Page 23 of Chase
“He’s just knocked out. If you guys have some smelling salts, that should wake his ass right up,” he tells Drew who automatically lifts his phone to make a call.
“Someone will bring them right over, anything else you need?” Drew asks while still on the phone. I sneak a peek at Chase who already has bruises blooming on both sides of his handsome face.Nana was right, boys are dumb.
“He’s gonna need something for the fucking headache he’ll wake up. Get some ice packs and water.” Monroe rattles off some other items while Drew gets it all sorted.
Hunter removes his brother’s sneakers and tries to make him more comfortable. He’s being sweet in his own way even if he’s cursing up a storm while doing it.
“He’s a fucking idiot, I knew he was doing this shit again,” Hunter mumbles to himself while looking at Chase’s white socks. The cotton covering his toes have faded red stains that look like blood. He lifts one foot and inspects his heel, and sure enough, there's more stains. He lets his foot drop to the bed and picks up the other one.
“He’s running again, I knew he was back to doing it every day but I didn’t know he was doing it to this extent,” he says to Evie who leans over to take a closer look. They both look worried. I’m not sure what’s going on but the concerned look ontheir faces is enough to have me reaching for her when she steps away from her brothers.
“You okay?” I quietly ask while looping my arm with hers.
“I f-f-feel bad, until t-t-t-oday, I d-d-didn’t realize how m-m-much he’s been h-h-hurting. I think h-h-he’s in a really d-d-dark place,” she says, looking frustrated with herself while wringing her hands together. I want to ask more, I want to know why he’s hurting and what she means. I’ve noticed a change in him, but it’s never been my place to ask.I’m not sure it really is now, either.
She takes a deep breath and her voice is steadier this time when she adds, “I also h-hate when they f-fight like that,” she quietly adds while referencing her brothers.
Her voice may be a hair louder than a whisper, but it’s loud enough for Max to hear from his stance behind her. It’s safe to assume that parts of tonight are bringing her right back to her own trauma and that horrific night last fall. It’s not the same but similar enough to hit close to home for her. I slip my hand into hers and give her a squeeze.
Max is all over it, sensing her nerves, he pulls her back into his chest and I hear him soothe her, “You’re safe and so is Red, I won’t let anything happen to you, or her. I love you, I’m right here, pretty girl.”
He’s always dialed into her needs and doesn’t hesitate to kiss the top of her head. “We’ll figure out what to do with Chase, this isn’t your fault, I don’t think any of us knew the extent of what was going on with him until we saw his room today.”
“I think he’s depressed,” she says with a sigh, and my heart breaks for him. I know how that feels. I know how the lasting effects of depression can linger, how it makes everything seem so hard and bleak, how everything is out of reach and feels so unattainable.
“What about you? Are you okay?” Evie asks me and holds up our joined hands while wincing. “You're squeezing the life outta me,” she adds and I release her hand.
“Sorry, honey bunny. I’m not sure what I am right now, and if I’m being honest with ya, I’m far from okay.” Standing here, I’m not sure what I was expecting to happen. Chase is on the bed while we all stand around him. Monroe said he was okay, that he’s more drunk than anything else, and he looks like he’s just sleeping it off.
“He didn’t hesitate to punch that guy for dancing with you. I think he was trying to show you what you mean to him,” she says but I’m not sure I buy it. I may mean something to him but it’s not enough.
“If that’s his idea of some grand gesture, he went about it all wrong, he can’t go from doing nothin’ to fightin’ over me. He missed a bunch of steps in between.” I eye her and she nods her head in agreement. Max snorts and holds out his fist for me to bump. He knows I’m right.
“He just doesn’t know how to get out of his own way right now, but he really does care for you,” she’s trying to assure me that he likes me but I’m starting to think I really need to stick to one side of the street here, either I’m in or I’m out.
There’s a knock on the door and a lanky guy wearing a Havenwood Football polo shirt hands Hunter a baggy with white capsules inside.
“Got the smelling salts, that should do it,” I hear him say before Hunter grabs a bag of supplies and slams the door in the guy's face. He rummages through the bag before pulling out some white capsules, before shoving one under his brother’s nose.
“Fucking, finally. Time to wake up, asshole,” he says, and sure enough, Chase lets out a groan and throws his forearm overhis face. I take a step back, out of his line of sight and Evie steps forward with Max still behind her.
“Welcome back, brother, you okay?” Max asks and squeezes his shoulder. Chase grunts in response and lets out another groan when Hunter slaps an icepack on his bruised cheek. I hate that he’s hurt, relieved that he’s okay, and angry that he’s here yet so far away.
“Your boy drank too much and is angry at the world lately, he needs to sleep it off,” Drew says and I just shake my head.
“Sugar, he isn’t my anythin’,” I drawl out thicker than usual from the spiked seltzers.
Jake’s eyes are full of sympathy as he looks over at me. He and I spent some time together when he joined the showcase lineup and he knows all too well how I feel about his friend.
“You’re not allowed to do that again,” Evie says and playfully places his hockey hat over his face. He grabs it with his other hand and pushes it down to his chest and I can’t stop staring at the slivers of flat, toned abs that creep out from underneath his bunched-up sweatshirt.
“Chase Wilton, you didn’t have to do all of that back there. I appreciate it, but it was nothing that I couldn’t have handled,” I tell him with an angry bite. My words sound ungrateful as they filter through the room. It’s not that I’m not appreciative of him defending me, but I also would have handled it myself.
He opens those chocolate-brown eyes and attempts to sit up. The ice pack falls from his face onto the bed. Hunter pushes him back down and he tries to shake him off. After the second attempt, Hunter lets him up. Without me even as much as breathing he finds my eyes amongst the group surrounding his bedside.
“I know you could’ve handled it, you can handle anything, gorgeous girl. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be able to take it all on for you, anyway,” his words are still slurred butare clear as day. He lays back and shuts his eyes before adding, “Plus, anyone who touches you automatically gets punched in the goddamn face.” He’s already asleep as his head hits Drew’s pillow.Oh, my sweet soul.
I’m stunned silent and a quiet beat lingers in the room. His statement rang loud in my ears.
