Chasing the Storm (Chasing the Storm, #1) - PUBLISHED

Chapter Fifteen

The parking lot is more full than I imagined, leading me to believe that members of our church invited lots of guests to this picnic. One glance at the field confirms this. There are people I’ve never seen before, but one familiar figure catches my eye. He is kneeling on the grass, tying the shoe laces of a younger child, who seems impatient to go play with the others.

Sierra, Mandy and I exchange glances. Theirs are knowing, but while Mandy just seems uncomfortable, I notice a fire in Sierra’s eyes. She glances at Chase with a murderous glare. For his sake and mine, I take her hand and pull her in the opposite direction, away from the target of the laser beams I’m sure she wishes she had built into her eyes.

“Sorry, Abigail,” she says, still with that angry stare, “but–”

“Your attempts to avoid me are pathetic and painfully obvious.”

With a sigh, I stop and turn to face Chase. But before I can so much as open my mouth to speak, Sierra does.

“Can you blame her?” she says. “You haven’t exactly been a nice person to be around.”

In shock at my friend’s brutal honesty, Chase jerks his head back, widens his eyes and places a flat hand over his heart, his expression full of horror. “What do you mean? I’ve been nice. I’ve been a joy.”

I roll my eyes at his statement and the sarcasm laced into it.

“Whose definition of ‘joy’ are we talking about here?” Sierra retorts. She’s usually the one I can expect to stick up for me in arguments or fights, but now is not the time! Not here. “You wouldn’t know nice if it smacked you in the face!” she adds. My mouth opens slightly in surprise, and so does Chase’s. This time his surprise appears genuine rather than feigned and sarcastic. And still, she continues. I’m sure I’m beet red when she says, “Abigail’s told me all about you, mister, and if you think for one more second that–”

“Oh, has she?” Chase’s gaze shifts from Sierra’s to mine. A smirk plays on his lips, and although he won’t take his eyes off of mine, he seems far away. They’re alight with humor, yet seem so focused on mine as if he’s trying to see through to my soul. Somehow, I know he’s unable to hear Sierra. I, on the other hand, am listening with growing embarrassment as she continues to reveal the secret of my rants about him.

“Okay, Sierra,” I say, hoping the slight quaking of my voice isn’t as noticeable to them as it is to me. “Thanks for speaking for me. I think he gets the picture now. But, Chase, how did you know about this picnic? Did Pastor David invite you?”

“Yeah, because you guys neglected to tell me about it. I have to add that he was very surprised and disappointed that neither one of you thought to invite me. Aren’t you supposed to be trying to win my soul or something?” Raising a brow, Chase looks directly at me, adding, “Or my heart?”

Full-on embarrassment causes my face to flush, and my jaw drops open. Sierra turns slowly to look at me with her mouth fully agape, too.

“For Christ, of course,” Chase says next. “What did you think I was talking about?” I close my mouth, but it pops open again immediately. A look of innocence crosses his face, but his eyes betray him. He walks away before I recover my ability to speak.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” my best friend inquires. Accusation laces her words.

“I promise I have no idea what that was about! Who could ever guess what goes on in his head?”

“And I’m sure we wouldn’t want to know,” Sierra adds, her natural curiosity awakened despite what she said.

The sun feels harsh against my skin, reminding me that I completely forgot to bring sunscreen. This is not the time of year to be without sunscreen, Abigail!