𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐩𝐬 ✓

27

"Thanks for waiting." Chase jogs up to where I sit on the bleachers, his hair dripping wet from his post-practice shower. He waves to a few guys on the team as we pass by them on our way to his truck.

"It's no problem. Helping you helps me." I smile up at him as we walk. The short ride to the soccer house is filled with conversation about our Physics curriculum and I find myself glancing at Chase's profile more often than not.

Before I realize, I'm brushing away a drop of water that trickled down from his hair to his sharp jaw with my hand. I try not to pull my hand away too quickly and startle him like the feeling of my skin on his did to me.

Chase and I have quickly become good friends, but every time we touch I find myself wanting more from him. It would be so easy with Chase. We spend so much time together anyway. "Earth to Lexi." I hear and look to my right to see Chase standing outside with the passenger door held open for me. Glancing at the soccer house, I sheepishly smile and jump down from my seat. He lets me lead the way inside and I pause when I see the sitting room and the tv room fully occupied by people.

"My room okay?" Chase asks and I nod even though I want to do the opposite. The last time I was in Chase's bedroom, we couldn't control ourselves and had wild sex for the second time. Not saying a word, we climb the stairs together. I try not to let my hesitance show on my face as he opens the door for me but one look in his bedroom and I want to run.

Chase rubs the back of his neck with an uncertain expression on his face, watching me slowly lower myself to sit on the edge of his bed. I rub my palms on my thighs. "Well..."

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Chase says, bringing up the elephant in the room. My shoulders relax and I blow out a breath.

"It'll be fine. We're good, right? You're good? We can talk if you want to. Or we can just study. Let's just study." I say much too quickly. He laughs.

"Glad it's not just me." He sits down beside me and turns to face me so that one of his legs is bent on the bed and one is on the floor. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asks and my eyes widen.

I shake my head. "I don't think I can." I admit.

"You okay?" He asks and I nod resolutely. Nothing was said, but most of the awkward tension leaves the room and we settle in. Making myself comfortable, I lay down on my stomach and take the textbook from my bag.

Chase lays parallel to me and I try to explain problems to him as he takes notes and completes them in his notebook. "I'll be right back. Can we cover phasors next?" Chase asks and I tilt my head to the side, confused. With his accent, it sounded like he said "faces". "Fay-so-r-s" He says again, pronouncing the R and I purse my lips nodding.

Flipping through the textbook for the correct unit, I brush up on the topic before he gets back. "Fuck." I hear Chase's low voice say quietly behind me and I turn my head to see him looking down at me with dark eyes. Looking back at myself, I realize that I'm in the exact position that he had me in last time I was in this bed and my head falls down, burying my face in the bedspread.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that." Chase apologizes and I cringe. Hoping that he isn't still watching me, my thighs clench together from the thoughts going through my head at the moment. I can't decide whether it would be worse if I stayed on the bed or jumped off of it like I was on fire.

"I should go." I make up my mind, sitting up and kneeling while gathering everything. Chase places a hand on mine and I avoid looking up into his green eyes.

"You don't have to. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We can meet up tomorrow if you want, I just...I have to go." I stand up, attempting to smile before slinging my bag over my shoulder and rushing out of the house that already holds too many memories.

I walk back to the apartment, get my car keys, and drive around the town to clear my head. I end up stopping at the beach as the sun sets. Parking the car at the perfect moment, I'm able to watch the blue sky transform into a cotton candy-colored one with pink fluffy clouds.

Taking off my shoes in the car, I walk down to enjoy the hot sand on my feet. Water laps at my toes when I get close enough. Being here makes a good distraction until I remember that this is the place I met the guy that I am running from. That night at the bonfire, he caught me when I fell and I can't help but wonder if I gave him the chance, would he be willing to catch me again and not let go?