Page 43 of Giving Chase

He leans into my touch, his eyes closing. For a moment, we stand there in silence, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us. The music pounds through the floor, a chaotic counterpoint to my racing heart.

Finally, Chase speaks, his voice barely above a whisper. "So where does this leave us?"

I take a deep breath, my thumb ghosting over his cheekbone. "It leaves us where we've always been. Manager and artist. Friends. But nothing more. It has to be this way, Chase. For both our sakes. Yes, I love you, but it will never work. Why can’t you see that?"

He pulls away, the walls slamming back up. "Right. Professional. Got it."

"Chase..."

"You should go," he says, turning away from me. "I've got a party to get back to. Lots of networking to do." The bitterness in his voice is like acid.

I stand there for a moment, wanting to say more, to make him understand. But as I watch him pick up a half-empty bottle, hands shaking slightly, I realize something that terrifies me: I'm losing him. Not just professionally or romantically, but completely.

As I make my way back through the party, my heart feels like lead in my chest. Every cell in my body screams at me to turn around, to go back, to save him from himself. But I can't. Not if he won't let me.

In my car, I pull out my phone with trembling fingers. I scroll through my contacts until I find Will's number. He needs to know how bad things have gotten. We need to do something before...

I can't even finish the thought.

Don’t Let It End

CHASE

The coffee shopis quiet for a weekday afternoon. Will's already at our usual corner table, two steaming mugs waiting. Some things never change - he still remembers how I take my coffee, even if these days it's accompanied by pastries instead of hair of the dog.

"You look like shit," Will says by way of greeting, but there's warmth in his smile.

"Thanks. Always good to hear from my number one fan." I slide into the seat across from him, wrapping my hands around the mug. "How are the kids?"

"Good. Maya just made junior partner at her firm," Will grins with obvious pride. "And Lucas’s band is finally getting some decent gigs. Though he still refuses to admit that his old man might know a thing or two about the industry."

We share a laugh, falling into the easy rhythm that comes with decades of friendship. But there's an undercurrent of tension - Will knows I didn't ask him here just to catch up.

"So," he says after a moment, "want to tell me what's really on your mind?"

I stare into my coffee, gathering my thoughts. "It's the ceremony. PerformingWhispered Truths... I've never done it for an audience sober before. Not once in twenty years."

Will's expression softens with understanding. "That's what's got you tied up in knots? Not the whole Eliza situation?"

"That's part of it. It’s... complicated. But this?" I run a hand through my hair. "Every time we rehearse it, I feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin. It's different now. Rawer. Like there's nowhere to hide."

"Maybe that's not a bad thing," Will suggests. "Your voice is stronger than ever these days. Clear. Present."

"Yeah, well, being present is exactly what scares the shit out of me." I pause, searching for the right words. "That song... it was always easier to perform when I could blur the edges, you know? Take the edge off. Now I have to feel every word."

Will nods slowly. "I remember the farewell tour. After Chicago..."

"Christ," I exhale heavily. "That was a wake-up call. Or it should have been."

"You tried after that," Will reminds me. "Did the whole rehab thing."

"For about six months," I say bitterly. "Then convinced myself I could handle just one drink. One line. We both know how that turned out."

Will's quiet for a moment, studying me. "But this time's different. Five years, man. That's real."

"Yeah." I trace the rim of my mug. "My therapist wants me to write Eliza a letter. A real apology, for everything. Not just the final spiral, but all of it."

"About time," Will says bluntly. "Though I'm pretty sure she'd rather hear it in person."

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