finished - april 9, 2018
{mostly real life//partial social media}
In which two on-screen loves are each somehow exactly what the other needs in real life, too.
voicemail #1: "Lyra, please. Please just hear me out-" -deleted-
voicemail #2: "Lyra, it's not... what you think, okay? I'm so-" -deleted-
voicemail #3: "I'm so fucking sorry, okay? I'm so-" -deleted-
voicemail #4: "You're not going to pick up any of these calls, are you? Fucking Christ I fucked up. I'm so sorry, I should've just fucking told you-" -deleted-
•••••
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"Still not answering his calls?" Sebastian's voice floated into the living room of his apartment and he appeared around the corner a few moments later, carrying a heaping bowl of made-from-scratch mashed potatoes. It was his mom's recipe and the only thing Lyra liked to eat when she was upset. He handed it to her where she was sitting in a plush recliner and she nodded in thanks.
"No, I'm not," she said simply, taking a giant bite. He nodded, sitting on the couch across from her and looking at her curiously.
"You know that you don't even know if he actually cheated or not, right?" Sebastian asked, the situation breaking his heart.
It had already been going on behind the scenes for two weeks before the trashy news article that had posted about it online, but that had only added fuel to the fire because it meant that the public officially knew about it. Not all of it had been true, of course. He and Lyra weren't dating or "getting cozier and cozier", but she was staying at his apartment because of some somewhat sketchy interactions Chris had had with his ex.
Lyra rolled her eyes in response to Seb's question, taking another huge bite of the potatoes.
"Y'know what? I don't know for sure, fine. But what I do know for sure is that he's definitely been spending time with and texting his ex all the fucking time lately. His ex that, mind you, he told me he fucking hated at one point in time. It wouldn't bother me if they were friends if he hadn't fucking lied about it. And I also know for sure that when that stupid-ass goddamn article came out last week, he left both of us about fifty voicemails in which he was obviously drunk and accused us of fucking when he knows goddamn well we're not, never have, and never will be. That's what I know, Sebastian, and honestly right now it's enough for me to eat this entire fucking bowl of potatoes and then go cry into my pillow for the rest of the night, okay?" she ranted, and Seb raised his hands in surrender.
"Ly, listen to me, okay? I'm on your side here, I am. Chris is my friend and has been for a long time, but you have been for much longer. You're my best friend in the entire world, basically my sister at this point, and you know I don't want anyone to hurt you ever, right? You remember that kid in high school that told everyone you were a bad kisser? What did I do?" he asked, and she didn't think he was waiting for a response, but he obviously was.
"You told him that if he didn't stop spreading rumors you'd break his legs," she told him, smirking.
"Damn fucking right I did. Would I have broken his legs? Absolutely not, but it scared him enough that he left you alone," he paused again and she chuckled despite herself.
"Somehow I don't think telling Chris you're going to break his legs is going to be quite as effective as telling Joey Picard you were going to break his," she told him and he shrugged.
"No, but it made you smile so whatever. Anyway, Ly, I get it, okay? I get that you're mad and upset and confused. I get that he has explaining to do. But he's never going to be able to do it if you don't give him a chance to," he told her and she rolled her eyes again.
"I don't want to give him a chance though," she said, and he shook his head, his lips pursed together.
"Don't lie to me. I know you better than anyone else in the world and you know it. I know you're fucking head over heels in love with him. I know you were ready to marry him in a heartbeat even though before you met him you didn't even want to get married. I know you're happier with him than you've been in your entire life and I know that deep down, you're dying to know what his side of the story is," Sebastian said and she shook her head.
"I fucking hate it when you're right," she told him, making him laugh.
"Talk to him, Lyra. Talk to him willingly or I'll drag you over there by your hair and then the tabloids will write about how we're definitely dating and into some weird hair-pulling-in-public fetish. Is that what you want? I can see the headline now: 'Chris Evans Who? Stan and Henry; Public Hair-Pulling Fetish Confirmed'!" he yelled dramatically, making her laugh again.
"Fine. I'll talk to him. I make no promises I'll be nice to him, though. Kindness is where this agreement ends," she told him, and he nodded.
"Fair enough," he said, sliding her cell phone across the coffee table towards her. He stood, kissing the top of her head as he left the room.
She picked up the phone with a sigh, dialing Chris' number. He picked up on the first ring, not totally surprising her.
"Lyra?"
"hi. apparently we need to talk. is now a good time?"
"Yeah. Now's a great time. Should I come over to Seb's?"
"no. i'll come over there. the drive will help me push down some of my bubbling rage. i've gotta shower but then i'll be on my way."
