Not Alone Any More {Chase Elliott || Sequel to Only the Lonely} ✔️

iii.

"are you sure you're going to be okay?" chase's mom looked back and forth between chase and kathryn claire. "i can stay, it'll be no big deal."

kathryn claire gave her a reassuring smile, "i think we'll be alright." she glanced at chase who was nodding too.

his mom nodded slowly. "okay. well then i'll call later and check on you." she kissed chase on the cheek before leaving.

"do you need anything?" kathryn claire asked as chase eased himself onto the couch. her eyes widened a little as he winced in pain. "do you want something for the pain?" she offered.

"i'll have an ibuprofen and a tylenol." his big brown eyes stared up at her, sending butterflies through her body.

she shook her head, "i don't think that's going to help much."

chase shrugged, "i hate the fuzziness, i'd rather be in pain."

kathryn claire turned, rolling her eyes as she turned, digging through his medication until she found the right bottles. she wanted to argue with him. she had seen some of the bruises, she couldn't imagine the pain that he was in, and she had a feeling that tylenol and ibuprofen wouldn't help much. but she felt like it wasn't her place to argue.

she shook the tiny pills into her palms before handing them to chase. he gave her a weak smile as he took them, chasing them with water that had been sitting on the end table.

kathryn claire stood there for a moment, emotions washing over her. less than forty-eight hours ago, she watched his car go up in flames, knowing that he was trapped inside. she never thought anything would be worse than her parents accident but hearing him on the radio, the fear in his voice, that was worse. but here he was, home from the hospital, he was okay. kathryn claire couldn't help but feel lucky, like maybe life had finally dealt her a good hand.

"are you just going to stare at me?" chase asked, an amused look crossing over his face.

kathryn claire shook her thoughts off, giving her shoulders a nonchalant shrug. "maybe."

chase shook his head, chuckling under his breath, "will you sit down, please? i don't need you to hover."

kathryn claire plopped down next to him, leaving space between them. "for the record, i wasn't staring, i was thinking."

chase moved over, promptly closing the space she had left. "what were you thinking about?" his voice was a low hum, his eyes dark.

"about how for once in my life, things didn't go the worst way possible." she answered, casting a sideways glance at chase. "i'm really glad you're okay." she wanted to say more, to tell him how watching him nearly die had been worse than the accident that had taken her parents from her. but she knew chase, knew that if she told him, he would feel guilty. the crash had been unintentional, a miscalculation with almost deadly consequences but kathryn claire knew he'd feel guilty nonetheless, guilty that even though everything turned out okay, for a brief moment he had caused the worst moment of her life.

chase nodded slowly, "me too. i hate that you had to see that." he studied her for a moment, her hands fidgeting as she chewed on her bottom lip. it didn't take much for him to tell that she hadn't told him everything on his mind.

he grabbed her hand, her hazel eyes connecting with his brown eyes, "what else?"

she shook her head, her eyes drifting away. "it's nothing."

he squeezed her hand, "i can tell it's bothering you. you can tell me kathryn claire."

she took a deep breath. she wasn't sure telling chase this would be helpful but she knew that chase probably wouldn't leave it until she told him. and it probably was good for her to get that thought off of her chest. "watching you crash, hearing you over the radio and knowing that you were hurt and trapped in the car, in a way that was worse than the car accident that killed my parents."

chase nodded slowly, his eyes watering, "i'm sorry." he choked out.

"don't be sorry," kathryn claire squeezed his hand, offering a reassuring smile, "but that memory has a happy ending. i feel like for once life has dealt me a good hand."

chase wrapped his arm around her, "i hope you always feel that way, kathryn claire."