Not Without You [Chris Evans]

23

Chris' POV

I didn't know what to think when Megan asked to talk to Sadie and Lizzie other than I was relieved she was finally going to talk to someone. I wanted to beat the shit out of her dickhead ex but showing that amount of anger in front of Megan wasn't going to help my case in the long run - it was bad enough she felt threatened by Steve Rogers, I didn't need to make it worse.

"Did you see her expression?" I asked Seb when I came back into the living room.

"Hard to miss," he said, taking a drink. "She knew we'd talked about her; she isn't dumb."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Tom said, looking a little pale as he slid off the couch. "I shouldn't have looked. Who does that to a girl - someone you say you love? That's just not right."

"I don't know," I said, even more agitated now. "I've never understood that - and I don't want to."

"No, it isn't right. That bad?" Sebastian asked.

Tom swallowed convulsively and nodded. "It looks really bad. You remember how I looked when my wire failed and I fell five or six feet and knocked the wind out of myself?" We nodded - he'd been lucky he hadn't been hurt worse. He'd been black and blue for two weeks and we knew the kid wasn't a wuss - he'd been in serious pain for a while. "She looks worse."

Sebastian put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "Chris, you need to calm the fuck down. She's already scared of Steve - America's goddamn boy scout - for fucks sake she doesn't need to have a reason to be scared of you, too. Go take one of your pills and get yourself together."

I knew then that Seb was just as pissed as I was - the angrier he got the more he tended to curse. I nodded, jumping to my feet and quickly walking to my bedroom to get one of my anxiety pills. I didn't like having to take them, but he was right - I was too on edge right now.

"Did you get things figured out?" Tom asked when they came back in the living room, hopping to his feet and going directly to Sadie. He was still pale and jittery; shaken from what he'd seen earlier. I leaned on the doorway while I took in the girls' moods. Lizzie was more relieved than anything, flashing me a smile.

"We did," Sadie said, pulling Tom into a hug and murmuring something quietly to him while running her fingers through his unruly curls. Tom talked quickly to her in a low voice while she did that, visibly calming while she gave him her undivided attention, treating him like one of her own sons.

"Baz?" Megan asked tentatively as she sat down in her previous spot, twisting her hands in her lap. "Is it all right if I stay at your place for a while? Just until I get things figured out?"

My chest ached knowing she was choosing him over me, but my brain understood why even if my heart didn't. She didn't see Sebastian as anything other than a friend - their random goofiness together tonight proved that.

"Of course, Roşu," he said, giving her a smile. "We can go get your stuff tomorrow...I mean later today."

"We?" she asked, confused, scrunching her nose adorably.

"You think we're letting you go there alone?" he snorted, shaking his head. "No way in hell! I have no desire to visit you in the hospital any time soon, kid. I know this guy's type and I'd bet good money the marks on your arms aren't the only ones on you."

"If he's done it before, he'll do it again," I agreed as I sat down next to her, giving her a look. If Seb hadn't said anything, I sure as hell would have - she'd been through enough already. "Are you ready to finish the movie?"