Page 82 of Chase
“I’ve got two dozen missed calls between the three of ‘em. I don’t know what to do, Davis.” She looks like a frightened younger version of herself.
“What ya don’t do, is let them snuff out the light in your eyes. It just came back… I’ll handle ‘em while it all blows over,” he promises.
Sure enough her damn phone rings out and she shows him her screen. Their mom is calling and she looks like a nervous wreck watching the call go to voicemail. I hate seeing her like this. I wrap my arm around her and her hand flexes over my chest. I feel her little fingers spread over my skin. I want her to dig in and give me all her worries.
It takes all of ten second before her phone is ringing again. Davis convinces her to silence the volume. And they go back and forth about her keeping her phone on. Her screen keeps lighting up with notifications and I’m sure these assholes are texting too. It’s like they're harassing her.What the fuck?!
She looks stressed and I just about lose my mind when she buries her face over my heart. We haven’t spent a lot of time talking about her family, but she’s made it pretty fucking clear how toxic her parents are.
Seeing her face when her Mama calls again has her trembling. The calls are fucking back-to-back, and her phone is frozen in her hand. But she doesn’t send her mom to voicemail,she lets it ring and I can see the torment all over her tear streaked face. No more.
I take her phone from her ice cold fingers and kiss her forehead.I’m not gonna let anyone else upset you, Birdie.
I pick up on the first fucking ring when, “Daddy’s Communications Director,” calls for the twentieth fucking time. I tell him all he needs to know about last night before advising him to fuck all the way off. Then she throws her arms around my neck and kisses me like I’m her fucking knight in shining armor before calling me her hero. And it makes me feel like a fucking king.
It’s this moment that has me believing in fairy tales, happily ever afters, and that the love I have to give her may be worthy to fill the pages of our own love story.
Chapter Forty-Two
IDIDN’T LEAVEthe comfort of that house for three weeks. It felt like quarantining all over again except this was a self-inflicted lock down. It didn’t feel safe or like the world was going to bearable outside of those walls. I haven’t heard a thing about Will since he walked outta the police station the night of his arrest. I was too nervous thinking I was gonna run into him again. He must have known someone who knew someone since they didn’t hold him. It’s like that night never happened nomatter how many times it’s circulated on social media. He walked out a free man and seems to have gone underground like the rodent he is.
I haven’t been back to that apartment. Both altercations with Will were there and I don’t feel comfy being there, especially since Chase isn’t allowed in. I have no desire to be without him.
He’s been by my side morning, noon, and night. He switched his classes from in person to remote learning right after I did so I wouldn’t feel lonely during the day while I hung around inside.
He knows what I need before I do and it’s one of the ways I feel his love. He holds my hands, unwinds my fingers, and makes sure I don’t drift too far when I get lost in my head thinking about it all.
It wasn’t just Will I had to deal with. The aftermath and fall out of icing out Mama and Daddy’s office has been something I’ve had to really pick apart and process.
It’s the first time I’ve ever taken some sorta stand and it feels good to untangle myself from their web of strings. I feel like I broke free from the golden cage of expectations that they had me in. Their version of conditional love was making me sick and keeping me captive. All I want to do is fly far away from them.
Davis, Drew, Evie, and Max brought over most of my things after Chase all out insisted that I stay with him from now on. He’s given me free reign of his space and the first thing I do every morning is open up those blinds for sunlight, and the windows for fresh air. I’ve also kept his laundry in check and have kept things tidy in here. It’s good for both of us.
I don’t mind helping out and making myself useful; they’re letting me stay here after all. I’ve cooked chicken dinners, made pancake breakfasts, and made the boys homemade snacks for their away games. I’ve also made it my mission to keep this house clean, especially the kitchen and bathrooms.
I’m hardly ever alone and have had more than enough company to fill my social battery and then some. Davis and Drew camp out on the living room couch almost every day and Evie and Max have been back in his old room. There always seems to be someone around and it’s no coincidence, it’s just how they’re taking care of me in return.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but even with all this wonderful support and time to reflect on what's happened, I’m still anxious everyday. I look over my shoulder and am all out convinced that the boogie man is in fact, on the other side of every door I open. After all, he tricked me once already.
I knew tonight was coming up and even scheduled my therapy session earlier today to try to get myself ready. Davis and I had a plan, he would walk with me to the HH meeting, wait outside, and then we’d walk on back. Drew was gonna meet us here after for supper.
Chase had an away game and was already revved up about having to leave. Besides either of us being in therapy sessions, hockey was the only time we were apart for long periods of time.
He installed a doorbell camera and according to the boys, he was constantly checking it on the bus to and from games, in between periods or practices, and whenever they were in team meetings. He had permission from his Coach to let their equipment manager hold his phone when he was on the ice, just in case something happened. I needed to know that I could always reach him. It gave us both peace of mind and I baked that man a double batch of dark chocolate brownies to thank him.
He walked outta that front door and I felt the invisible string between us lengthen. I hated it but I couldn’t let him throw awayhis spot on the team for me. I couldn’t live with myself if he stopped playing.
I was watching through the living room window when this rascal jumped outta Jake’s SUV that had gotten as far as the end of the driveway before he was running to me. Poor Jake just pulled back in to wait.
“You gotta go on now, don’t keep ‘em waiting,” I told him between him kissing me over and over again.
“Fuck the game, I should be the one to take you.” We’ve been over this and gone back and forth. I know he wanted to escort me tonight to my meeting but it just didn’t work out that way with his game schedule.
I've got a mandatory in person meeting tonight at the HH that I couldn’t get out of if I want to stay on track to transition into a senior level editorial role next year. They’ve been accommodating to me needing to take some, “personal time,” but now they need me to pull my weight. I’ve got to show up and show my face.
“Go and score for me, now out,” I tell him and swat his bubble butt back out the door when Jake lays on the horn for the third time.
“I’ll bring you home three cranes, Birdie.”
