaction of knowing how much he'd upset you. She wanted him to think you'd moved on that quickly. She was really mad.'
'Yeah, well so was I - and just because he's sorry doesn't undo what he said or what a dick he was!' Becca said angrily.
'It doesn't. But you didn't see his face - he just looked so sad, Becca.'
But that doesn't make sense.
'But he said that I meant nothing to him - that he could replace me in a heartbeat. Why would he care if I've gone off with Justin?'
'What if he didn't mean what he said?' Viv asked. 'About you not being important to him.'
'What the hell?! Why are you suddenly taking his side, Viv?'
'I'm not - I'm on your side. Of course I am. But he just seemed so sad.'
'What if he was just pretending - he is an actor you know.' Becca pointed out.
'I know, but why would he do that?'
'I don't know!' Becca said.
'Maybe he's just worried you'll sell all his secrets to the press now he's pissed you off.' Justin said. 'Hey, maybe you should.' He added.
I'd never do that.

'Maybe you should talk to him.' Her mum suggested. 'Maybe give him a call?'
'I deleted his number.' Becca admitted. 'Besides, why're you encouraging me to talk to him? I told you what he said! Shouldn't you be telling me that I'm better off without him, or something?'
'Well, I'm not happy that he was mean to you. But if he's been as nice as you said up until now, and you like him, then maybe you should give him a chance to explain himself.' Her mum said. 'He wouldn't be the first person to say something nasty during a fight that he didn't mean.'
Like I did.
I threw his anxiety back in his face.
Becca sighed. 'It's not that simple. Even if he has a good excuse and he's sorry, it's more complicated than that.'
'Why?'
'Because-' Becca began.
'Because he's a dick.' Justin interrupted.
Becca rolled her eyes. 'Thank you Justin, your unbiased opinion is very helpful.'
Justin shrugged.
'Justin doesn't like Chris much because he never saw him when he was being sweet.' Viv explained to Becca's mum. 'He only met Chris on the day it all went wrong and he was-'
'A dick.' Justin repeated.
'Yes, yes, we all know your thoughts on him, but shut up now and let Becca's explain.' Viv said.
'You were saying that it's complicated...' her mum encouraged.
'It is. He comes with a lot of baggage.' Becca admitted. 'He's...umm...he's famous.'
'He is?'
'Yeah.'
'How famous?'
She took a deep breath. 'It's Chris Evans.'
Her mum looked at her blankly.
'Chris Evans from the Marvel movies? He plays Captain America.' She continued when her mum looked none the wiser.
Oh, for goodness sake! How many times have you watched those movies with me?
'Oh hang on.' Becca said, googling a picture of Chris as Steve and showing her mum. 'This guy.'
'Oh yes.' Her mum said. 'I remember him. He's very handsome.'
'Yeah.'
'And this is the man you've been seeing?'
'Yeah.'
'How did that come about?'
'It's kind of a long story.'
'Well, we've got time.' Her mum said. 'I'll put the kettle on and you can start at the beginning.'

Becca told her mum everything - how they'd been matched on the dating site and that they'd chatted and messaged for weeks before she found out who he was, how keen he'd seemed, how often he'd gotten in touch or made excuses to pop round, how he'd wanted her to meet his friends and his family and how he'd opened up about his anxiety.
'And he went from that to telling me that he doesn't want anything to do with me and that I'm  nothing special to him.' Becca said bitterly.
'Becca, people don't put that much effort into a relationship when someone is nothing special to them.' Her mum said. 'They only do that if they're completely smitten.'
'That's what me and Ella kept telling her.' Viv said.
'Yeah, well if he was so smitten, why'd he suddenly do a 180 and tell me that he never wants to see me again?'
'I don't know, but something must have happened, darling.' Her mum suggested.
'Maybe.' Becca agreed. 'But I don't know what.'
Her mum lowered her voice. 'There is one thing that I can think of.' She said, nodding her head in the direction of Justin across the room.
'Justin?'
'You said things went wrong on the day Justin turned up.' Her mum pointed out.
'They did, but Chris was acting a bit strangely even before we saw Justin. Kind of distant.' Becca thought some more. 'But I guess he didn't get really weird until we got back to the flat and Justin was there.'
'Did he know your history with Justin?' Her mum asked.
'Oh yeah, I'd told him everything.' Becca said.
Including the fact that I didn't know if I was over Justin.
'But he can't possibly have been jealous - he's Chris Evans for God's sake!' She said.
'You know, now I come to think of it, when he came to the flat and Ella told him that you'd gone off with Justin, he didn't look surprised to hear it, just sad.' Viv said.
Becca shook her head in confusion. 'But why...? Urgh! All these questions are making my brain hurt.'
'Maybe you should talk to him and get some answers.' Her mum said.
'Hmm...maybe.'