Where to Begin

Chapter 27

  I was speechless.

I guess that's what comes from studying gynecology. I let out a long, deep sigh.

"She's nearly three months, isn't she?" He asked, looking at me with a guilty look.

I nodded.

"And I know that Jackson is the father, that's why Aubrey's been so sour around him lately."

There was silence for a long time.

"Does she know that you know?"

He shook his head.

"Only mom and you know, that she knows about,"

"And what do you think about the whole thing?"

"She's like a sister to me, so obviously I'm happy for her," he said rolling onto his back. "But, it's just that, I don't want her to leave us or anything once she has the baby," he wiped down his face.

"Me neither." I whispered.

"We haven't seen her in months and now that she's here, none of us want to lose her again, you know?"

I knew exactly how he felt. I never wanted my mom to leave and I never expected it either. She and my dad were always so close and so in love that I would never have thought that she would leave us.

Aubrey came back into the room moments later and Sawyer jolted up.

"Can I talk to Celine, in private, Detox?" She looked like she had been crying. Sawyer quickly got up, nodded and left the room.

Aubrey came and slumped on top of me and started quietly sobbing. All I could do was stroke her hair because I knew that she had finally told Jackson the news.

"What did he say?"

"I don't know," she sniffed. "I thought he would have taken it so much better but he got kind of like...angry,"

"What?"

"Yeah, he lashed out at me when I said that I was going to have the baby and now I don't know what to do," she started crying again.

"Just give him some time, I'm sure he'll find his head, he's probably just in shock,"

"It's just, I never thought that Jackson would freak out, you know, I thought he would be supportive and loving and would want to help,"

"Like I said, just give him time, he'll understand his mistake soon enough."

Aubrey fell asleep after about twenty minutes of me stroking her hair so I thought I would slip out. I crept up to the library and explored the shelves for something that looked interesting. Once I found a book, I headed for the rooftop terrace where I found Chase sitting on the hanging chair with his back to me.

"Can I sit?"

He looked up at me surprised. He was reading The Institutionist.

"Shit! You scared me! Yeah, you can sit. What are you reading?"

"It's called Lord of the Flies," I said holding up the book.

"Ah, I've read that like twenty times,"

"Really?" I let out a small laugh.

"What?" He asked defensively.

"I didn't take you for this kind of book person," I said shaking my book, bringing my legs up to my chest. He was lying down, perpendicular to me.

"What's that supposed to mean? I read!" He held up his book to show me.

I held my hands up in defense then quickly picked up my book and started reading. I could feel Chase's eyes on me and felt heat rushing to my cheeks. I could see from the side of my eyes that he was staring at me. I put my finger on the page I was on and closed the book.

"What?" I looked at him.

"Nothing," he said with a small smile. He has such a beautiful smile. I opened my book then, shortly after, closed it and looked at him again.

"Can I tell you something?"

He nodded.

"Ok, it's going to sound strange but I've just been thinking about all you guys a lot..."

"Ok?"

"Well, you are beautifully complex Chase Booth, you know that?"

He grinned and he put his legs down and sat up again so I opened my book and began reading again. I could feel his eyes on me again and when I turned my head to look at him, he leaned in.

"What are you doing?" I asked quickly getting up.

"What! I thought we were having a moment?" He stood up after me.

"What!"

"You just told me I was beautifully complex, what did you think was going to happen?" He shouted defensively.

"I was just trying to tell you to get it off my chest!"

"But, I thought that it meant like, I don't know, like you were trying to tell me that you liked me!"

"What? No!"

"So you don't like me?" He asked hurt.

"No, Chase – '' I tried backpedalling.

"Ok, fine, I see how it is! Flirt with me all summer but you don't actually like me," he threw his book on the chair.

"Chase, I did not flirt with you!"

"Ok, sure," he grabbed his book and started for the door to the stairs.

"Chase, wait! Wait!"

He stopped and whipped his head around to look at me. His lip was scarred from when Mitchell split it and he had a small scar from the gash on his forehead.

"What?" He asked sternly.

(I didn't know what to do at this point because I did kind of want to kiss him but I still had feelings for Connell.)

I stood at the hanging chair while Chase stood a few feet from the door.

(I don't know what came over me...)

I stormed over to Chase, grabbed his face and brought him in for a kiss. It started off gentle (because Chase's lip had just healed properly) but Chase growled from the back of his throat and pushed back harder, wrapping his arms around my waist. He pressed into me and moved us over to the hanging chair.

"Oh, shit!" A surprised voice came from the door.

Chase immediately broke the kiss and spun around to see a shocked Sawyer, frozen in the doorway, holding a watering can.

"Shit," Chase breathed.

"Wait till they hear about this!" Sawyer laughed and dropped his watering can, heading back for the stairs.

"Detox!" Chase yelled running after him.

"Chase!" I called after Chase.

As I got to the top of the stairs, I saw Chase tackle Sawyer at the bottom of the staircase but Sawyer wrestled him and somehow ended on top. He quickly got up and bolted for the door but Chase was faster and grabbed him before Sawyer had any time to turn the doorknob.

"Stop!" Chase said, bringing Sawyer's arm behind him.

"Why! Why should I?"

I was still standing at the top of the stairs.

"Please don't tell anyone! You can't!"

Sawyer tried to get out of Chase's grip but Chase pushed him against the door.

"Why were guys kissing anyway? You know that Connell likes her!"

Shit...