Bad Boy Summer

t w e n t y s i x

I COULDN'T STOP smiling as I stared at him. He stood next to the plastic cot, holding the wrapped up burrito that was Stella in his arms. He was swaying her back and forth gently and slowly, he was soft and kind and so damn beautiful. 

He was whispering to her so quietly I could barely hear it over the rain hitting the windows outside. I rest my cheek on my palm and watch as Chase places a quick kiss to Stella's forehead. I could imagine him as a father and I could cry knowing how damn good he would be. 

Stella looked so tiny in his arms. I knew that Chase liked to work out. Sometimes when I was staying with him, he'd drag me to the gym at five in the morning. He worked out like a classic gym junkie while I, of course, ran on the treadmill for two minutes, walked for five and then snuck out the back to head to the Starbucks cafe across the road. 

I always made it back before he finished and pretended to be absolutely dying on a spin-bike—which I kinda was. I'm a swimmer not a land-excersiser or whatever the fuck they're called. 

He must've amped his work out sessions though because he was looking damn fine. Not exactly bigger but just more defined. His prominent back muscles tensed under the material of the shirt and emphasised his smaller waist and hips. His arms also looked like they could break a KFC Bucket made out of steel and yet they held Stella so gently. 

KFC Bucket made out of steel? Why the hell did my brain go there? 

As if feeling my stare moving all over him, Chase turns around while gently bouncing Stella in his arms and he glances over the room at me through his lashes. He smirks at me and I giggle silently to myself. 

"You can go to sleep, Stella." Chase whispers softly to her as he turns and glances briefly at me from across the room. I sink further into the comfy, cushioned armchair as his cuteness overwhelms me, "You're going to make your aunt jealous because I'm spending too much time with you."

I scoff as I roll my eyes at him. 

Vera and Sam were completely passed out on the hospital bed. Both of them were in extremely awkward positions yet they both looked completely comfortable. The sheets had been pushed right to the end and Vera was basically lying on top of Sam; her back to his chest. 

They finally looked at peace. 

Oh fuck, that makes them sound like they're dead. Nice one, Hayden. 

After our little reunion in the parking lot, Chase raced home and grabbed us a spare change of clothes. I was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a faded navy crop top while Chase was also dressed in grey sweatpants and a deliciously tight black crew-neck. 

It was almost 6 in the morning but the blinds were pulled down and blocked out the light—which wasn't much due to the persisting storm outside. The nurse's had come in a couple time, but after seeing the messy tangle of limbs, hair and clothes on the bed, they just checked over Stella and left. It was funny to see their reactions everytime they entered the room.