Finding Love [1.5 Chase Davenport]

Chapter Two

Emmie and her mom are late. I know that she texted me earlier saying that she was going to be late, but it still makes me nervous about them being late. It's been a few months since I last saw her, and I wanted maximum time with her over Christmas break, and now it's Christmas Eve and she isn't here yet. I know it's not her fault, though, nor is it her mom's fault, so I shouldn't be so upset about it. 

The rhythmic tap, tap, tap of my shoes against the wooden floor is the only thing that's centering me to this moment in time. As I pace back and forth behind the couch, I glance out the window, my stomach dropping when I see the sun slowly setting. My panic is interrupted, though, as Mr. Davenport clomps down the stairs, heading toward his desk. 

"Man, Chase, you are so like me," he says, grinning at my pacing form. "When I was first dating Tasha, I was always nervous."

"That's an understatement," Tasha says. She sweeps into the room from who-knows-where, making her way over to Mr. Davenport with a small package in her hands. Mr. Davenport wraps an arm around her waist as she leans into him, and I kind of want to gag at the sight. "During one of our first dates, he literally vomited because he was so nervous."

"And you still married him?"

She smiles at me before glancing up at him. Even if they do bicker here and there, they do act like a happily married couple, and the happiness shining in both of their eyes are proof of that. "It's one of the best days of my life."

"Was my birth one of the best days of your life?" Leo asks. He strolls out from the elevator, carrying a huge present. He walks past his mom and Mr. Davenport, barely giving them a second glance, and then gingerly places the present underneath the tree. "Because it should be."

"Honestly, it shouldn't be one of the best days," Bree says from her spot on the couch. "You can be a little bit annoying, Leo."

Leo gasps in shock, spinning around so quickly that he nearly falls over. "You take that back!"

"No!"

I look between the two of them and move out of the warzone. I so do not want to be trampled by an angry Bree. 

The front door swings open, and for a second there, I think that Emmie is here, but it's only Adam. He's wearing his chlorine-stained Santa hat, and he's grinning happily. "The house is ready for Santa!"

"Do you know when Emmie is going to be here?" I ask him, ignoring his statement about Santa. He's old enough to know that Santa isn't real, and I believe I heard him say that Santa is creepy anyway, so why is he saying things like that? "She texted me earlier today that her and her mom were going to be running late, but this is pushing it."

He furrows his brow, pulling out his phone from his front pocket. He taps it on and shakes his head. "We don't really text about things like that. We only text about fun stuff, like what happens during our favorite reality TV show. I also send her science jokes that never make sense to me just to make her happy."

"You two watch reality TV shows together?"

"Duh. It's cathartic, really."

"And you know what that word means?" I blink at Adam. "She's a good and bad influence on you."

"Good and bad how?"

"Never mind that."

Adam stares at me for a second before motioning toward the stairs. "You know, if you stand on the roof, you'll be able to watch for Emmie and her mom to come."

Something deep inside me feels off, but I want to give Adam the benefit of the doubt. Even though he doesn't understand the jokes, he still sends her science jokes to make her happy. I'm proud of my brother for that, so I say, "Alright. I assume you're going to help me up onto the highest part of the roof."