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

iv.

chase's eyes fluttered open, his eyes drifting down to kathryn claire. he wanted to reach out and touch her but he didn't want to wake her up.

he grimaced as he slowly slid away from kathryn claire. his feet hit the carpet as he stood up.

he glanced back at her, relieved that he hadn't woken her up. the night before she had confessed that she hadn't gotten much sleep since sunday so he wanted to make sure she could sleep in — it was the least he could do.

chase's stomach growled as he made his way into the kitchen. he pulled out a bowl, pouring himself cereal and milk. he leaned against the counter, eating his breakfast.

he spotted his phone on the counter near him, attached to his charger. he had left it in his motorhome, his mom must've brought it in -- he wasn't completely sure.

he set his bowl down, reaching for his phone. opening imessage, he scrolled through the hundreds of messages wishing him well.

he stopped on his and ryan's text thread. he could tell by the message preview that the latest message ryan had sent was an apology for the wreck. chase frowned as he opened the thread. it wasn't ryan's fault in the slightest. it had been chase's error, his miscalculation that had almost cost him dearly.

ryan
10:29pm
i didn't mean to send you
into the wall, man. i hope
you're okay. i'm sorry about everything

chase chewed on his lip at ryan's last sentence. the feelings of hurt and betrayal had started to fade, near death giving chase a clearer head when it came to ryan.

standing there, chase came to the conclusion that while ryan was not innocent, he was not a villain either. but chase wasn't sure how to proceed. could this friendship even be salvaged?

ryan was his best friend, up until recently he had been the only person chase could trust. ryan had been a faithful friend when it had mattered most, chase knew that without a doubt. maybe his brush with death had given him a new found clarity and maturity but chase knew he should give ryan a chance, to really hear him out.

chase sighed, he really wished kathryn claire was awake to give him advice. but this was on him. he knew he needed to at least make sure ryan knew the wreck wasn't his fault and the rest, he'd figure out later.

he typed a short message, not knowing what else to say, his thumb hovering over the blue arrow. he reread it one last time, hoping for the best as he pressed send.

chase
9:34am
the wreck was entirely my fault.
nothing you could've done differently
to stop it.

he set his phone down, unsure of what would come of it. he picked up his cereal bowl, continuing to eat his breakfast in silence until his phone vibrated against the counter, signaling an incoming call.

chase's heart pounded, stomach churned. he hadn't expected ryan to call, he hadn't prepared himself. part of him wanted to just decline, send him to voicemail and call back later once he had a game plan but he found his finger pressing accept.

"hello?" chase set his cereal bowl down, shifting nervously.

"i uh—" ryan paused, searching for
words. "i just wanted to see how you were doing. that was a hell of a hit, man."

chase chuckled dryly, scratching the back of his neck, "you're telling me. i'm alright, just a little sore."

"when are they letting you get back in the car?" ryan asked.

chase's eyes floated up to the ceiling, "they actually cleared me when i left the hospital. freakin' miracle that i didn't actually get hurt."

ryan hummed in agreement and the two fell silent for a moment as they both searched for words to say.

ryan beat chase, "kc told me to give you time but i needed you to know that i was sorry."

"wait, kc?" chase quizzed, anger starting to seep into his brain. she had been talking to ryan without him knowing? chase couldn't help but feel a pang of betrayal.

"shit," ryan cursed under his breath, knowing chase's voice well enough to know he had made a faux pas. "yeah, we talked in the waiting room after your accident. mostly i cried to her about how i have managed to fuck everything up. she just told me that i should give you space and you'd talk if or when you were ready."

chase nodded slowly, the anger and betrayal dissipated. leave it to kathryn claire to console somebody else during one of the scariest moments of her life. "that sounds like her."

ryan chuckled softly, "you've found yourself quite a keeper, chase."

"don't i know it?" chase laughed a little. "why don't we get lunch after we get back from chicagoland?" the words tumbled out of his mouth before he comprehended what he was saying.

there was a pause on ryan's end before he answered. "i'd like that. bring kc with."