Forever and Always

Chapter 17

  She couldn't speak.

  If she tried she would burst out in tears again, she knew that, so she kept her mouth shut. Chase's house was a rather large (or average) two story home, although the outside looked like a house she would run and scream from.

  The house itself was filthy, although the clutter was kept to a minimum there was alcohol bottles lying around, pizza boxes and she was pretty sure she spotted a lacy bra in the upstairs hallway.

  Chase opened the door to what would appear to be a typical teenage boy's room, the only difference was there were canvassed artwork hanging on the white walls. Scarlett wanted to praise the work, make a friendly comment, but saying something nice to Chase, might make the tears come even quicker.

  "Here." He handed her a t-shirt. "I don't think you'd be comfortable sleeping in that," he said pointing at her jeans and blouse.

  She just nodded wordlessly and took the shirt from him; she tossed her coat on a pile of seemingly dirty clothes. It was followed by her blouse and then her jeans. Chase had turned away towards the bed, which he was making.

  "You can sleep in the bed ... and if you need anything, just ..." he trailed off and looked at her ashen, yet emotionless, face. He grabbed a notebook off the small desk in a corner and handed it to her. "If you need anything just write it down."

   “Why do you have to be so damn sweet!?” she thought and took the paper, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

  "I'll be back," he said and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  She lay down, pulling the dark blue blanket over her body and letting all her muscles relax. Soon she fell asleep, her mind slipping into her tired dreams and, although Chase wouldn't tell her, when he came back she was crying and shaking in her sleep.

#

That morning Scarlett woke up, the pillow under her plastered hair was wet and her legs were tangled in the sheets.

  She could hear laughter floating upstairs, actually a distinct girl giggle. She sat up, for a second and she was confused as to where she was.

  "CHASE?" she shouted, although it was rather quiet.

  "What?" he asked tiredly, coming into the room. His dark blond hair was messy and his shirt was missing.

  "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. Her brain told her to cry, in fact so did her heart, but she had cried for almost eight hours in a few short twenty four hours (although she was oblivious to the crying done in her sleep), therefore she couldn't physically cry, her eyes puffy and her nose red.

  "For what?" he asked, grabbing a shirt off the floor and sniffing it before slipping it over his head.

  "For crying, crashing at your place ... everything!"

  "You literally have nothing to be sorry for." He sat down on the bed, looking over at her.

  She crawled next to him, sitting down, her legs hanging over the bed.

  "I-I know I can be extremely depressing and quiet," she said.

  He shrugged. "When my mom died I was depressed and quiet and when... well Grant ... I was pretty depressed. Maybe not as long as you've been, but for a few weeks I had a rough go of it," he said in a comforting tone, his arm wrapped around her upper back.

  She leaned into him and sighed. "Will I ever truly move on?" she asked, genuinely interested, although their losses weren't quite the same.

  "Yes. You'll even find someone else, I'm sure, but that doesn't mean you'll forget him. You'll always love him, but you'll learn to love someone else as well," he said softly and looked down at her as she looked up. They gazed at each other, as if a million words were being said.

  "What if I can't learn?" she asked quietly, "what if I can't let go?"

  "Then I'll teach you," he whispered as he leaned down into her, their lips meeting.

  It was the first kiss she had had since Levi died; in fact, it was the first kiss with another man since close to two years ago. She didn't stop Chase, because her surface was nervous, but her core wanted this. Wanted a new life.

  "Chase ... are you sure you want to deal with me?"

  "We're both messed up, we both have issues ... I love you" he told her, and meant it although he hadn't known her for more then a week.

  "I love you too" she whispered and kissed him again.

  Maybe somewhere, somehow, Levi was smiling. The girl he had always loved had found happiness again and that's all he ever wanted.