Count On Me (Chris Evans)

Chapter 15

"You've got to be kidding me," Shanna shook her head as Stevie finished telling them what her and Erik's conversation was.

"I wish I was!" Stevie responded before taking a bite of her pizza.

"He really is a narcissist isn't he?" Laurie was so glad that her daughter was rid of him.

Chris smiled happily and was so proud as he announced, "Stevie told him that too."

"What in the world did you ever see in that guy?" Scott grabbed his second slice of pizza during the family dinner that included Stevie's family; a normal occurrence that had been happening ever since the kids were born.

Stevie looked down at her pizza, thinking for a moment before explaining, "Well, he was handsome, successful, smart, and he just seemed like he really was going places in life and I felt like I was just kind of stuck doing nothing. I thought he was everything I wasn't and that he was the best guy I could ever get. But then I found out I was wrong."

"Even if it took me punching him for you to realize it," Chris snickered while tossing an arm around her shoulders.

"Um no, that was called your testosterone getting the best of you," Stevie laughed.

"Shut up," He laughed while tickling her side, making her squirm as she cracked up.

The family all smiled as they watched the adorable pair. They had never seen either as happy as they were when they were together and now that they were in a relationship, it only magnified that. Lisa eventually had to interrupt their moment to ask, "So I heard that you guys went to Disneyland."

"What?" Jake huffed while looking at them. "You guys went without me?"

"Sorry sweetie," Stevie looked at her nephew. "Uncle Chris took me there."

"That sucks," Ethan complained, making everyone laugh. "I want Uncle Chris to take me."

"I'm sorry bud, I was taking Auntie Stevie on a date," Chris ruffled up Ethan's hair from where he sat next to his uncle.

Jake then leaned over and whispered in Ethan's ear, "Ew a date. They probably were kissing. That's disgusting."

Overhearing the conversation, this sent everyone into hysterics. Even though the kids thought it was gross, the adults all were happy to hear about their date to Disneyland and how their weekend was together. When Chris and Stevie had finished telling the story, Lisa went to get dessert for everyone but Stevie stopped her and offered to get it.

"I'll help you, babe," Chris replied, pushing his tall frame out of the chair.

"Oooh he called her babe," Scotty playfully joked, pretending to gag which earned him getting a napkin thrown at him by his big brother.

Chris followed Stevie into the kitchen and before she could slice into the cake, he snaked his thick arms around her waist and nuzzled his face into her neck. He pressed a few soft kisses along her neck, making a soft sigh escape her lips.

"I love you," He whispered in her ear, leaving a kiss after his words.

She turned around inside his arms and let her eyes sparkle at him before gently speaking, "I love you too, Chris."

Chris' large hands were pressed flat against her back, pulling her tight to him while he connected their lips together. Their sweet kiss started to turn much more passionate and the two were completely oblivious to Lisa and Laurie walking into the kitchen until Laurie spoke up.

"So that's why they were taking so long," She smirked at Lisa.

Hearing their voices made the two part at lightning pace. Stevie smoothed down her tee shirt while Chris awkwardly leaned against the counter and looked at their mother's and explained, "Um, Stevie was choking on a piece of cake. I was giving her mouth to mouth to save her life."

"Oh yeah, uh huh," Lisa rolled her eyes

"It looks like you did a good job, she's got a lot of color in her cheeks now," Laurie teased her daughter and the man who was like a son to her, and she was confident that one day he would be her son-in-law.

Stevie just looked at Chris and held her hands with her palms facing up, giving him a questioning stance, "Really? I was choking? That was the best you could come up with?"

"Well I didn't hear you coming up with any bright ideas!" Chris laughed and raised his shoulder while she playfully smacked him.

"How about we were sharing a little kiss in the kitchen," She retorted.

"That wasn't no little kiss," Lisa laughed. "If we left you two any longer, I think we might have found you both with less clothing than when you first came in."

"MA!" Chris whined, running his hands over his face.

Lisa kept on laughing before kissing both his and Stevie's cheeks and telling them, "I'm just teasing you guys. Everyone moved into the living room, why don't you two lovebirds go in with everyone and Laurie and I will get the dessert."

The pair agreed and Chris led the way to the living room where he plopped down in one of the empty oversized chairs and pulled Stevie into his lap. The families were in a heated debate and when Stevie asked what was going on, her brother was happy to fill her in.

"We're all taking bets on when Chris will propose," Kevin stated. "I said he'll ask you at Christmas. That seems like a very Chris-like thing to do."

"I agree with that!" Carly piped in.

"I put $20 down for New Years," Stevie's dad piped in.

Shanna just shook her head, "It's only October, so I think Chris will wait until Stevie's birthday next year so it will the 1 year anniversary of them getting together."

Scotty just scoffed, "I put my money down for Stevie coming to her senses long before that and breaking up with the meatball."

"Put me down for $20 on what Scotty said," Stevie joked.

"HEY!" Chris shouted, making Stevie crack up. "Well... if I'm being honest, that is the most likely."

"Not true ya' meatball," Stevie smiled at him from her spot in his lap, snuggling into him farther as his arms that were around her squeezed her gently before he rested his chin on her shoulder.

Scott leaned back into the couch and spoke up, "Well just promise me that when you guys have kids and take them to Disney, you don't dress them alike every day like Ma did with Chris and me."

"That was adorable!" Lisa defended as she walked back in with the cake and put it on the coffee table while Laurie put the plates down next to it.

"They'll only be matching when they're wearing their Red Socks jerseys," Chris spoke up which got an 'Amen' from Stevie.

The loud and boisterous families then all got into a long discussion about embarrassing outfits and things of that nature. Somewhere during the conversation, Chris' attention fell away from it and it then went to Stevie.

As he sat there, Stevie snuggled in his lap, he could barely even register this moment was real. She laughed so loud and hard that her whole body shook and he could feel the vibrations in him. It was like music to his ears and the feeling of her infectious laugh only made him hold onto her tighter and he never wanted to let go.