Page 20 of Chase
Part way through the movie, Rhys walks over to me and holds out a bowl of brownie. I meet his gaze. It’s full of mixed emotions, like there is a war waging in his head. “I hope they’re okay. Millie said brownies are your favourite.”
I take the bowl from him. “Thank you, Rhys.” He ducks his head and walks back over to his seat without another word. I cuddle into Chase and enjoy the gooey, chocolatey goodness and go back to watching the movie.
This is how we spend the entire night and in this moment. I’m exactly where I want to be. Even if it’s just for the night.
Chapter Eight
Chase
I lay awake for hours. My mind is on the certain blue-eyed girl. Talking to Arden, Ally, and Rhys didn’t help to ease the confusion she awakens inside me.
I needed to talk through some of the stuff in my head. To know that it was okay to have these feelings. Rhys mostly stayed quiet while Arden and Ally told me it was okay and threatened me if I fucked it up.
Arden, Ally and Rhys all crashed at my house, just like any typical Friday night. Arden and Rhys have a spare room set up, and Ally just takes the couch.
I roll over and can smell her shampoo on my pillow. I close my eyes and remind myself how her hand felt in mine, how much I liked having her cuddled up to me. I especially liked how her lips felt against mine. It was only a short kiss but in that moment her guard dropped, and I could see her. Only her.
I love my friends for going the extra distance and welcoming her in. I think that even if I didn’t have these feelings towards Yasmin that they’d still be recruiting her into the group. She fits with us. Her and Arden go head to head daily, and it is funny to watch.
The only person who still has their guard up around her is Rhys. I see him glare at her sometimes. He doesn’t trust easily. When Rhys first arrived at Canary Bay, he was quiet and angry. He still is. He carries so much anger around but it’s scary because he’s cold and calculating. Nothing he does is without reason. He just got better at hiding.
Two weeks after he started at school, he saw an older guy make a pass at Ally, had her pinned up against the wall trying to kiss her. Everyone was in class, so the halls were deserted. Ally was struggling in the guy’s hold. Rhys saw what was happening, walked straight up to them, pulled the guy off Ally, and then proceeded to let lose on him. By the time Ally could get a teacher to break them up, Rhys had broken his nose, fractured his cheek and broke two ribs.
Sexual harassment isn’t taken lightly here, and it turns out that the guy had a record for it. He was expelled and sent away by his parents. Rhys managed to walk away with a week’s suspension. Being the principal’s son has some advantages.
Ally told us what had happened. Both Arden and I were so pissed off that Rhys got to beat the crap out of him. Even though we were angry, we were grateful that Rhys was there to stop it.
The day he came back to school we asked if he wanted to sit with us. He’s been with us ever since.
He has moments when it seems like he is warming to Yasmin and then he pulls away again.
Unable to sleep, I throw back the covers and grab my favourite black hoodie from the chair in the corner of my room. The alarm clock flashes 6am. I missed my chance to meet Yasmin for a walk. I’m not sure she’d go that early on a Saturday. I really need to get her phone number so I can ask her to text me when she goes for a walk. I don’t want to miss out on just being able to be with her, even if we do walk in silence.
Voices in the kitchen automatically make me happy. It means Mum and Grandpa Wilson are home. It feels like I haven’t seen either of them this week.
I walk into the kitchen and head straight for Mum. I envelope her small frame in a hug.
Mum pours me a coffee while I quickly give GW a hug and then sit at the table to catch up with them both.
“I saw Arden before he left this morning,” Mum says as she places my coffee in front of me and sits as well. I wrap my hands around the cup, letting it warm my hands.
Since when is Arden awake before me?
“Where is he? It’s not like him to be up before me. Especially on a Saturday?”
“He said he had to do something. But he had a coffee with me before me he left and caught me up on what’s been going on this week.” She says narrowing her eyes at me. I know that look. I’m in trouble for not telling her.
It’s no surprise that Arden spoke to Mum. she’s pretty much the closest thing he has to a mum. His birth mum up and left after he was born. His dad is on wife number three, and the current stepmunster pretty much just pretends he and his sister don’t exist. She travels with Arden’s dad.
“He told me about Yasmin and Millie. But mostly Yasmin.” Mum pauses as if she’s choosing her next words carefully. “He told me what happened yesterday. Why didn’t you message or call me?”
For a minute, a wave of guilt hits me. I tell Mum everything. I just didn’t know how to tell her about Yasmin. Yasmin is different. Before I can reply, Mum continues, giving me a reprieve from answering a question I don’t know the answer to.
“Not Yasmin and Millie Turner?” GW asks over the top of his paper. My head snaps to face him.
“Yeah. Do you know them?” I ask curiously.
How would GW know them?
