Part 9

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​​​​​​​You don’t feel very well.
You’re not sure you want to go out.

“Babe?” Chris knocks on the bathroom door for the fourth time. “You ready?”
He was so fucking… Pushy.
You sigh, gazing at your reflection as you finish your side braid. “In a minute.”
“It’s eleven thirty, we should get going soon.”
“I’m almost done!”
Stop rushing!
The more he presses, the slower and more reluctant you become. 
What was even the big deal?
Half the time neither of you were even up until noon.
And you really don’t feel so well.
You’re wanting to get a headache, and you kind of just have that overall yuck feeling.
Ugh.
“Do we have to go today?” you call, lightly running a brush across your cheeks.
“Yes! I have the whole day planned out!”
Was he still hovering outside the bathroom door?
You grimace as you finish your makeup.
At least you’re ready to go.
Although you don’t know about how long you were going to want to be out.
Maybe only a couple hours.
You really don’t feel well.
Sighing, you open the bathroom door, looking up as you see Chris looming there.
“You look wonderful, babe,” he says with a grin, reaching for your hands. “Ready to go? I figure we can get some lunch.”
Food…?
Maybe you’ll pass.
But Chris looks so excited, you don’t want to spoil it for him.
“Okay, sounds good,” you say, forcing a smile, and he basically beams at you.
He keeps a tight hold on your hand as he drags you towards the coat rack, as if he was afraid you’d run away if he let go.
Why was he in such a rush to get you out?
“Why are we in such a hurry?” you sigh as he helps you into your coat, his fingers then twining tightly through yours again.
“Because I have plans!” he informs, already opening the door and shoving your purse at you. He ushers you out, quickly locking it and making a break for the elevators, his strides so long you almost have to run after him.
You huff as you follow him, more and more irritated. 
Why was he in such a hurry!?
~~~~
“Okay… And they’re gone! They just got into the car,” Devin whispers into his phone, watching the two of you drive out of the parking garage and onto the street. Chris mother makes approving sounds, and after a moment she steps out of the car she’d come in, Balz hopping out beside her. 
“She didn’t look happy to be going out,” Chris mother comments, carrying a large basket in her arms overflowing with decorations.
“She didn’t feel well this morning,” Devin shrugs. “So we might not have as much time as we thought.”
His mother frowns.
Oh dear. 
Was he sure you weren’t pregnant?
“Then we better hurry,” she announces, already heading for the elevators. “Does everyone know what to do?”
“I pick up the food at seven,” Balz says.
“I make sure everyone arrives,” Ryan huffs, him and Ricky hurrying up to the group. 
“And I help with decorations,” Ricky bursts, out of breathe.
“Good! Now let’s go, kids!”
Kids?
All the guys grimace.
Right.
“Oh, and I’m gonna need the rest of the things from the car,” his mother adds, already at the elevator. 
“Okay. Me and Ricky can get them,” Balz says, both men pausing. “We’ll meet you up there.”
“Wonderful.”
They watch as Chris mother and the remaining guys step dutifully into the elevator before turning back to the car.
“Do you think everything is going to go good tonight?” Ricky asks curiously, slouching a little. “Or be a bust?”
“Let’s hope it’s good, I can’t imagine (Y/N) telling him no after we’ve gone through all this effort; and she loves him, so what more is there to it?” Balz shrugs, reaching for the car keys.
He’d drove Chris mother from her hotel all the way to Chris apartment.
She was a really nice lady.
“She’s complicated though,” Ricky frowns. “So she could surprise us. Chris will be devastated if she turns him down.”
Yup.
Absolutely destroyed.
But maybe he’d be okay — eventually. 
He did tend to jump into shit sometimes.
Balz hopes it just isn’t too soon for you, that you do say yes and that you and Chris get your happy ending. You’re both good people who deserve to be happy — or at least you do.
Chris is an asshole.
Balz sighs as he pops the trunk open.
Ricky frowns.
There was a lot of junk in that trunk.
“Dude. There’s no way in hell we can carry all of that at once.”
Balz scratches his chin.
“Well, shit.”
Twenty minutes and four elevator trips later, they had all the decorations in the apartment, which was already looking like a disaster zone as Chris mother orders the furniture to be moved to make room for some folding tables and chairs.
Devin was already hanging up some streamers, frowning when he couldn’t get the tape to stick inconspicuously; it wasn’t like he could tack it in the wall and make tiny holes for the apartment manager to freak out about if Chris moves out.
and why the hell was he the one on streamer duty?
Ryan looks a little loss as he stands amidst a pile of table clothes and flowers, obviously not knowing what to do with them, candles placed around his feet.
“Thank god we have all day,” Balz sighs as he looks around, the apartment merely looking like a disaster zone. “We’re really going to need it.”
~~~~~
You sneeze into your tissue for probably the eight time that morning.
You must be getting a cold.
You want to go home and curl into a ball in bed.
You glance over at Chris as he hums absently, driving through the thick traffic easily; you could tell he has a destination in mind from how he’s driving, but you have absolutely no idea what it is.
He seems completely oblivious to your misery.
Happy fucker.
What did he even have to be happy about!?
“Chris?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Why are you so happy today?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?” he asks, glancing over at you with a sincere smile. “I get to spend the day with you.”
You refuse to let the sweetness of the comment get to you.
“Okay. But why else are you happy?” you press suspiciously, raising your tissue to your nose. “You can’t be excited to spend time with me when I sound nasally and have to keep blowing my nose, it’s gross!”
“You realize I’m here for you in sickness and in health right?”
“Oh fuck off, you happy clone of my boyfriend.”
Chris chuckles.
Today was just going to be an absolute blast.
You Glance His Clothes Over.
He wasn’t necessarily dressed to the nines, but he was dressed very well, almost fancy.
He’d even hinted very obviously that you should wear something nice as well. 
Which is why you were in a nice dress, although it was hidden beneath your jacket.
At least he hadn’t chosen the most slutty clothing possible for you like Devin would have.
Devin was all about showing of the boobs apparently. 
“So how’s the album coming along?” you ask; Chris had been spending an awful lot of time at the studio lately, all those late nights working. You’d been asleep when he’d come home a couple times.
“Slowly,” he sighs, for the first time sounding a little irritated. “We’re having a hard time getting everything together. Apparently. ….”
And there he goes into technicalities. 
You nod in hopefully all the right places, but he loses you quickly, so you just content yourself to listening to his voice.
What more was there to do?
“What about you? You ever work out that thing from the other day?” Chris asks, quickly turning down another street, scowling when the person in front of him slows down and turns without a blinker.
Fucker.
“Oh, yeah. We got it worked out,” you say, picking at your coat; where was he taking you? “Turns out some coding was done badly.”
“Ah. As long as you’re not in any trouble.”
“Nope, it wasn’t my fault. And the article was sent in on time so everything’s good.”
You hope.
You were kind of assuming there.
For all you know your new asshole of a manager would just fire you; the company who contracts you had changed hands several times, so you’re not completely sure how long you’re going to have a job
For all you know, they could fire you next week.
Although you hadnt mentioned any of that to Chris.
No point in freaking him out too, especially since he was so busy.
You feel his hand close over yours, and you send him a genuine smile as you look over, one he quickly returns as he drives down the highway, easily maneuvering through traffic.
Maybe you shouldn’t be such a sour puss.
Chris does seem to care about you, and he seems excited to take you out today and just spend time with you, no one else. You should make the best out of it that you can and not drag him down.
You don’t want to be a dick.
Chris glances down as his phone goes off, and you don’t miss the nervous look he gives you and it before his eyes return to the road.
Oh what the fuck?
What was that about?
“Do you want me to check that?” you ask casually, your hand tightening in his. “It could be important.”
“On a Saturday? I doubt it. I’ll check it when we get to where we’re going.”
Where you can’t see it you suppose.
Did he have another girlfriend?
Was he cheating on you?
Was he intending to break up with you today? 
You can feel your mood suddenly plummet.
Was he only taking you out so he could let you down gently in public where you wouldn’t make a scene?
“Are you going to break up with me?”
Jesus Christ.
Why the fuck did you just ask that?
Chris sends you a startled look.
“What? Fuck no, why —?”
“Because! You’re being all mysterious!” You pull your hand from his, instead placing them over your face.
Fuck!
He’s gonna break up with you somewhere, you just know it!
“(Y/N)! I just want today to be a surprise I’m not gonna break up with you, Jesus! Why would you think that?” Chris demands, his hands suddenly tight on the wheel. “What the fuck?”
“Because, you — you just — you’ve been weird for the past two weeks!” You blurt, dropping your hands so you can swivel in the seat to look at him, feeling your lips start to tremble.
What the hell is wrong with you? 
Why do you want to cry?
You hardly ever cry! 
Jesus this cold would be the death of you and your relationship! 
But he had been weird!
Working late, not letting you see his phone, having private conversations that stop when you enter the room —.
“Do you have someone else!?”
Chris sends you an incredulous look.
“Are you fucking serious!?”
“Yes! You’re always working late, you won’t let me see your phone anymore, you —.”
“You can see my phone any time, I’m not hiding anything!”
“Fine then!”
Chris snatches it out of the middle cup holder just as you reach for it, and you send him an accusing look.
Chris!”
“I would never cheat on you!” he snaps, looking frustrated. “Jesus, woman! Why would I want you to move in with me if I’m just going to fuck someone else!?”
“Because — because I don’t know!”
You have no idea!
It didn’t make sense to you either!
You’re so confused.
“So why are you being so sneaky?” you demand, openly glaring at him. “What’s going on!?”
Chris sends you an irritated look, and you gasp in surprise as the car suddenly swerves, your hands clenching around your seatbelt.
Jeez!
“Are you trying to kill us!?”
“What the fuck is going on?” Chris demands, cutting the engine off immediately. “Why are you acting this way?”
“What way!? You’re the one being weird!” You hiss, glaring at him. 
He’d stopped the car by a gas station, and both of you were turned, looking at each other.
So much for a good day.

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