Disarm

Chapter 6: A tidal wave with a Spark

**Jade**

"Is it weird? Seeing this stuff?" Billie asks sitting on the floor across from me.

"More painful than anything else..." I say dumping out the contents of the small plastic bag and pick up Daphne's engagement and wedding ring along with a peridot ring Jason gave her to commemorate Chase's birth.

"What are you going to do with their stuff?" Billie asks picking up Daphne's engagement ring.

"Maybe set that ring aside for Chase, so he can give it to his future wife... or husband... or whoever he chooses to love." I shrug picking up the peridot ring.

"You should take this room, ya know."

"I'd feel weird sleeping in their room..."

"Why? It's technically your house. It's better than sleeping in that guestroom. If you need help cleaning this room out, I can help you... It's a nice room." She says looking around. "Plus, Chase's nursery is right there, instead of down the hall."

"Yeah, but it'll be just me sleeping in here... you're going back on tour in a week."

"Says who?"

"I thought..? I thought you were going back on tour?"

"Danny and Laura think it'd be a good idea, but honestly? I'm enjoying my time here with you and baby shark, being all domestic and shit." She says with that dimpled smile I love.

"Domestic and shit?"

"Yeah... like when we go for walks with Chase in that park at night, or when we all went swimming today. I don't get to enjoy doing normal shit like that at home, or when I got to bake cookies for you last weekend."

"So, you're...?"

I sit up slowly pushing the covers off my body and feel Chase's small body still pressed against my side, I lean over and kiss his temple gently trying to gage his temperature which feels like it's finally broken. I tuck his shark next to him as I push myself off the bed gently and walk out of the bedroom quietly and make my way downstairs, checking the time on the clock on the oven. 3:24am. Great.

I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and lean against the counter and try to get the images of the dream out of my head.

"So, tour can be postponed until I'm ready to go back. Plus, maybe when I'm ready Chase can come with us."

"Us...?"

But "us" never happened, yes we said 'I love you' but I'd never openly called her my 'girlfriend' to anyone aside from my family members and Grey, and she never openly called me her 'girlfriend'; and I never pressed the issue.

I sigh and open my laptop and begin the tedious task of checking various work emails and make a note on a nearby legal pad of the emails I need to respond to during business hours and emails that can wait; when my phone vibrates, it's 3:40am only one person texts me this late. Billie. I grab my phone off the bedside table and open the text messages.

Billie: sorry about earlier. Dakota walked in...

I wish I could break the cycle of responding to her messages and phone calls at all hours of the morning, but like that moth to a flame she's a flame and I can't help but respond, maybe it's the maternal part of me that wants to protect her, or maybe part of my heart wants "us" again.

Me: I figured as much.

Billie: why are you up so late?