Chapter 11: Rumors, kisses and comforting smiles

Chris looked down at Scarlett as he started to lean in closer to her, her face, her lips. A small gasp escaped her lips and his heart skipped a beat.

Because it's time you've come to know how I feel about you.

The words resonated in her mind. What was he saying? They were friends. They had always been good friends. Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought of him, Chris, having feelings for her. Had she been so blind that she never saw it coming?

They were kids when they met. Youngsters even, not knowing where life was going to take them. Was it even possible that down the road, Chris had caught feelings for her? He had never said anything. Sure, he had this insanely soft look in his eyes whenever he looked her but that was nothing. Right?

What if it hadn't been nothing? What if that look was not just a look of appreciation? What if it was a look of lo- No. The idea of him loving her was simply ridiculous. There had been rumors, kisses and comforting smiles but they never was anything close to a relationship.

Their relationship was like Steve and Natasha's – minus the saving the world while looking insanely hot part – they were friends and even tho they kissed, they never stopped looking out for one another. Chris had always been there for her and for her daughter whenever they needed. She could call him in the middle of the night and he'd show up for them. Rose adored him and he adored her.

Through the breakups, the failures, the divorces, the hard times, he was there. By her side. He always offered her help and comfort. He was her rock and up until this very moment she hadn't realized how much he meant to her.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up. Having reached resolution about their relationship and having him up so close in her personal space was overwhelming. With a shaky voice she said. "I'm engaged." The words echoing in her mind. "To another man, Chris."

"I know." He spoke up, not backing down. His deep blue eyes kept on shining that loving light. He was there. He always was. Oh, how blind she had been.

One of her hands shot up to his upper chest, stopping from being any closer than he already was. "I'm in love with him." She whispered, her tongue darting out and wetting her lips. Was she trying to stop him or stop herself?

"I know." He had grabbed her hand and pulled it up to his face before he started kissing the palm of her hand while looking at her. His lips were as soft as Egyptian cotton and as hot as fire. They were lingering longer than they should on her skin, making her melt further against the wall.

"He – he is…" Her distracted mind couldn't form words anymore. Her eyes were glued to his lips and were unable to look away.

"I know." He whispered as he set both of his hands beside her head, his mouth now inches away from her own. She could feel his breath as he slightly parted his lips.

"We can't, Chris." She whispered in a soft pant, her voice weak under the effect he had on her.

"Then stop me."

A gasp escaped her lips and before she could stop herself, she grabbed the back his head and sealed her lips with his in a languorous kiss. The same wave of warmth she longed for engulfed her and she was slowly getting addicted to the way his lips felt on hers.

Everything was much quicker and raw than their previous kiss. In a second, their tongues battled for dominance and set the tempo for what was bound to happen. Chris wasted no time and grabbed her thighs to pull her up on his waist. It gave her a better angle to kiss him. She slid her hands through his hair as he walked them up to the bed.

They fell down on the bed, with him on top of her. They never stopped kissing, even tho they needed to. They were too afraid to let go of the other one. He pressed firmly into her and she knew he was ready for what was to come.

Their clothes were soon discarded and Scarlett was loosing herself under his touch. She wanted him, she needed him. She was ready for him to fly into her flesh and be with her. "Chris…" She moaned and he complied.

Eventually, they were laying together in bed in the aftermath of their climaxes. Chris looked down at her with his stupid smile, he couldn't believe he finally got to be with the woman he loved. She looked like she belonged there, in his arms. She was at peace. Scarlett's hand was caressing his chest and her leg was hung over his as the sheets were hugging their naked bodies.

God, how he loved her.

He wished he could actually tell her he loved her, but wanting to respect her boundaries, he never said anything. And after what they had just done, it'd throw her in a more complicated spiral of guilt and he didn't want to do that. He wanted to stay like this forever. With her, in his arms.

"Why did you never say anything?" She spoke up, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Huh?" He was dumbfounded. It was as if she had been able to read his thoughts – or maybe he talked out loud without meaning to – or maybe he was actually talking instead of thinking and she could hear everything he was saying.

He met her eyes and saw her eyes waiting for an answer. "About what exactly?"

"Earlier," She started, moving her head to look him better in the eyes. "You said that it was time for me to know of your feelings. You have some, right? For me? You never said anything."

"Oh, well." He scratched his head and took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to have this conversation. "I don't know. I guess I never thought you ever had feelings for me. Maybe it was never meant to be." He looked up at the ceiling as his hand came up in her hair and played with them.

"But I did." Scarlett said and sat up a little so her face was near his. She then whispered the words he never thought he would hear. "I do."

A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "If only I had known that earlier. I would've made my move when I still had the time." He told her, bringing the both of them to reality.

Everything was only temporary.

"You can–" She started but was interrupted by a ringing phone. It wasn't her ringtone but Chris'.

Chris kissed the top of her head and went to grab his phone from the right pocket of his pants that he had hurriedly scattered on the floor earlier. He looked at the id caller and he couldn't stop from muttering under his breath. "Shit."

Scarlett frowned and hovered over his shoulder to see who was calling him. She saw the name Lily. She thought about who it could. It wasn't any of his sisters' names. Not his mother's. The name went back and forth in her brain until it clicked to an idea.

Lily James.

Chris had been seen with her not long ago in London, right before they started shooting The Nanny Returns. Scarlett had seen the numerous photos and articles proclaiming their "relationship". But she thought they weren't really dating because Chris never said anything.

God, what if he, too, was in a relationship?

"Hey, how are you?" He picked the phone right before the ringtone stopped.

"Chris!" Lily said, almost surprised that he had answered her. "I'm fine. You, you good?"

"Yeah, good." He held his phone between his head and his shoulder as he put on his boxer.

"Are you home?" She asked with an uncertain voice.

He grabbed the phone and briefly looked back at Scarlett. "Uh, no. Not exactly. Why?"

"Oh," The disappointment in her voice could be heard, but Chris made no mention of it. "So, the rumors are true." She pursed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know that you're quarantined with Scarlett. A lot of people are talking about it. I wouldn't say that it's all over the news, but it's mostly all over social media." She explained.

"So much for being discreet." He muttered.

"H-how's everything going… between you two?"

Chris sighed. He knew what laid behind that question. She was dying to know if anything had happened. Well, it had. But he wasn't going to tell her that. "Quite fine actually. We each have our own space, so you know it's not awkward or anything." He told her, keeping to himself the one-bed situation – that, by the way, they wouldn't have to worry about anymore.

He could almost hear her sigh of relief. "When are you free to leave?" She kept going with her prying questions.

"Just a couple more of days. Why?"

"Oh, great!" She enthusiastically said before adding."I'm in town for a while and I was hoping we could get together."

Chris paused, briefly thinking about it. "Sure, that would be great. I'll call you when I come out, alright?"

"Absolutely! Well, gotta go. See you soon?" She sounded so hopeful, Chris didn't want to break her heart.

"Yeah, see you soon. Bye."

He hung up with a sigh and turned to look at Scarlett. He didn't say anything for a moment, what could he say, that was my almost-girlfriend and she wanted to know if we fucked? Well, they did but it was too crude to say. Instead, he broke the silence with. "So, turns out people know we're quarantined together."

"Oh, they do?" She wondered with a half-interested voice.

"Uh, yeah."

She nodded silently and added. "As long as they don't know where we are, we're fine right?"

"Of course. Of course."

God, that was awkward. So awkward. More awkward than when Robert-

"Are you dating her?" She cut to chase, needing to know the truth. Had they both become cheaters?

"huh, who? Lily? Nah…" He trailed off, shaking his he ad repeatedly. "I mean, I wouldn't call it dating. We hung out a couple of times, that's all."

"I see." She nodded, again. She was trying her best not to be jealous or mad or both. After all she was the one engaged to another man.

"You okay?" He asked, seeing that she was a bit annoyed.

"Of course." She moved until she reached him and settled on his lap. She wrapped her hands around his neck then she started kissing him. "I just want to forget everything outside this apartment. Let it be just us."