Falling For The Suspect ✔️

Chapter 13 ~ Sage

Sage's POV

I wake at the sound of a car door shutting. I open my eyes slowly, taking in the unfamiliar environment. I'm alone in a car. Chase Rivers' car to be exact. I look out the window and see Chase leaning against the bonnet of the car as a man from a van parked across the quiet road makes his way towards us. The van reads 'car services' confirming that last night's weird sequence of events was, in fact, a reality.

I run my hand through my messy hair and look around Chase's car. The built-in digital clock reads 7 am. Shit. My dad is going to kill me. My phone died yesterday evening and in Chase's rush to find where Brett was I forgot to leave a note telling him where I was. Hopefully, he had a late night at the station and hasn't noticed my absence.

My thoughts are interrupted as the driver's seat door opens. "Morning sleeping beauty," Chase says running a hand through his always messy hair. I was too tired to even snap back. Why was he in such a good mood? We were literally stranded. 

"The guy says it should only take about 20 minutes to fix the car," he says stifling a yawn. I give him a slight nod. His eyes linger on mine with an expression I can't quite read. He closes the car door and makes his way over to the man who has now opened the bonnet.

~~~~~

Half an hour later we are driving again. Chase keeps his eyes on the road but continues to glance over at me every few minutes. I lean my head on the car window.

"So what were you doing in a town four hours away by yourself anyway?" He asks, curiosity in his tone.

"Shopping for a dress for the school dance," I say.

"There's a school dance?" He asks confused, dragging his right hand through his dark hair while keeping his left hand on the steering wheel.

"Yeah, it's in a few weeks. Didn't you know?"

"Nope, been too busy becoming a suspect for murder when the alleged victim is, in fact, alive, well apparently. Are you sure it was him?" He asks, hands gripping the steering wheel firmly.

"Positive," I say. He nods. The boy was definitely Brett, I'm sure of it. It was the same boy whose face is everywhere in Mapleville. I am quick to notice how Chase accepts my answer as the truth. 

"So are you going to this dance with anyone?" He asks giving me a quick glance.

"No, just my friends," I say. He nods again. A heavy silence settles in the air.

My mind flashes back to what he says about becoming a suspect. "I believe you," I blurt out.

He looks at me confused, a frown ever present on his face, "What?"

"I believe you don't know why Brett disappeared and well obviously that you didn't kill him because I just saw him. I don't think you're as deeply involved as everyone believes you are," I say analysing his reaction. Chase Rivers was scary but not that scary.

He doesn't respond for a while. "We use to be good friends, Brett and I. Our families were close. Brett's parents own some big business and my mum worked for them."

"What happened?" I ask, immediately regretting it. I didn't want to pressure him into telling me. He probably already didn't trust me being the detective's daughter.

But he continues, keeping his eyes ahead of him, focused on the road as if looking at the road and talking was much easier than looking at me. "My father and his mother had an affair. When Brett's dad found out he immediately fired my mum and then my dad left. That's when we stopped being friends." His green eyes were cast over.