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

v.

kathryn claire rolled over, shutting her alarm off. she didn't really want to go to work — rick had been kind enough to give her a few days off to take care of chase but today was thursday and she knew she needed to be there to help load the car.

she glanced over at chase, his long eyelashes resting on his cheeks. she reached out, running her fingertips over his cheek. he stirred slightly so she pulled back, not wanting to wake him.

a warm feeling washed over her — love. every time she looked at chase, the feeling almost overwhelmed her. she had wanted to bring up the conversation that he had tabled in the hospital. but every time she tried, she chickened out.

it was a big conversation, a big leap for them and kathryn claire was scared. scared that things wouldn't work out between them and she would be left alone with a broken heart, scared that she'd have to pick up the pieces of herself once more.

but looking at him, the steady rise and fall of his chest, kathryn claire knew that the leap was worth it. she knew they needed to have the conversation before he raced in chicagoland.

chicagoland. the thought of chase getting back into a car made kathryn claire's chest tighten. she wasn't exactly sure why, she knew that chase would be safe. but she had almost lost chase with nothing more said than chase's confession, he never would've had a clue that she felt the same way. it would have been an open ending that would've destroyed her.

she sighed softly, slipping out of the covers. she shook the thoughts off as she pulled her clothes out of her closet — a hendrick polo and a pair of khaki shorts that stopped a few inches above her knee.

she stepped into the bathroom, dressing quietly and quickly so she didn't wake up chase. he put a brave face on for her but she caught his face twisting into a grimace when he moved certain ways. he needed all the rest he could get before he raced on sunday.

kathryn claire opened the door to deposit her pajamas into her hamper, running into chase's chest with a quiet, "oof." she looked up in surprise, "what are you doing up?"

chase shrugged nonchalantly, "i'm going to the shop today." he stepped into the bathroom, leaving kathryn claire there.

"oh." kathryn claire murmured. she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. she knew that she still needed to prove her worth, and being given most of the week off. having chase in the shop would not help matters at all. but it wasn't like she could stop him, he was the driver after all.

"what?" chase cocked an eyebrow as he exited the bathroom.

she shrugged, "nothing, just tired." she paused for a minute. now probably wasn't the most ideal time for the conversation that had been looming over her like a storm cloud but she had to just rip the bandaid off. "we need to talk about us." she bit her lip as she waited for chase to respond.

chase stiffened, his eyes clouding in a way that kathryn claire did not recognize, "do we have to talk about it now?" his voice was flat, almost emotionless.

kathryn claire felt her shoulders droop a little bit, his dismissal like a punch to the gut, "i guess not." she offered a fake smile before dropping it as she followed chase through the apartment towards the door. she wished that he would've just talked to her about it so they could've gotten it out of the way and started their lives as whatever they decided they were.

her stomach tightened as they climbed into chase's truck. maybe chase had decided that his feelings were a mistake, something he said on impulse to diffuse a situation without any intention of following through. her self doubt started to creep in, reminding her that a man like him could never stay interested in her.

but she shook the self-doubt away, chase had a track record, a pattern when it came to things like this. it had been just another lie. kathryn claire decided, a small seed of anger taking root.

chase was oblivious to her emotions, singing along to the radio, reaching over to squeeze her hand with a grin. she wanted to say something to him but she knew there was not enough time to resolve the conflict.

for the first time, kathryn claire wanted to get away from chase elliott.