Not Without You [Chris Evans]

22

Megan's POV

I was feeling an awful mixture of betrayal, fear and anger - I just didn't know what to think about what they were saying. They'd clearly been talking about me and had come to a mutual decision from the way they acted, supporting each other. I looked past Baz to see Lizzie and Tom leaning on the doorjamb, nodding - and I knew they were in on it too.

"Can I talk to Sadie and Lizzie alone for a minute?" I asked quietly, my face heating under their scrutiny.

"Sure," Sebastian said, letting go of Sadie to go back to the living room and pulling Tom with by one arm. Chris nodded and backed away, going into the hallway.

"We talked about this earlier," Lizzie said, confirming my suspicions. "You didn't think we saw those marks?" She touched my arm gently, taking my hand in hers and linking fingers with me.

"I'm just accident prone," I tried to say only to see them both shake their heads at me.

"Don't," Sadie ordered. "Don't put this on yourself - Andy did this to you, Megan. We know better, honey. This isn't like when you tripped on Sebastian's steps and Chris caught you."

"You're right," I said, wiping away the tears that had leaked out against my will. "I just don't know what to say. He was so angry with me."

"For breaking a bottle of cologne that wasn't even his," Sadie pointed out. "That's unreasonable, honey - he has no right to hurt you for anything. Right?"

"Right," I sniffed, letting them think that was why he'd done it, not just because he'd been drunk and high.

"Megan, will you show Liz your back? I think she needs to see it."

"I know it's not good Meg, but can I see?" Lizzie asked, her face serious. I slowly slid off the counter and turned around, pulling the hem of my shirt up. I heard a gasp when it was high enough to expose the bruises on my ribs and back and I felt the heat of shame on my cheeks.

"I'd say you could stay with me, but I stay in a hotel room when I'm here," Lizzie said quietly when I turned back around, zero condemnation on her beautiful face. "Promise me you won't go alone to go get your stuff even if you don't think he's going to be there."

I opened my mouth to object but Sadie agreed with Lizzie, nodding. "If he was pissed when he thought you were cheating, he's going to be even worse now that you broke up with him. The sooner you get away from him, the better - and I'd feel a lot better if one of the guys went with you."

"I will take someone with me to get my stuff," I said dutifully, seeing where they were coming from. They were legit concerned, and as my boss and my friend, they had a right to be. "I don't know what I'm going to do with it after that, but I will take someone with me."

"Both of them were serious about their offers," Sadie said, meeting my eyes, "and if you're worried about what I'm going to think, don't be."

"But - but they're your guys, Sadie," I tried to protest. "I can't stay with them long term."

"Ohhh - yes you can," she laughed, looking over at Lizzie. "I suppose I never did explain, did I?"

"Can you explain it to me, too because I still don't get your guys' relationship half the time either," Lizzie said, hopping on the counter to take a seat. "And I've known you since almost the start."

"Well, let's backtrack; you know how I got these scars," she said, pointing to her shoulder and the star shaped mark there. I nodded, she'd told me the story about the shooting. "And you know that in a roundabout way, saving Chris, Tom and Sebastian got me a part in my first movie with the rest of the Avengers."