boxer ⋆ luke hemmings ✔️

37. Confessions.

Chase's hands had gotten clammy way before he even reached the Hood residence.

Honestly, he felt a little shitty. He felt like a bad friend. He'd been feeling that way for a while now, and the thing that he was about to do, wasn't about to help his situation in the slightest.

"Calum, there's something I need to tell you," he murmured to himself, switching the car's engine off before he shook his head, "No, goddamnit. That sounds stupid..."

"...Cal, I have to tell you something. And you have to listen," he puffed his chest up, trying not to look as worried as he felt, "Fuck. No. Alright, let's try this again..."

The young man continued up the gravel pathway, slowing his walk so that he had time to think before turning up at his best friend's front door unprepared.

"Listen, Calum, I've known this for a while now... and I never told you because I wanted to be a good... friend?" he groaned, face-palming himself, "A good best friend. Fucksake, why can't I do this?"

He knew why, deep down. He knew the exact reason.

He couldn't, but only because it would be betraying his best friend. It would be putting little Sophie in the spotlight, and it would be landing Luke in potential trouble. It would be messing up a friendship that had a pact and the mindset of a little girl who knew no better than the innocence she possessed- but Chase had to. The guilt was eating him up alive.

"I need to tell you about this guy, Calum. He's like, real dangerous. You know him. You have for a while, I think," Chase carried on, repeating the words to himself and the phrases in his brain like they would be his last, "Very violent. Really cocky. He's... he shouldn't be around her,"

He looked like a complete lunatic, with the pad of his finger hovering above the Hood household's doorbell, a bounty of his whispers going unnoticed by everyone but himself. He felt that way, too; he couldn't believe he'd managed to keep this secret in for as long as he did.

"He always wants to be around her, you see. Won't let her go. He's crazy, an actual crazy person, and I just want to get her away from hi-"

Suddenly, the front door opened, causing Chase to shut his mouth immediately.

"Chase?" Mali was the one who stepped forward, her eyebrows knitting together in slight concern. She'd been convinced that Chase was out with Sophie, for that was the excuse given to her by her younger sibling before leaving the house- apparently not.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, hi, Mali," he said awkwardly, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, "Uhm, hi,"

"Hello," the young woman laughed uncertainly, opening the door even more for him to step inside, "Can I help you with anything...?"

"Uh, no. I mean, yes. Yes, you can,"

"I thought you were out?" she then asked, cocking her head to the side, "With Sophie,"

"Yeah, uhm... there's actually- I actually have something I need to talk to Calum about. And you, if- you know, if you want to listen," he then shook his head quickly, eyebrows knitting together, "I mean, you should listen,"

"Chase," Mali set her hand on the boy's arm, wanting nothing more than for him to calm his nerves, "What's going on?"

Chase took a deep breath.

He was actually going to say it.

After so long keeping it in, after so long keeping it a secret to protect the one man he'd always viewed as nothing but a potential threat...