alone.

chapter sixteen

My father and Chase went into my father's office and talked. I went to over hear, and I heard all of it. I don't want Chase to leave me, but he needs to find out who this person is. When they came out, Chase and I talked a bit. I really want him to stay, but I also want him to find this person. Once we hugged for a while, we went to eat. As we were eating, I kept playing with his ring on his finger. Once dinner was over, we went to my room.

"Chase, where did you get the ring from?"

"It was my mothers. It's the last thing I have of her."

"Oh."

After a while, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw he wasn't in the bed so I assumed he went to eat. I went downstairs and saw he wasn't there. My family were all eating so I asked them all.

"Have any of you seen Chase around?"

"No, not since last night," my father said. The rest of the family shook their heads "no." I went back up to my room and saw a note on my night stand.

Dear Harper,

I'm really sorry, but I have to find out who this guy is. I love you. I really do. This is why I leave a promise ring.

I looked to the side and saw the ring I was asking about last night. I grabbed it and held it.

It's very special to me. It reminds me of my mother. I want you to have it to remind you of me. I promise I will come back safe. I promise I will never love another as I love you. Please wait. It breaks my heart to make you wait but please do. I love you and hope to see you again.        
             
           Your one and only,
      
                Cj

I began to cry my heart out, both of happiness but also sadness. I looked at the ring and slipped it on my finger. I smiled at it on my hand. Heaven came in.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"He left?"

"Yeah to find who killed his parents."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, I hope he finds them."

"So do I. So do I."

"Come on. Let's go eat."

"I'll go down in a bit."

"Okay. See you down there. Bye."

"Bye."

She closed the door behind her, and I stood quietly scrunched into a ball hoping Chase will be safe. I got up and went downstairs to the dinning table.

Edna brought my plate.

"Thank you, Edna."

"You're, uh, you're welcome, miss."

She left into the kitchen. I began eating. My father looked at me.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so," I smiled.

"That's good," he smiled back.

Harry looked at me in a weird way and left the table. I don't know if it's because of anger, hatred, revenge, sadness, confusion. He's never made this face ever before. I began to look worried a bit.

"Chase will be okay. Don't worry to much, Harper," Hank said very calm.

"Thanks Hank. Means a lot."

He smiled at me.

"But that why I'm not worried."

"Then why are you worried, darling?" my mother questioned.

"Harry. I'm worried about Harry."

"Why?'

"He looked at me in a weird way, and I don't know why."

"Everything will be okay."

"I'm going to go talk to him if that's okay with you."

"Go on. You should never be afraid to talk to your brother."

I got up from the table and went to Harry's room. I knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I walked in and closed the door behind me.

"Harry, are you okay?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Harry, you're my older brother. I know when something is bothering you. What's wrong?"

"Life is wrong, Harper. Everything is changing. You're changing, and I don't know if it's for the good or for the bad."

"How? What are you trying to tell me?"

"Like you said yourself we were gone for a long time. When I came back, you looked so different."

"What do you mean?"

"I come back, and you're with some guy, you were lipstick now, and..." he put my hair behind my ear, "...you wear your hair down. You hated having your hair down. You said it gets on your nerves."

"It does. I just didn't have enough energy to put my hair up today."

I picked my hair up into a fish tale braid bun. Hard to explain, but just put your hair into a fish tale braid and put the braid into a bun.

"There," I smiled.

He smiled back.

"Better?"

"Better," he laughed. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Hope he stays safe."

"What do you mean?"

"Chase went to look for the guy who killed his parents."

"Is that what that commotion was about?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we can just hope he stays safe."

"What do you mean?"

He laughed a bit. "Boys have a tendency of getting themselves into a lot of trouble, and most of the time, it happens because of our mouth. Our mouth usually gets us into trouble."