The connection

Chapter Thirty four - A cry for help

Chase

I threw the empty bottle into the open water that stood in front of me and listened to the splash of the water echo amongst the trees. This place used to be somewhere special, somewhere full of happy memories. But now if was just empty and cold, just like how I felt. I reached down to the now empty six pack on the ground as I stumbled towards the direction of my car before tripping over a rock and face planting the ground.

"Chase wow" her voice purred in my ears. I opened my eyes and my blurred vision could make out her silhouette, her long brown hair fell in front of her face as she leaned down and stroked my face.

"Lex" I breathed with a sigh of relief.

"Uh no it's Melissa....listen Chase this was fun before but I think you've had way too much to drink. I'm over this" the voice drifted off into the distance, no Lex don't go, don't leave me. 

"Hi is that Chloe, umm can you get down to the creek...he's had too much to drink" the muffled words felt like a million miles away. I felt myself drift further away as the sky above me started to spin before it all went black.

*******

"Chase wake up, Chase" 

I felt my arm shaking and then a splash of ice cold water on my face. I bolted upright opening my eyes to be met with Chloe's angry face staring back at me.

"Chloe what the hell" I snapped as I wiped the water from my face that she'd just thrown over me.

"Well sorry but I needed to get you up, you've been out cold for hours and it's getting late" she shot back. I glanced at my watch, shit she was right. I must have been out for a while.

"Sorry I guess I lost track of time" I mumbled in way of an apology.

"Or you drank yourself stupid" she replied holding up the half empty vodka bottle and empty beer packet. This was the last thing I needed, my head was pounding.

"Come on I'll take you home" she chimed with a look of annoyance

"What about my car"

"We'll come back for it tomorrow, there's no way you're driving tonight" she huffed. I guess she was right. I may be an idiot but I know when it's time to hand over the keys and not get behind the wheel. 

I sloped off towards her car and slouched down into the passenger seat as she got in and started the engine. She paused for a minute and looked over at me with concern.

"You can't keep doing this Chase" 

"I know" was all I could offer up in response. I knew I was spiralling and made bad choices but at the same time it didn't matter. Nothing mattered without Alex and I'd let her go. I'd decided I couldn't get passed things with her and Josh and now I had to live with that decision. It was too late to go back and this was the only way I knew how to deal with that.

"Hey can you take Main Street home" I asked without breaking my glance from the passenger window. Chloe let out a sigh beside me

"I don't think that's a good idea" she warned

"Chloe please" I pleaded. She knew the drill by now. The car pulled up down the road I knew all too well and she pulled into our usual spot and cut the engine.

"Just for a minute" she said like an older sister scolded her younger sibling. I sat quietly and stared over at the house in darkness. She wasn't inside, she hadn't been home for months. Chloe had said Natalie had told her she had gone away to rehab. I looked up to her window which had become part of my nightly rituals, on the nights I wasn't passed out drunk by this point anyway and let out a sigh.

A car at the end of the road approached distracting me from my thoughts. I knew that car. I watched as Natalie's car pulled up outside the house and after a minute the passenger door opened and out she stepped. Alex, she was home.

I felt the air suck out of my lungs as I watched her wave her goodbyes and head for the door. My hand hovered over the door handle ready to jump out at any moment and run to her. I sat frozen watching her from afar.

"Chase, we should leave" Chloe whispered as she closed her hand over my own in way of comfort. I let out the breathe that I had been holding and nodded silently to her in response. She started the engine and drove away leaving the girl I loved behind.

Goodbye Lex

Alex

I felt tingles creep up my spine as I shot around just in time to see a set of headlights driving away. I could have sworn I'd heard him. I must be going insane I thought to myself as I fumbled for my keys and let myself inside. The emotion of the evening had clearly gotten the better of me. I threw my keys down on the side table as I got in and headed up to my room to get ready for bed. I was brushing my hair into a loose ponytail when the glow of my phone caught my attention. It was a number I didn't recognise

Meet before school in the library to discuss the project. Sorry about before. N

Was all it said. How did he even get my number? I didn't even care about that right now, I was exhausted with this drama. I needed to sleep on this, I'd make my mind up in the morning about whether I was going to go or not. The last thing I needed right now was more drama and Nate Ashford had drama written all over him.