I Stole the Bad Boy's Skateboard

Chapter 22: Hide and Seek (Edited)

To all the older siblings out there, have you ever had that one moment when you felt so proud of your younger brother or sister? Because, that's exactly how I'm feeling right now.

I was sitting on a wooden bench watching Tyler and Chloe together on the playground from afar. The sun was up in the sky, a few fluffy clouds surrounding it. Though the sun was shining brightly, it couldn't beat the chilly breeze welcoming itself to our neighbourhood.

I watched Tyler chasing Chloe pass the swings and sandbox and around the giant slides. When he finally caught her, he grabbed her by the arm too hard that Chloe came crashing down with him on fallen orange leaves.

Cute. Talk about puppy love.

Laughing, they picked up the fallen leaves around them and tossed them in the air. Moments later, Tyler found a lone leaf lying on the ground. It didn't quite look like the other leaves. It was uniquely beautiful in its own way. Chloe joined him on inspecting it.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Chase slid his phone into one of his front pockets. He tilted his head nearer to my side to get a better view of Tyler and Chloe.

"Yeah, they are," I replied, smiling to myself.

My mind began drifting to future fantasies. I imagined Tyler and Chloe years older, chasing each other around this same park during the fall. I imagined orange leaves raining around them as Tyler stared at Chloe laughing in awe.

"I hope you're not planning their wedding yet." Chase's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Don't worry," I replied, scoffing. "I haven't quite gotten their yet."

"Good," Chase replied, smirking. "We can't afford them getting married now, can we?"

I stared at Chase's smirking figure confused. "And why not?" I asked. "They look perfect," I glanced back at Tyler and Chloe helping each other on the swings, "like they were meant to find each other."

"But what about you and me? I can't marry you if they beat us to it."

I snapped my attention back to Chase. Was he being serious right now?

Alex, don't play his games.

"Pfft," I flipped my head backwards, shaking my head. "You and I would make the worst couple ever. I mean, we even had a fight in homecoming. You do nothing but annoy me and I can never figure you out."

I chuckled dryly to myself again, completely oblivious to the silence I was receiving. I had smiled staring straight ahead. Too late, I realized the silence and turned to look at Chase.

He wasn't staring at me like I was. Instead, he was watching Tyler and Chloe with a frown on his face. You could tell that he was trying very hard to hide whatever emotion he was feeling. I myself couldn't decipher him, but the frown on his face seemed to tell me enough.

It was sort of like a game of hide and seek. His feelings hiding behind his frown, most of the time his smirks, not wanting to be found. But what his feelings didn't know was it forgot to cover up the tracks to its hiding place. Little by little, step by step, I got closer and closer to find them.

Slowly, he turned to face me, his frown becoming a gentle smile. It wasn't a happy or overly-cocky smile. It was the kind of smile blocking a million other emotions, making it close to impossible for anyyone else to see through.

I wonder what happened in his past to make him have to hide his feelings from others.

"Chase, I –" I hung my head, not knowing what to say. I wasn't good in hiding my emotions behind a smile. I hid my emotions behind a blank face you couldn't read.

"I understand why you said what you said, Lexi." Chase's voice startled me from my thoughts. He scooted nearer me, sliding down the bench.

Looking up at him from my lashes, I listened to the next words that came out of his mouth. "I'm not the best guy in the world," he continued, "and I know that."

"Chase –"

"Shh." Chase placed a finger on my lips, shutting me up. He drew his finger back, leaving a spark of electricity that disappeared too fast I began to wonder if I even felt it at all. But I knew it was there.

"Lexi, I need you to give me a chance," Chase continued, whispering as he leaned closer. "A chance to prove myself to you. A chance to prove to you that I can be better."

Okay. Whoa. I was not expecting that.

I replied without thinking of the words coming out of my mouth. "Okay."