14. Chase
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHASE
“ Y ou guys were the best group here,” I say, holding my hand up for the collective handshake we created during the week. Everyone leans in, snapping their fingers twice, and then slapping high fives to each person next to them. The boys turn to me, pounding fists and bumping elbows as a goodbye.
Liz leaps across the circle to give Kayla a hug, and I hear her say, “Ooh! I’m gonna miss you, Liz!” Kayla turns to Katie, holding up a hand for a high five, but Katie wraps her arms around her waist instead. Kayla’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise as she pats her back. “I’m so glad you had fun, Katie.”
I squat, holding out my hand to the girls. Liz slaps my hand, and I’m almost knocked off my feet by another unexpected hug from Katie. “Thank you for helping me find my brave,” she says quietly.
My heart cracks wide open with pride. Watching her come out of her shell this week has been such a gift. “Hey, you were already brave, I just helped you remember it.” I pat her shoulder as Claire calls the kids over to take attendance. When our four run off, I look up to see Kayla watching me. Her eyes aren’t guarded for once, and her arms aren’t folded. She’s just staring at me openly. “What?” I ask .
“That was adorable,” she teases, a smirk landing on her lips.
“Yeah, well, that’s what camp is all about, right? Gaining confidence?” I shrug, falling in step next to her as we walk back to the main building.
She kicks at a rock on the ground. “It is…”
The three-hour clean up goes by quickly, and I’m hauling my small duffel bag over my shoulder before I know it. When I get to the parking lot, Kayla’s leaning against the side of her car with the trunk open, scrolling through her phone. I drop my bag in the trunk, snapping her attention from her screen.
“Ready?” I ask. She nods and climbs into the driver’s side. When I get around to the passenger door, I fold myself into the front seat, looking for the adjustment lever underneath. My knees are up against my chest as I lean forward, and there’s no way I can close the door and ride like this the entire way.
“I’m sorry.” She giggles, looking over at the spectacle that is me, smashed in her car. “Ashlie was the last one over there. The button is on the side of the seat. It’s automatic, so just push it backward.”
“ Whew ,” I breathe out dramatically, and she laughs again as the seat eases back. We ride in silence for a few minutes as we make our way down the dirt road. I’ve got her alone for an entire hour, and while I’m dying to ask her questions, I don’t even know where to start. I’m not sure if she wants me to start anything .
“You can listen to whatever,” she says, nodding at the radio. Her thumbs tap on the steering wheel to the beat of the R&B song, and it looks like she’s resisting the urge to bob her head and bounce her shoulders. She adjusts in her seat before relaxing behind the wheel.
“This is good,” I say, trying to decide how to break up the silence. “You can dance if you want. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Mm-hmm, just like you didn’t tell anyone I was sniffing your jacket?” she asks. The corner of her mouth curves up as she keeps her eyes on the road. Last weekend, I let it slip to Hunter and Ashlie at the diner, and they did not let her live it down. I almost felt bad until she told them how much I’ve been staring at her, and they turned it around on me. “I’m not falling for that again. And you’re staring…again.”
“So you admit it. You were sniffing my jacket… I could give you another whiff when we get into town if you want,” I tease.
“You’re really funny.” Her tone oozes with sarcasm, but she looks at me with a real, genuine smile on her face. The smile. It’s warm and inviting, like I can feel the rays of the sun directly inside my chest. Far too quickly, her head moves forward, her eyes on the road. I want to earn that smile back. If I could have her smile directed at me at all times, in all forms, I’d do just about anything.
“What can I say? I like seeing you smile,” I respond, like it’s not the cheesiest thing to say. But it worked because she laughs and looks over at me again while shaking her head.
“That line was so obvious! Does it ever work for you?”
“Yeah, more often than you’d think. Not as well as some of my others though.”
“Well, let’s hear them…” She waits expectantly, and I don’t care if the laughing is at my expense right now because she’s actually opening up. Finally .
“You know what my shirt’s made out of?” I lean over the center console, getting close to her ear. She turns slightly so she can see me out of the corner of her eye. “Boyfriend material,” I whisper, waiting for her reaction. The laugh builds in her throat, and she slaps a hand over her mouth, trying to keep from completely losing it. I smile, sitting back in my seat. “That’s in the top three.”
“That’s so bad!” She tries to contain her giggles. “What are the other two?”
“No, no. Now it’s your turn.” I shake my head. If I’m going to keep her talking, I have to turn this into a game. I’ve seen her joke around with everyone else, so I know she has it in her. We’ve even had some light banter between us. I’m so close to wedging my foot in the door with her, I can feel it. But then she rolls her eyes, and the smile drops from her face. Damn it .
She moves her tongue along the inside of her bottom lip, staring straight ahead. “You know…” she starts, shaking her head with a rueful look on her face, and I really start to think I pushed too much. “…I know your name is Chase, but…can I call you ‘mine’?” She sticks her tongue in her cheek, holding her smile until I realize she’s playing along.
The full belly laugh that rips out of me has me slapping my knee. “That delivery was perfect. I thought I’d messed up there for a second.”
“Naw, this is just for fun. Now what’s your number two?”
I only need a second before I say, “There’s something wrong with my phone… Your number’s not in it…”
“Okay, but that one I could see working. It’s cute.” She nods, jutting her lip out in appreciation before firing another one back. “You know what I’d look great in? Your arms…” We’re at a stop sign, about to ease onto the main highway, when she turns and gives me a flirty wink. And even though I know we’re just playing around, the flutters in my stomach sure don’t.
“Ooh, nice. I’ll have to remember that one. Okay, now for my number one, top pickup line.” I rub my hands together, ready to deal an unfairly flirtatious hand in this otherwise friendly game. She’s still looking at me, an eyebrow quirked up as she waits. I look her square in the eyes, lick my bottom lip, and say, “If there was no gravity here on Earth, I’d still fall for you…”
Her eyes flash wide for the briefest second, letting me know the line landed just how I wanted it to. That one wasn’t just for fun, and we both know it. I want her to know, with absolute clarity, that I don’t see her as just a friend. What I want from her is more than that, if she’ll give me the chance.
Kayla whips her head back and forth to check the road and presses her lips together as she turns through the stop sign. “I, um… I can see why that’s your number one…” She clears her throat and focuses on the road ahead of us.
The car fills with silence, save for the repetitive beat coming through the speakers, and my phone buzzes, breaking up some of the tension as I dig it out of my pocket. I tap out a response to Hunter’s message asking for my ETA before sliding it into the cupholder. Ahead of us, the forest gives way to the ocean on the horizon. It won’t be too much longer before she’s dropping me off at the diner and the comfortable banter we had going ends. I don’t want it to. I’ve gotten the smallest glimpse into her, and I’m aching for more.
“So… I was thinking…” she says carefully. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to leave Hunter without a car all next week. I could take you up to camp and bring you back. If you wanted. If it’s easier…”
She wants to do this again? Two whole hours, just me and her? I look at her to see if she’s joking, but the only tell is her nibbling on the inside of her lip. For weeks I’ve been trying to get close to her, and now she’s offering me a chance.
“Yeah, I—that would be… I’d like that.” Pull it together, man . I’m a bumbling mess, so I stop talking and just nod. She turns a small smile in my direction, and if I weren’t already having a hard time with words, I definitely would be now.