๐‚๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐’๐ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ง.

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

A/N: Double Update bc I really like Chapter Eight :))

๐˜/๐'๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐•

Chris invited me to his set today but, I didn't want to go. I typically didn't like toโ€”on rare occasions, I'll make an appearance, but most of the time, I prefer to be surprised when I see the movies at their premiere.

It's like a tradition I have with myself; I genuinely enjoy being one of his biggest fans. I mean, I was one of the main people who pushed him to play Captain America when he was hesitant, so you're welcome, world.

Instead, Chris and I were having a brother-sister day at my apartment, which I was very excited for. He and I had both been craving some one-on-one time.

The plan was to make homemade pizza, have one of our infamous Just Dance battles, and maybe some Mario Kart. If you know anything about Chris and me, it's that we're both competitive and big kids at heart.

"Mmm, I love fresh mozzarella!" Chris and I said at the same time as we exited the grocery store. We paused mid-step, staring at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Great minds," he said, slinging his arm over my shoulders.

"Or cheese-obsessed weirdos," I teased, nudging him in the ribs as we walked back to my apartment.

I noticed a few paparazzi taking pictures of us from across the street but, I didn't really mind since I was with Chris. I always felt safe and protected around my big brother.

Once inside, we spread out our groceries on the counter. I grabbed the dough while Chris immediately snuck a piece of pepperoni from the pack.

"Hey! Hands off until we're ready!" I scolded, swatting at him.

"Relax, it's quality control," he said, popping the pepperoni into his mouth with a smirk.

"Quality control, my ass. You're just impatient."

Chris grinned, clearly unbothered. "You know, you've got some nerve for someone who burned cookies last Christmas."

"Okay, first of all, that was because you distracted me with your horrible singing," I shot back, pointing a spatula at him.

"Admit it, I hit those high notes," he said, dramatically clutching his chest as if reliving the moment.

"Hit them? Chris, you assaulted them."

We both laughed as I shoved the spoon into his hands. "Make yourself useful and spread the sauce."

As we worked, the kitchen filled with the sound of clinking utensils, playful banter, and the occasional burst of laughter when Chris attempted to spin the dough in the air like a professional.

Predictably, he failed, the dough landing half on the counter and half drooping off the side.

"Oops," he said, sheepishly.

"You're paying for that one," I teased.

After the pizzas were safely in the oven, we moved to the living room. Chris cracked his knuckles dramatically, making me roll my eyes.

"Ready to lose?" I taunted, scrolling through the song options.

"You mean are you ready to lose?" he shot back, picking "Uptown Funk."

The music started, and Chris surprised me by actually keeping up. His moves were sharp, and he had that cocky grin plastered on his face as he matched every step.

"Okay, who are you, and what did you do with my uncoordinated brother?" I joked, struggling to stay ahead.

"Years of training, baby," he said, nailing a spin. "You think all those fight scenes are just for show?"

By the end of the song, he edged me out by a few points, throwing his hands in the air.

"Victory!" he shouted, doing a ridiculous celebratory dance that made me laugh so hard I almost fell over.

"Okay, fine, you're decent," I admitted, catching my breath. "But don't get used to it."

Next, it was Mario Kart time. Chris chose Luigi, his usual character, and I went with Yoshi.

"You ready to get wrecked?" I asked as we loaded into the race.

"Ready to leave you in the dust," he shot back.

The race started, and chaos immediately ensued. We were neck and neck the entire time, trash-talking each other with every power-up.

"Enjoy that banana peel," Chris said smugly as I spun out.

"Oh, it's on now," I said, firing a red shell that sent him careening off the track.

In the final stretch, I barely crossed the finish line first, jumping up in victory. "Ha! Bow down to the champ!"

Chris shook his head, laughing. "You got lucky."

"Lucky? That was pure skill." He playfully rolled his eyes as we both got up to go check on the pizza in the oven. Luckily, it was finished because we were both starving. I poured us both some drinks as we went to my couch because Chris wanted to watch a movie.

"This is really good," Chris said, his mouth full.

"Of course it is. I made it," I said smugly.

He snorted. "Pretty sure I did most of the work."

"Sure, if by 'work' you mean eating half the toppings before they made it to the pizza."

Chris laughed, grabbing another slice. "You should be grateful for my quality control."

As we ate, I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Hey, remember when you said you could set me up with someone?"

Chris's eyes lit up. "Really?!"

I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. "Calm down. Yes, I'm considering it."

He practically bounced in his seat. "This is going to be awesome. I've got someone in mind."

"Who?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. He smirked, shaking his head. "Not telling."

"Chris!"

"Nope. You'll find out when you meet them," he said, clearly enjoying my frustration as he took a bite out of his pizza slice.

"You're impossible," I said, laughing as I grabbed my phone. "Fine. But if they're a dud, I'm blaming you."

"Deal," he said, raising his slice in a mock toast.

After we finished eating, I pulled up TikTok. "Okay, it's time."

"Time for what?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"For you to be in one of my TikToks again."

Chris groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes. And you have to actually try this time." I pointed.

I picked a trending dance and showed him the moves. Surprisingly, he caught on pretty quickly, though he still managed to make it look slightly awkward.

"You know, for an actor, you're pretty stiff," I teased.

"Just wait until the cameras roll," he said, winking.

By the time we filmed the final take, we were both laughing so hard we could barely stand.

"If this doesn't go viral, I'm never doing this again," Chris said, pretending to glare at me. He knew it was going to go viral because he was in it.

. . .

๐’๐œ๐š๐ซ๐ฅ๐ž๐ญ๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐•

The faint hum of coffee grinders and the soft murmur of conversations surrounded me as I sat by the window of a small cafรฉ, staring out into the gray afternoon.

My latte sat almost finished. I had emails to answer, messages to respond to, and errands to run, but my mind was fixated on one thingโ€”or rather, one person.

Y/n.

I'd told myself this stop at the cafรฉ was just a break, a chance to breathe before heading home to the kids. But I couldn't shake the fact that I was barely a mile away from her apartment. Coincidence? Maybe.

Or maybe I'd unconsciously steered myself here, drawn by some invisible thread that seemed to tether me to her no matter how hard I tried to pull away.

Maybe I should go over there, I thought, the thought slipping out before I could catch it. I shook my head immediately, dismissing it. No, I shouldn't. It was reckless, unnecessary. After all, what would I even say? I'd already done enough damage.

And yet, I lingered.

My chest tightened at the thought of seeing her, a familiar pang of longing washing over me. I tore my gaze away, focusing instead on the steam rising from my coffee cup.

Just go home, Scarlett. You've made enough mistakes.

I gathered my things, determined to stick to that decision. I wasn't going to do this. Not today. But as I drove away from the cafรฉ, something stopped me in my tracks.

There it was, towering over the busy street like a beacon: a billboard with Y/n's face on it. She was radiant, her smile wide and captivating, her presence commanding even from hundreds of feet away.

It was an ad for a brand she was collaborating with, one I'd seen pop up a few times online but never like this.

I slowed the car, staring up at her image as if it were some sort of divine intervention. My grip tightened on the wheel as my heart raced. Was this a sign? Or was I just grasping at straws, looking for any excuse to see her again?

Before I could overthink it, I made a U-turn, the decision made for me.

๐˜/๐'๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐•

The sound of the doorbell startled me, cutting through the quiet hum of the TV in the background. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Chris had left about twenty minutes ago, and I wasn't expecting anyone. I walked to the door cautiously, peeking through the peephole.

Scarlett.

My stomach flipped, a mix of surprise and confusion settling in.

I hesitated before opening the door, my hand resting on the handle for a moment longer than necessary. When I finally swung it open, her green eyes met mine, and for a split second, the world outside seemed to disappear.

"Scarlett?" I asked, my voice betraying my curiosity and apprehension. "What are you doing here?"

"Iโ€”" She faltered, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "I wanted to talk. About... the other night."

I blinked, her words catching me off guard. Without saying anything, I stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in.

She moved past me, her perfume faint but intoxicating, clouding my thoughts as I closed the door behind her.

"Okay," I said cautiously, crossing my arms as I leaned against the door. "Talk."

She turned to face me. Her eyes darted around the room before finally settling on mine.

"I've been thinking about what happened at Chris's dinner... and about what I said," she began, her voice soft but steady.

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"I was out of line," she admitted, exhaling deeply. "I shouldn't have dismissed your feelings like that. It wasn't fair to you."

"No, it wasn't," I replied, trying to keep my tone even. "But you seemed pretty confident about what you said. What changed?"

Her gaze dropped to the floor, her fingers tightening around the belt loops on her pants. "I don't know. I just... I couldn't stop thinking about it. About you."

Her words hung in the air, heavy and unspoken, as if daring me to respond. But before I could, she took a step closer, her eyes searching mine.

๐’๐œ๐š๐ซ๐ฅ๐ž๐ญ๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐•

I shouldn't have been here.

That thought had been on repeat since I left the cafรฉ, yet here I was, standing in Y/n's apartment, my chest tight with the weight of everything I'd been holding back.

Seeing her now, looking at me with equal parts curiosity and guardedness, made me feel exposed. Vulnerable. Her hazel eyes held a mix of emotionsโ€”confusion, maybe even hurtโ€”and I hated that I'd been the one to put them there.

"I don't want to keep hurting you," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "But I can't seem to stay away either."

Her lips parted slightly as if she were about to say something, but no words came. Instead, we stood there, a charged silence stretching between us. I wasn't sure who moved firstโ€”her or meโ€”but the next thing I knew, I was stepping closer, closing the gap between us.

"Scarlett..." she started, her voice uncertain. But I couldn't stop myself.

I leaned in, brushing my lips against hers in a tentative, almost hesitant kiss. The moment our mouths met, a wave of heat coursed through me, my carefully constructed walls crumbling under the weight of her touch.

She froze for a second before her hands found their way to my waist, pulling me closer as the kiss deepened. Her lips were soft, familiar, and the taste of her brought back memories I'd been trying to suppress since that night.

We made our way over to her couch, almost frantically as if we weren't close enough to each other. My hands tangled in her hair as she sank into the cushions. I straddled her lap as we deepened the kiss. I grinned on her, making her hips buck.

I moved my lips to her neck as a quiet moan escaped her lips.

"What are we doing, Scar?" Y/n whispered, I knew she really wanted to know but, quite honestly, I didn't have an answer for her. Instead, I reattached my lips to her as her hands began to snake their way up my shirt.

Y/n pulled away, our eyes fixated on one another. Our breathing heavy as we both tried to even them out. My watch buzzed on my arm and I realized the time, I needed to get home, I was afraid she'd think I was doing this on purpose.

"Okay, I know I keep doing this and cutting things short and I really wouldn't right now if I didn't have to but, I need to get home to my kids." I whispered, half nervous that she would be upset.

"Okay." she spoke barely above a whisper. I searched her eyes, trying to see if she was genuinely okay with that. I nodded before getting up and fixing myself.

I kissed her lips once more before getting up and heading to the door.

. . .

I'd made it home a few hours ago. I couldn't get Y/n out of my head. The evening sun poured through the windows, casting a warm glow over the kitchen as I stood at the counter, chopping vegetables.

The smell of sautรฉed garlic and onions filled the air, blending with the sound of Rose's voice as she sat at the kitchen table, her homework spread out in front of her. Cosmo running around the living room playing with his toys.

"Mom, how do you spell 'extraordinary'?" Rose asked, her pencil poised above her paper.

I turned from the cutting board, wiping my hands on a towel. "E-X-T-R-A-O-R-D-I-N-A-R-Y," I said, emphasizing each letter. "What's it for?"

Rose scrunched her nose, her lips moving silently as she wrote. "My vocabulary words. I have to use them in sentences."

I leaned against the counter, watching her. "Okay, how about this: 'Rose is extraordinary at coming up with amazing sentences.'" I grinned.

She rolled her eyes but giggled. "That's cheating."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help!" I laughed, moving back to the stove to stir the pasta sauce.

Cosmo toddled into the kitchen, clutching one of his toy trucks. "Mommy, I'm hungry," he declared, tugging at my jeans.

"Dinner's almost ready, sweetie. Can you set the table with Rose?" I asked, bending down and planting a kiss on his cheek.

He nodded eagerly, running over to Rose, who just finished up her homework and was already pulling plates from the cabinet. The two of them worked together, giggling as they placed forks and napkins at each spot.

Dinner was a chaotic symphony of chatter and laughter. Cosmo attempted to twirl spaghetti on his fork but ended up with more sauce on his face than in his mouth. Rose pretended to teach him proper table manners, which only made him giggle harder.

"Mom, can we have ice cream after?" Rose asked, her eyes hopeful. I hate saying no to them but, I for one did not want to end up with two hyper children who need to be in bed.

"If you finish your whole plate, including the veggies, I'll take you two to get ice cream tomorrow" I said, raising an eyebrow.

She groaned dramatically but popped a broccoli floret into her mouth. "Fine."

As bedtime neared, we headed upstairs, all three of us brushing our teeth together in the bathroom. Cosmo stood on his little stool, his tiny toothbrush moving haphazardly while Rose made exaggerated faces in the mirror to make him laugh.

"Don't forget the back teeth," I reminded them, spitting into the sink.

After changing into pajamas, I began walking Cosmo over to his room.

"Mom, can we sleep in your bed tonight? Please?" Rose begged, her big brown eyes impossible to resist.

Cosmo chimed in, "Yeah, Mommy, please!"

I sighed, feigning reluctance. "Fine. But only if you promise to be quiet and actually go to sleep."

They cheered, racing to my room and diving under the covers. I climbed in between them, Rose snuggling into my side while Cosmo clutched his stuffed elephant, resting his head on my shoulder.

Soon, the room was filled with the soft sound of their snores. I smiled, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads before settling back against the pillows.

This was my favorite part of the dayโ€”when the world quieted, and it was just us, tangled together in warmth and love.

As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but feel grateful for these little moments that made everything else worthwhile. Even my rollercoaster of a situation with Y/n.


You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net