Where to Begin

Chapter 22

"Hey! Chase! Who've you got there huh? A new bitch?"

A disgusting looking guy with a cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth was driving the car next to us.

"Go away, Mitchell," Chase didn't look at the guy. I started getting a bad feeling in my gut.

"What? Are you taking her home to go – ''

"I said leave us alone Mitchell." Chase warned, not looking at the driver. He had a scary tone in his voice that I had never heard from him before.

"Oh, come on! Can I come? She's quite the – ''

"I dare you to finish your sentence Smith," Chase stopped walking and whipped his head around to look at the guy.

"Chase – '' I whispered.

"I've got this," he whispered and pushed me behind him. Famous last words.

"What did you say?"

"I dare you to finish your sentence, asshat!"

The guy stopped his car and got out.

"Say that to my face, bitch!"

Chase swung for the guy. He knocked him to the floor but Mitchell just glared at him and got up and punched him in the face.

"Stop it! Chase – '' I tried to grab Chase who was rolling around on top of the other guy while the two were throwing punches. I didn't know what to do. Eventually, I tried to break them apart but Mitchell hit me and I fell to the floor.

"Celine!" I heard a muffled voice in the background and saw another figure come running over.

I could barely see who it was but whoever it was went over and rolled around with Mitchell until he eventually scrambled up and got in his car and drove off.

"Chase!" I yelled stumbling up, all dizzy and out-of-focus, a stinging pain in my cheek, and ran over to Chase, who was lying hunched over on the pavement. "Flip! Your lip is split!"

I gently touched his arm and moved him so I could get a better look.

I realized the person who came to the rescue was Connell who then tried chasing the car that had sped off. Chase just groaned and curled backinto a ball.

"Dammit, Chase. Why did you have to start the fight?" I breathed moving a piece of hair from his face and lifting his head from the ground. One of his eyes was bruised, his lip was split down the middle, his nose was bleeding and he had a gash in his forehead. Seeing him so hurt made me feel sick. As I slipped my hand under his head, my hand got wet with blood.

"Shit! Your head is bleeding," I started internally panicking but I didn't want either of the boys to see me panic.

"Come on, let's get him home," Connell said quietly.

"Home? He has a split lip and his head is f-ing bleeding! He has to get stitches!" I yelled at Connell.

"No it's fine," Chase moaned, trying to sit up.

"No it's not fine, we have to get you to hospital!" I said trying to get Chase up. "Help me Connell, help me get him up!"

"Celine – ''

"Chase, you need stitches. I'm serious." I warned him, our faces close as I slowly lifted him. I could smell his cologne that smelt of musk and cinnamon. Connell slowly helped me get Chase to his feet.

We were in the waiting room, once again, waiting to hear from the doctors or nurses in the emergency room.

"This! This is what I'm talking about!"

"Celine, don't – ''

"No, Connell, all I do is get people hurt! I don't know what it is, I just..."

Connell came over and held me against him. He kissed my forehead as he tried to reassure me that everything was going to be fine. I felt a little bit better when I felt his strong arms wrap around me.

"I should leave,"

"I'll take you – ''

"No, Connell, I mean I should leave Mapleton – Oregon," I whispered with a tear running down my cheek.

"What?"

"It's what's best, for everyone,"

"Well it's not what's best for me," he said standing up. "For the family..."

Then a doctor came through to the waiting room and asked for us.

"He's going to be fine but his lip will need some time to heal,"

"How long will it need?"

"Maximum two weeks."

"Thank you doctor." Connell mumbled quietly. Chase slowly came around the corner and flinched slightly as I went and hugged him gently.

"Hey Ladybird," Chase breathed.

"Chase, never get into a fight ever again, ok? You're not Rocky," I said cupping his face gently with one hand. He let out a small laugh.

"He was being horrible about you, what was I supposed to do?" He spoke quietly and sounded funny with the stitches.

"Well, we don't need you to be spending your whole birthday in hospital," I said leading them to the car.

"Technically, it's not my birthday until..." he looked at his watch. "Two minutes to twelve tonight."

"So your birthday only starts tonight?"

"Yeah basically but we've always just celebrated it from the morning of the thirtieth," he laughed.

"Whatever. Let's go home."

When we got home, Lillian and Aubrey were asleep in front of the TV and Jackson was just sitting watching whatever was on.

"What the hell happened?" Jackson hissed getting up quickly and coming over to us. Chase swatted him away but he still tried to see what happened.

"Jigsaw got into a fight," Connell said lowly.

"What!"

"It was nothing," Chase moaned as Jackson looked at his lip.

"Well, clearly it wasn't nothing because you have stitches in your lip, Jigsaw,"

"I'm going to bed," Connell moaned.

"Ok, goodnight." I called as he crawled upstairs.

"Come on, lets get you to bed," Jackson said helping Chase up to his room. "Happy birthday buddy." Jackson laughed as he put Chase's arm around his shoulders.

"Thanks." Chase let out a breathy laugh.

Aubrey and Lillian were still fast asleep on the couch while Noah and Sampson were probably asleep and Sage was also probably in his room sleeping.

I quickly ran after Connell.

"Connell?" I quietly knocked on his door. Itwas nearly half one. I opened the door and saw Connell at the end of his bed,shirtless...