Chris' eyes fluttered open and shut, catching glimpses of his wife's beautiful face riddled with concern and fear. He could hear her calling his name, but it was like his ears were full of cotton or he was under water...
Little did he know at the time, but life was about to become a whirlwind, even more so than it had already been. The morning after he returned home from filming Bottle Shock, he received a phone call from his agent that would change his life.
"I swear to God if that's Rickman asking about you again..."Chris panted as he reached for his phone on the bedside table. He and Larissa had just finished making love for the third time that morning. He checked the number before answering.
"Shit, I've gotta take this. It's my agent," Chris hopped out of bed completely naked, grabbed his phone, and closed the bathroom door behind him.
"Hey, Lenny. What's up?"
"Chris, my boy. I have a huge opportunity for you. Free up your schedule tomorrow." He made a mental note of the time and place Lenny told him and exited the bathroom.
"What was that about?" Larissa asked, still lying naked under the covers.
"My agent. Evidently he's got something big lined up for me. Some audition for a big, but very secretive, project."
"Oh. Awesome," she forced a smile. Chris could tell she was trying to hide her disappointment.
"It's tomorrow at 2:30. At least we have today?" he offered.Chris sat on the edge of the bed next to her.
"Yah. No, it's great news," she shook her head, lost in thought.
"You know, you're not very good at hiding your emotions for being an actress," he elbowed her playfully.
"Well, it's different when they're real," Larissa replied curtly,throwing him off. She had never talked to him like that before, not for real, anyways. That was just the beginning of the roller coaster of emotions they would soon be on.
That week was also the week Larissa discovered, much to his chagrin,that he likes to sing.
Despite Larissa's cold shoulder, Chris was in an exceptionally good mood before his audition the next day.
"Somewhere...beyond the sea..." he sang the old Bobby Darin tune as he showered, thinking Larissa was out. He continued singing as he opened the door to his bedroom to get dressed.
"My lover waits ooonn..." Chris stopped singing abruptly as soon as he realized Larissa was sitting on the bed, staring at him, mouth agape.
"What? I thought you were out." His face burned and he knew it had probably just grown three shades redder almost instantly.
"H-how long have you been sitting there?"
"Long enough," she replied, eyes still wide. "Chris, where did you learn to sing like that?"
"I don't know," he answered quickly after a long pause. "I mean, I never really took any lessons...I've always enjoyed singing...I just don't do it around other people."
"Oh. My. God. Are you...embarrassed?!" Larissa's eyes lit up.
"Shut up," was all he could think to mumble.
"Why are you embarrassed? You're really good!" she rubbed his shoulder.
"You're biased," Chris mumbled more as he busied himself getting dressed.
"Well, yah, but you are," Larissa insisted. "It's kind of a turn on. If I weren't still irritated you're getting ready to leave,I would probably jump you."
Chris couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously?"
"Seriously what? To which part?"
"You think me singing is sexy?" he paused to look at her.
"Very much so. It's sexy and romantic at the same time. It's kind of confusing me," they both laughed.
"You're really not teasing?" Chris asked as he finished getting dressed.
"Oh my God," Larissa drew out. "No! Stop being so self-conscious. Now is not the time for that, anyway," she held him at arms length and surveyed him from top to bottom.
"You look sharp," she nodded her head once.
"Sharp?" Chris laughed. "The 90's called and they want their catch phrase back," he teased as he received a poking assault from Larissa.
"Thank you," he said, heartfelt. Chris paused a beat, staring at her intently. He was secretly willing her not to be mad at him.
"I better go." There was so much more he wanted to say, but didn't, for whatever reason.
"Yah," Larissa said quietly. "Good luck," she kissed him on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you too," Chris squeezed her hands and left their bedroom solemnly.
Chris' palms felt clammy as he entered his living room that Sunday.Larissa was already up, for awhile, from the looks of it, watching a cheesy Lifetime movie.
"Hi," she greeted.
"Hi," Chris sat down next to her on the couch. "Listen, I need to tell you something before we go to my parents'," he sat facing her.
"Oh...Is everything ok?" she turned the tv off and angled her body towards him as well.
"Yes, yes, everything's fine," he rung his hands nervously. Chris knew Larissa wouldn't be thrilled about the news, but he worried about how she would react.
"What is it?" she took one of his hands in hers and rubbed it,trying to settle his nerves. It was something they did for each other without realizing it, most of the time, to try and calm the other.
"Larissa, I got that part in the J.J. Abrams movie," Chris forced himself to look her in the eye. She immediately withdrew her hands from his, covering her mouth, trying to hide her face.
"That's great," she nodded her head too vigorously. She tried to feign excitement, but the crack in her voice gave her away and it was clearly not happy tears she fought in her eyes.
"Larissa," Chris reached out for her, but she leaned away from,shaking her head.
"When do you leave?" she choked.
"Larissa..."
"When do you leave?" anger clouded her voice.
"Next Sunday," he answered quietly.
Hard sobs racked Larissa's body as she balled herself up, completely hiding her face from Chris. He leaned forward, trying to put his arms around her. She pushed him away. Chris' mind reeled, trying to think how to handle the situation. He went to hold her again and wouldn't let go, even when she beat her fist against his chest.
"Please, Larissa. Just hear what I have to say," he held her tight as she tried to thrash away from him. Pools of hot liquid threatened his own eyes. A fist pounded half-heartedly against his chest again before Larissa finally gave in and collapsed, sobbing,into him.
Chris let her cry as he stroked her hair.
"Listen," he spoke in his commanding, but gentle tone, next to her ear. "I'm not going to be gone long. Two weeks, a month at the most." Larissa's crying slowed after a minute, but she still wouldn't look up at him.
"We have to shoot a few scenes in Utah. Everything else is going to be done on sets here in town. I'm sure the hours will suck, but I'll be home every night," he offered. "Plus, I'm getting a big chunk of money for this one. We'll be able to do whatever we want for the wedding. And go wherever we want for our honeymoon." Larissa finally looked up at him.
"I'm surprised you even remembered we're supposed to be planning a wedding," she replied bitterly. Chris felt as if someone had stabbed him in the chest. His face grew hot with anger.
"That's not fair," he fought to control his emotions. "Remember what we talked about the other day? About how we both knew what we were getting into? You're the one who said it," he threw back at her.
"Chris, we have six months until our wedding and we haven't gotten a damn thing figured out."
"What is this really about?" Chris finally asked. He agreed they really needed to start getting things in order for May, but he felt like Larissa was beating around the bush, not addressing what was really causing her to react to him leaving in such a way.
Larissa sighed. "I don't even know. Everything and nothing. Part of it is the wedding." Chris nodded his head in agreement. "I just...I didn't expect you to be gone so much so soon. If I hadn't lost...If I hadn't lost the baby, I don't think it would be bothering me so much. It's just such shitty timing."
"It's been almost three months," Chris had no idea why he had said it, but he regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth.Larissa gaped at him before jumping up from the couch. She stormed toward their bedroom, turning on her heel before reaching the door.
"I know you don't get it, but you don't have to be a fucking asshole about it either!" she yelled at him. "You can tell your parents I'm sick. I'm not coming," she slammed the door behind her.
Chris stood there, staring at the bedroom door, dumbfounded. It was one of the few times he was completely devoid of any words. He knew he had fucked up royally and had no idea where to even begin to try and fix it. Resigning himself to the couch, he rubbed his face before pulling his phone out.
"Hey, mom. Larissa's not feeling well, so it's just going to be me today."
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