Something between Us

Chapter 16.

The pounding of my head wakes me up a little before seven am.
I feel a heavy weight draped over me and when I open my eyes I'm met with a sleeping Chase.
His arms still securely wrapped around me.
The memories of last night are too fresh in my mind. I want to block them out.
"Chase," I whisper gently shaking him awake.
 He groans in his sleep.
I shake him again, this time a little harder.
"What," he shouts before opening his eyes to realise where he is.
 "Al," he rubs his eyes but winces at the pain of his practically purple blood stained face. His lip is fat, his nose is bust and his eye sockets look battered.
"Is everything okay," even in sleep he's concerned.
"I'm fine," I lie.
 I've forgot the reason I was so desperate to wake him up.
His hands come up to my face, he examines my nose.
"There's a bruise forming," his voice is thick with sleep and horse, but I can still hear the guilt in his voice.
I mimic his actions, taking his face in my hands
"You've got several," I try to make light of the mood, we both laugh half hearted.
"Does it hurt?" We both as at the same time.
 I nod while Chase shakes his head.
"Thank you," my eyes fill. 
Chase looks lost.
 "For taking care of me last night," Chase takes my hand in his and leans back in the bed.
"I got you into that mess," he's frowning.
"I had to get you out of it," the memory of last night plaguing his crystal eyes.
My phone vibrates, Lola is calling me. 
I'm not ready to talk just yet so I press the decline button.
"I'm just going to get you some aspirin and water."
Chase reassures me when he retracts his arm from my body. He must sense the worry.
I'm not ready to be alone is the my thoughts just yet.

*******

"Have  you spoke to him?" Lola asks sitting across from me on the bed.
 "No, he hasn't tried calling," I shrug.
"Did he," I pause, not knowing if I even want to hear the response.
"Did he try and look for me," my hearts beating fast.
Looking at the sympathetic look on Lola's face, she's silent, I know she's keeping something from me.
"Just tell me the truth Lo." Her face falls, and she looks angry.
"No he didn't," she scowls.
 "That fucker!" She yells,
"He just kept drinking with the guys. Honestly Al, you wouldn't have known anything happened. He was fine."  She looks ashamed of him.
I knew he wouldn't have followed me, but I find myself shocked that he could act as if everything was normal. Not one ounce of sympathy or regret. 
I refuse to take blame no matter how jealous he felt about Chase, it's not an excuse.
"Did Chase, did he upset you?"
I feel myself grow angry.
"Chase took care of me after Tate attacked him, unprovoked. You know while Tate got shit faced."
I feel a growing need to defend Chase, yes he upset me talking about our past, but he was the one who to take the pain away. He didn't want any of this.
"I didn't mean it like that Ally. I just know how hard it is for you, with Chase."
I lay back down on the bed wanting the conversation to end.
I tell Lola everything that happened the previous night, including Chase admitting his true feelings, she listens and never commenting.
"Are you going to speak to Tate?" she finally asks.
I know I have to at some point. Even though I really don't want to.
"Yes, eventually. Just not yet,"
Lola nods climbing into the duvet with me.
She picks up the remote control and flicks through the channels, trying to find some binge worthy television to watch.

*********

I've managed to ignore Tate for days. It's proven easy since he hasn't once tried to reach out to me. He seems so heartless about the whole thing. There's been times I've found myself wondering if maybe he's had a right to be. NO! Nothing gave him the right to at like a monster that night. Even so,  got physically hurt in the process and not even a simple apology from him.
I can't help but believe I'm finally seeing the real side of Tate. I hope not. 

*********

It's Saturday, a week after the party. 
Chase checks in on me every day, some days we barely talk but he sits there for hours watching crappy tv with me. 
He watches me while I sleep and encourages me to follow him to some creepy abandoned house in town. 
He never asks about Tate and he never pushes me to talk about my feelings. Instead we just have fun like old times. 
We've even started spending time together in school hours. Lola tells me frequently she's now team Chase. 
She has this theory that two souls who are meant to be together are magnetically connected. She thinks there's an undeniable connection between us that we're stupid if we ignore it.
She seems to think when Chase looks at me the glisten in his eye tells her that being with him is the safest place for me to be. I just roll my eyes and I tell her she's becoming extremely soppy and sentimental.
I'm sure its a reflection on her successful love life.
I constantly assure her that we're working on rebuilding our friendship and that's my only priority with right now. I just need to be happy for myself right now and I'm okay with that.