The Bachelors: a tiktok story

106: Matchmaker

It made you incredibly sad to know that Chase was upset with you or disappointed or honestly you couldn't figure out what he was feeling because all he kept telling you was he was fine when it was obvious to absolutely everyone that he was definitely NOT fine.... even if not everyone was on the same page about why.

As Emma hurried so her short legs could keep up with Chase's long stride, Josh wrapped his arm through yours as he led you to the car. He might have been painfully unaware of your history and why Chase was acting off but he noticed nonetheless and asked:
"What was that all about?"

You sighed: "Nothing."

Josh: "Lemme guess, girl problems? I noticed he was texting lots. No guy does that unless he's in trouble."

You: "Not exactly."

Josh: "What is not exactly supposed to mean? That was the personality shift of someone who got an angry text from his girl if I were saw it. If it's not that then what's going on? Is it something about you?"

You started to shake your head no, but you finally had caught up to Emma and Chase and didn't want to keep talking about the subject and risk Chase loosing his cool and interjecting more information than you were ready to deal with.

By the time you reached the car, Emma and Chase were embattled with their own bickering. Emma was pleading with Chase:
"Come on, Chase. Don't be mad. We are all friends so you gotta get used to it sometime."

Your stomach dropped, assuming Emma had called out his sour mood and you and Josh were going to hear all about it anyway. You finally exhaled when you heard Chase snap back:
"If we're all just friends why are you trying to play matchmaker?"

Emma: "I invited Jaden to join us for ice cream before I even knew you were back to hooking up with him."

Chase: "Oh my God, Emma! I am NOT hooking up with him. We are just texting it's not that big of a deal."

Emma: "Then why is it such a big deal? He's literally become one of our best friends but even tho you can text him all night at dinner, I can't ask him to hang out? Hell no."

Chase: "I didn't mean it like that. I just don't like being blindsided is all."

Emma: "I'm telling you now. That's not blindsided you."

Josh suddenly put two and two together and his eyes bulged as he whispered to you:
"Ohhhhhh! THAT'S what you meant by not exactly girl problems."

You squeezed his arm as you shhhed him. Chase just stops at the door, out of arguement, waiting for Josh to unlock the car. The locks clicked as Emma beamed with the smile she got when she got her way.

Chase just sighed in defeat:
"Perfect! If it's not that big of a deal then we can all get ice cream together. It's settled!!"

The 5 of you were laughing over ice cream and it was obvious that Jaden and Chase were hitting it off as most definitely more than friends. Halfway through, they got in a playful argument about mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Jaden: "It literally has to taste like toothpaste covered in chocolate, gross."

Chase: "You're nuts, dude. It's like a chocolate covered dinner mint but creamy. Here try it."

You watched as Jaden leaned over, closer to Chase and tried out his cone. Sharing food is one thing but sharing an ice cream cone just felt so... so... intimate. You tried to prepare yourself because it was obvious this friendship wasn't going to steal out with a goodbye kiss in the front yard the way it had before. The way yours had before too, for that matter.

Emma had changed the subject, hoping to find backing in her argument for why you should come back to work at the restaurant:
"I'm just saying, at least it'd be a break from your parent's mess."

Jaden: "Are they still fighting a lot?"

You: "Chase literally had to come to check on me yesterday because he could hear them shouting from his house."

Jaden: "Bruh, that's crazy. Yours were like the last of all of us to still have married parents."

Emma: "Well at least married to each other. My dad is on wife #4. But at least my mom and step- dad are semi-normal."

You: "Even if they are always traveling the world."

Jaden: "Yeah but they left you this killer condo for you and you friends."

Emma: "Ugh, don't remind me. They aren't really my friends though. Kinda just roommates at this point."

Chase: "Are you forgetting my parents? They've been married 30 years."

Chase shook his head as you all laughed. Josh took advantage of the pause to bring the conversationback to you:
"Babe, you know you can always crash at my house if you need a break."

Chase accidently let out a stifled laugh as you glared at him. You explained:
"I just don't want to move too fast and take over your space more than I already am there."

Chase: "Good idea. You guys have been dating for all of 5 minutes."

Emma kicked him under the table but only you seemed to notice: "They might be newly official but they've been hooking up for like 2 months."

Chase looked shocked by that and only you really knew why. Even though you'd talked to him dozens of times about your crush on Josh, you'd never told him you'd actually slept together. You quickly tried to change the subject back:
"Emma, I really loved working with you but honestly I do NOT miss dealing with Tayler."

Josh: "You definitely don't need that paycheck bad enough to deal with that psycho."

Emma: "I totally get it but I still miss you."

You: "I talk to you almost every day and you're literally spending the night at my house tonight, goof."