Chasing Sunsets

22

I waited for their voices to trail off into silence before I opened my eyes.

Slowly, the vision of reality met me. We were parked, as I had already figured out. I looked around through each of the windows, seeing a mixture of trees and pavement. It didn't take me long to realize we were in the parking lot of a park, not too far from our school. I wondered how long we had been there, how many hours had passed where Chase and Asher had sat in the car, waiting for us to wake up.

I looked down at my lap, Bella was still asleep. Her face was calm, free of the pain that she had worn like a mask when we were at school. I felt a frown form on my mouth as the memories of just hours ago swept through my brain. Like I said before, Bella's pain was my pain.

"How are you feeling?" I heard Chase's whispered voice, causing me to look towards him. Both he and Asher were looking back at me, their heads tilted sideways past the front leather seats.

I felt a lurch in my stomach, a slight feeling of nerves at the remembrance of their conversation. I knew that Asher cared for Bella, and I knew that Chase and I were friends, but I guess I hadn't realized the depth of the relationship between us all.

And a part of me wondered why. Why they had said those words and most of all why they sounded like they really meant them. Wouldn't it be easier for them to watch us from afar, like seemingly the rest of our friends had been doing? Waiting until we were all better again, because they simply didn't know what to say to us.

"I'm tired," I told them, dropping my eyes again, trying to get my stomach to settle. Even though I had just napped for an untold amount of hours, I wasn't lying. I was tired. I was always tired.

"I can bring you home, Indie," Chase answered immediately, his voice still soft as to not wake Bella. I looked back towards him, my gaze tracing his face before they finally settled on his eyes. There was nothing but concern in them.

I nodded, letting a breath escape my lips. I relaxed back into the seat, watching as Chase quickly turned back towards the steering wheel. I noticed he made eye contact with Asher, their eyes saying words that weren't audible. Chase and Asher seemed to have that type of friendship, the same kind that Bella, Isla, and I have.

Or, I mean... had.

The type of friendship that doesn't need words. A telepathic connection between souls.

I kept my eyes on Chase as he began to drive. He seemed different than the Chase I had known only a month ago. Maybe that shouldn't surprise me, it didn't feel like anything was the same as a month ago. Chase then, well, he seemed shyer than the Chase I was looking at now. He was leaned back as he drove my car, one of his hands on the steering wheel, while the other elbow was leaning on the center console. His hand was stroking his chin, and I could tell that his mind was busy.

I felt my mood dip even lower as we pulled into my driveway. The lights were all off, which wasn't surprising. Though my parents had stayed home for the last month, they weren't often here. And though I had Bella with me, unless we were at her house, my house felt even emptier than it usually did. There was no Isla there.

It wasn't until Chase parked and turned the car off that I realized.

"Oh, shit," I breathed out, shaking my head. "I guess your car is still parked at the school, Asher. I can drive you guys there, drop you off," I looked down at Bella, and the way her hand had curled into my sweater. I looked around, trying to decide whether I should wake her up, or try to wiggle out from underneath her.

"You're not in any condition to drive, Indie," Chase refused quickly. "And, it looks like Bella needs a bed."

"We're fine Indie, we can call a cab," Asher explained, Chase nodded in agreement.