6. Chase
Chase
There’s no sign of Addie and Cody by the time we make it outside.
How fast can that woman run in heels?
At least it’s not cold.
What the hell was Steele thinking, throwing her to the wolves like that? She was mortified.
I know he’s been drinking like a sailor all night, but man, this is a huge fuck-up.
He hasn’t touched another girl since … I don’t even know how long it’s been. That long. Which isn’t normal for him.
He’s been crazy about Walker all year. I can’t understand why he didn’t stick up for her.
I shake my head as we book it down the front path toward my truck.
I press the remote key and my lights flash twice, unlocking the doors.
“Slow down!” Summer calls after me, her heels clicking against the pavement.
“You’re the one who was so eager to chase after her,” I say over my shoulder.
She flaps her hands. “I know. It was the adrenaline from Zac—I was feeling heroic. But I’m pretty sure I’m one step away from breaking my ankle.” She stumbles, flailing her arms to find balance. “Oh God, everyone’s going to see my butt.”
She yelps when, without a second thought, I spin, hook one arm under her legs and the other around her slender waist, and haul her against my chest. I march us toward the car.
This close, I catch the scent of mango and something else girly … vanilla, maybe. Whatever it is, she smells distractingly good.
“You’re such a baboon.” She playfully swats at my chest.
“I’m manly. You love it,” I say.
She blushes and I bite back my smile. It’s cute.
When I notice she’s shivering, my arms squeeze her tight once. Twice.
“Hey. Are you sure you’re all right?” I ask.
This time when she looks at me, I catch a tiny brown speck in her eyes I’ve never noticed before. Right near the dark rim of her iris. Our mouths are so close they almost touch. Her tongue darts out to wet her lip. If I just dropped my head one more inch …
Stop it, Chase.
“Yeah,” she says, her brows pressing together, like she doesn’t understand what’s happening. “I’m okay … now.”
In fear of saying something stupid, I nod sharply, swallowing the need clawing up my throat.
When we reach my truck, I set her down gently, holding her hand until she’s stable, then open the passenger door, helping her in. The engine rumbles to life after a few short sputters.
When I peer over at Summer, she’s running her palms over the worn interior. “This is so nice. I can’t believe your parents bought you a car.” She cranes her neck to look around the cabin, inspecting the interior. “It’s in really good condition.”
I bob my head. “She’s been well looked after. I still can’t believe it. Mom and Dad must have busted their asses to afford it.”
I didn’t have much growing up, but I never felt like I missed out. My parents always made sure I had enough, and while we might not be drowning in cash, we’re abundant in other ways. We have love. We have each other. I know that kind of security is a privilege.
“Now you’ll have no excuse not to come see me,” she teases.
“I always want to see you.” The words tumble out before I can stop them.
She’s quiet a moment before she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. “Me too.”
I ignore my thundering heart and shift the car into drive, peeling away from the curb. “Do you know where Addie would’ve gone?”
“Home, probably … I don’t know.” Her phone beeps twice from her pocket. “Oh, hold on. This might be her.”
I drive onward, turning down random streets in case we spot Addie and Cody. Summer taps away madly on her phone.
“Okay,” she says, releasing a long breath and dropping her phone to her lap. “She’s at Cody’s. She’s fine. She’s safe. He said she’s wiped out. I can drop by in the morning before work.”
I feel my shoulders loosen. “That’s good.”
I take a left and start heading home.
“Yeah,” she says, her head dropping back against the headrest. “Damn. I was supposed to stay with her tonight.”
I indicate to turn right instead. “Oh. Do you want me to—”
“It’s fine,” she says, placing her hand on my leg for a few seconds. I clear my throat. She tugs her hand back, folding it over her other in her lap. “We can go home. I’ll just … sneak upstairs or something.”
Sneak upstairs? In her own house?
She’s made comments like this before. Sneaking inside. Always finding an excuse to keep me from stepping inside her house. Always deflecting when I get too close to asking why.
Over the last twelve months we’ve fallen into a pattern. I have my suspicions. But every time I’ve tried to bring it up, she changes the subject, and I’ve learned not to push.
My brows furrow but I don’t ask any questions. “Sure.”
“I could wring Steele’s neck. I’m so mad at him.”
“I’m sure Addie will get to him before you do.”
“I can’t believe he did that. He’s been pursuing her for years. It wasn’t her fault.” She shakes her head and murmurs, “What a jerk.”
“He reacted badly in the heat of the moment. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses and apologize. He’s a good guy once you get to know him.” And I mean it. He really likes Addie.
She looks at me, incredulous.
“I’m serious,” I say.
“Hmm.”
“Fine. He’s an idiot.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” she says under her breath.
We drive for a few minutes in silence before she speaks again. “They’ve been sleeping together all year.”
I glance at her. “And?”
She shrugs. “It’s disrespectful to treat someone that way, especially after you’ve been hooking up with them for that long.”
“Not all guys think about it that way, Hayes.”
“You’re different. I don’t think you would do that.”
“I try to treat people the way I’d like to be treated.”
“Have you …” She trails off.
“Have I what?”
“Done things … with girls?”
I chew my lip. “I mean, I have. I used to. A few times. When I first moved here at the start of the year.”
“Sorry. It’s none of my business.” She looks at her feet.
Can’t you see I’m crazy about you?
“I haven’t in a long time,” I say, like I want to reassure her.
She only nods.
After a beat, she says, “Thank you. For what you did back there. With Zac. I … Thank you.”
“You don’t ever have to thank me for that.
” I’d do anything for you. “Zac’s a dick.
I know he drinks a lot and gets rowdy, but I’ve never seen him …
I didn’t know he was capable of …” I consider my next words carefully, trying to process what the fuck he could have done to her.
I grip the steering wheel tighter. “God. If I hadn’t gotten to you … ”
“Hey,” she says, twisting her body to face me. “It’s okay. You did get to me.”
“If he—”
“He didn’t, Chase.”
Shit, am I going to cry? I blink sharply, wiping my cheek with the back of my sleeve, just in case. If she notices, she doesn’t say anything.
The rest of the drive home passes in a blur. I check the time on the dash as I cruise down our street. It’s nearly midnight. I park in my driveway and cut the engine, but neither of us moves to get out. We don’t say a word. We just sit there for a moment.
I wish I could kiss her. I wish I could tell her how I feel. But the words sit like concrete in my stomach, refusing to surface.
“I don’t want to go inside,” she whispers.
“You can stay at mine if you want to,” I offer.
She rolls her lips. “No. It’s okay.”
Stepping out of the car, I follow Summer to her front porch. She reaches for the handle and pauses, spinning around.
I shove my hands in my pockets and rock back on my heels. “So, I guess I’ll just say good night, then.”
“I guess so,” she replies, quiet.
“Well. Good night,” I say, hesitating.
“Yeah. ’Night.”
Like magnets, we move toward each other at the same time. Reaching up onto her tiptoes, she wraps her arms around my neck, resting her head on my shoulder.
My fingers sink into her long hair as I wrap an arm around her mid-back, pulling her close.
“I’m really glad you were there tonight,” she murmurs into the crook of my neck. Her breath is warm against my skin and I swallow hard, trying to regroup.
“Me too.”
When we pull apart, my hand drifts from her hair to her jaw. Her ocean gaze bounces between my mouth and my eyes.
Fuck. Is this it? Is she going to kiss me?
I catch a lock of hair resting against her collarbone, feeling it between my fingers. My pulse ricochets as I skim my knuckles against her skin. She shivers, and I trace a line toward her shoulder.
She flinches.
My hand freezes. “Shit. Sorry. Did I—”
“I’m fine,” she rushes.
I frown, realizing she’s holding her breath.
Slowly, I hook a finger under the silky strap of her dress.
She covers my hand with her own. “Chase, seriously it’s—”
I ease the fabric aside and my stomach lurches. A dark and mottled bruise, purple fading to yellow at the edges, marks her skin.
“Jesus, Summer.”
She swats my hand away, waving me off. “Yeah, I bumped myself pretty hard.”
I know she isn’t telling the truth. She’s never been a good liar. She refuses to make eye contact, and her skin flushes a light pink right where her necklace rests below her throat, like it’s doing now.
I study her face. “Pretty weird spot to bump yourself.”
She forces a laugh, but the sound is hollow. “You know I’m not very coordinated.”
Ice slides down my spine when I notice she’s fighting back tears.
I don’t believe her, but I don’t know how to say that without accusing her of something I can’t prove. “Summer.”
“What? I don’t know what else you expect me to say.” She shrugs. “I’m fine. It’s just a bump.” She steps back, adjusting the strap of her dress, and schools her features.
I nod hesitantly.
“I should go inside,” she whispers. “Thank you for bringing me home.”
“Summer—” I take a step, reaching out to her but stop short.
“’Night, Chase,” she says, giving me a small smile.
My arms slacken as she unlocks the door and slips inside without a backward glance.
Ignoring every alarm blaring inside me, I force myself to turn and walk across her front yard into my own. The kitchen light guides me through the dark, quiet house.
Exhaustion hits me as I drag myself upstairs. I stop at the top, listening for any signs that my parents are still awake. The soft sound of their TV filters through their closed door at the opposite end of the hall. I get ready for bed but don’t bother trying to sleep. I already know I won’t.
Instead, I walk over to my window—the one that overlooks her house next door—and crack it open before grabbing my headphones and flopping onto my bed.
Opening my voice notes, I hit play on the only sound that brings me peace. The only sound that brings me closer to her.