I'd Lie

Chapter 3 -A Beat-Up Truck And Ice Cream

I opened my eyes to see the sun still out and I rubbed them, unsuccessfully getting rid of the ache in them. The time read 3:00 p.m. Was I asleep for three whole hours? Well, I honestly couldn't blame myself, just that morning fiasco had me emotionally tired and depressed. I closed my eyes, I didn't want to be reminded of his words that pierced through my chest like an arrow, an arrow that didn't belong to a cupid.

Looking myself in my bathroom mirror, I saw a pale face with red bags around lifeless, chocolate, colored eyes. No twinkle in them. No happiness in them. Just plain, brown eyes staring back at me. I heard a knock on my door.

"Adri, can I please talk to you?" I heard Chase's voice from the other side of the door call out. I don't want to be seen, not like this. Not so vulnerable.

"Go away," I croaked out, my voice hoarse from all that crying that was muffled by my pillow.

"Please Adri, I'm sorry I acted like an asshole," I smiled.

"A huge asshole," I agreed.

"Yes Adri, please just, open the door," I made my way to my door with a sigh. I unlocked it to see Chase's eyes flash with relieve. He pulled me in to his warm, tight embrace and I gladly lost myself in him, breathing in his intoxicating scent. He rubbed small circles on my back. I could feel my heart beating loud and quickly in my chest. Oh Chase, how can you not see? Don't you feel the pounding in my chest? I can't put it down and it's all your fault.

"Will you forgive me Adri?"

"You know I can't stay mad at you for long Chase," I said, my voice muffled by his chest. He pulled away, I felt cold without his touch.

"Good, and don't worry, I'm not taking Nicole to the beach, I'll take her for dinner instead," he said with a sheepish smile. A full blown smile was plastered on my face.

"I'm sorry too, Chase. I overreacted."

"You had every right to Adri."

"So umm... what did Nicole say about the change of plans?" I asked.

"She was very understanding. That's one of the many reasons why I fell for her," Chase said with that grin of his. I'm not going to lie, that one stung.

"Cool," was all I could say. He let out a small smile, "Yeah."

"Has she left?" I asked.

"No, she's downstairs waiting for me. Why? You don't want her here?" He asked playfully with a small smile.

No.

"Yeah I do, I just didn't think she would want to wait that long," I responded.

"She did, we're going to get some ice cream, want to come with us?" A chance to be with you, yes please.

"Sure," I responded with a smile.

We made our way to his old, beat-up, Chevy truck that I loved so much. It had the tendency to get stuck in backroads at night when Chase and I would just drive to nowhere in particular. He got it as a gift from his favorite uncle, John.

"I call shotgun!" I yelled as I got in the passenger seat. I could've sworn I saw Nicole's eye twitch but was replaced with a smile. Chase laughed in response and said, "Sorry babe, she called it." I had never heard Chase call anyone 'babe' and it caused me to drop my smile only to have Nicole pick it up.

"No worries baby, a shotgun is a shotgun," she said and when she said 'baby' she was looking at me. I think it was just my imagination playing with me though.

We hopped in and I turned the radio on to be greeted by none-other than Secondhand Serenade.

"The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting

Could it be that we have been this way before

I know you don't think that I am trying

I know you're wearing thin down to the core

But hold your breath

Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you

Over again

Don't make me change my mind

Or I won't live to see another day

I swear it's true

Because a girl like you is impossible to find

You're impossible to find"

Chase and I sang out of key with the windows down and the music blasting whilst Nicole sat in the back looking bored. The wind blowing my hair back as we sang on top of our lungs, felt just like old times.

"Babe!" I heard Nicole call from the back which caused Chase to turn the music down.

"Yeah?" He asked with his hand hovering over the volume button.

"Can you turn the radio off please? It's giving me a headache," she complained and I just rolled my eyes in disbelief. Much to my dismay, Chase obliged with a nod of his head and his hand retrieved the steering wheel. 

I huffed and sighed. Chase glanced at me and placed his hand on top of mine while also giving it a small squeeze. I looked at him and sent him a smile.

"We're here," he announced. I clicked my seatbelt off and jumped off.

"Chasey, you need to fix your truck, it has so many dents and scratches," I heard Nicole say from the other side of the truck. I saw Chase looking over the truck in thought.

"They're memories Nicole, each dent and scratch has a small memory attached to it," I said as I made my way over to their side,"See this one?" I asked as I pointed to a dent with a scratch on it on the side of the truck,"Chase was teaching me how to drive and I bumped into a tree," I smiled at the memory and saw that Chase was looking at the dent with a smile too. "This one was when Mr. Fast and Furious was speeding down the highway and drove too close by a branch," Chase let out a small laugh and Nicole just frowned.

"Chase, you should buy a new car and sell this... thing. We could make our own memories with a new car," she suggested. Chase looked at Nicole, then at the truck, and then at me.

"This truck is too special Nicole, I can't just easily sell it and forget about it," Chase said which caused me to smile. Nicole grabbed Chase's hand and pulled him inside the ice cream shop, leaving me behind. Okay then.

"What will you be having, Sir?" The cashier lady asked Chase.

"What would you like, Nicky?" Chase asked Nicole.

"I'll have the strawberry one please. Baby, would you like to share with me?" I smirked, Chase has always hated the strawberry kind. He looked at Nicole who had big puppy eyes and I saw the hesitation in his eyes.

"Sure," he said with a sigh.

"We'll also have the chocolate brownie please," Chase finished ordering.

"I thought we were sharing babe?" Nicole asked. Chase looked at me and said, "It's not for me, it's for Adri." I could have melted on the spot just right there. Chocolate brownie has been Chase and I's favorite since as long as I could remember.

We found a small booth for four on the far corner of the shop. Chase sat next to me, across from Nicole.

I happily digged in while Nicole took small, delicate bites of her ice cream. Seriously, who eats ice cream delicately? Chase took the first spoonful of strawberry ice cream and he grimaced. I pushed my bowl of ice cream towards him and he gave me a grateful smile as he digged in as well. This didn't go unnoticed by Nicole though.

"Why aren't you eating from this one?" She asked.

"Chase doesn't like strawberry ice cream. He believes that ice cream is supposed to be something fun, so no healthy stuff allowed," I replied nonchalantly as I took another spoonful of ice cream.

"Oh," was all Nicole said before I turned to look at Chase who had that smile that I loved so much, staring at me. I returned his smile and went back to happily eating my shared ice cream with Chase while Nicole pouted and ate her strawberry ice cream in silence.