Chapter 109

Emma's POV. 

I did one last outfit check before heading down to Lily's. It wasn't much, but it was pretty, cute, demure. 

I took these stairs carefully, gently, just so if Chase was around, he would not hear me come down. It wasn't exactly like I was running from him, I just wasn't in the mood for any explanation. I just wanted to do what I wanted to do and be happy. 

The front door was left ajar, which was quite unusual, but not strange, since he was still somewhere around. 

 "Here she comes." Chase beamed. They had just broken their hug, and he and Lily were looking in my direction. 

I almost wobbled under their gaze. 

Their faces were so smiley, so expectant, I was tempted to look back to confirm if there was something else that had their attention. 

 "You look so fucking pretty." Lily said, hugging me and planting a kiss on my forehead. 

 "Thank you." I croaked. 

I was pinching myself, struggling to remind myself that the hug I just witnessed them break meant nothing. 

That they both didn't even enjoy the time together when they were a thing, and that Lily, at least, if not both of them, is in a happy committed relationship. 

 "So where are you guys headed?" Chase asked, looking at me, then Lily. 

 "I don't have anywhere in mind yet." She said, tongue in cheek. 

 "Come on!" He laughed. 

They seemed to be having much fun without me… 

 "I know you better than that." He added. 

 "Alright, alright." She conceded. "I have a couple of places in mind, but the ultimate choice is still Emma's." She said, and the both of them looked at me. 

I really don't know how to explain it. I was there, watching them talk, but my mind was somewhere far away. Somewhere naughty. It was in some other world where Chase and Lily actually are a couple, and I'm on the sidelines like I'd always been. 

I subconsciously looked at Chase. His toothy smile while Lily talked, and how so free Lily was with him, their hands even bumped sometimes. 

I laughed subconsciously, thinking about how I'd have been right all along. 

 "What do you think?" Lily asked, "Are you okay, Emma?" She asked. 

 "What? Why?" I'd always known I wasn't so stellar at disguise, and my face was a freaking open book, but it couldn't have been so bad. 

 "You looked like you were elsewhere for a minute." She replied to me. 

 "Oh." I remarked, saying nothing else. 

 "Anywhere works." I replied. "I just wanna get out." I saw Chase's teeth disappear as his smile morphed into a slight frown. 

 "That's perfect." Lily bubbled. 

I walked right through them and settled in the passenger's seat of Lily's vehicle.

I could see them from her side mirrors. 

 "Really?" I heard her shrill voice. 

I then remembered that I hadn't asked about her dad. He was hard to get in touch with while we thought she was dead, cause he was himself getting chemo. 

Lily, the girl who my spirits resonated with the most, also the girl I'd been starting to feel sketchy about.

I watched her hair bounce lightly as the wind blew. 

They seemed to both be enjoying their conversation. 

He looked like he was the one asking questions. Questions she seemed only too happy to answer. 

I rolled my eyes a couple of times. 

I kept wondering how I ever got myself in this position. 

I was sad, bitter, distrustful of every single person. 

Maybe it's time I really went home. 

I needed to be far from everything that was stressing me and making me think of which Chase was foremost.

At times, it felt like our best moments together were behind us both. Like our relationship was beginning to enter that sick, boring, tiring monotone that ends in us growing apart, or a real nasty split. 

I swallowed hard. As much as I wasn't feeling it anymore, I still didn't want to be away from him

The tall, sexy, witty high school graduate was my man, who's ocean eyes always had me squirting in my underwear, no matter what was in between us. 

I stormed outta Lily's car and walked in their direction, but none of them acknowledged me. 

 "That's old bones, Chase, there's no point in chewing them." I caught Lily saying. "Gray and I are having the time of our lives. I know you guys will too." 

 "Can we go ahead and have the time of our OWN lives?" I asked her, forcing a knowing smile. 

Lily bade Chase bye, and I thought we were gonna be on our way, but Chase grabbed my wrist. 

 "She'll meet you asap." Chase said to her. Lily winked at me and went ahead to wait in the car. 

 "You didn't think you were gonna go like that, did you?" He asked me, grabbing my second hand. 

 "Lily's watching." I said, avoiding his eyes. 

 "Let her look!" He retorted quickly. "Emma I love you, and I'm not hiding it. Things are rough now, I understand that, and I'm all for you being happy. But please," His voice broke, and my conscience pricked me at that time, maybe I was being a tad bit too hard on him, "Please don't do anything I wouldn't." He said. 

 "What does that mean?" I was playing hard to get. I obviously didn't mean it, but he must've taken it the wrong way. 

 "It means I don't want you getting too close to anyone." He said bluntly. "Anyone that's not me." He held my waist and drew me closer, "It would really break me, Em." 

 "Guess who broke me first." I said, smiling. 

 "Nothing I say is gonna make you change your mind?" He asked. I could see him biting the inner part of his mouth. 

 "No, Chase." I replied, confidently.

 "Alright." He resigned, put his hands inside his pocket, all the time he didn't break our eye contact. He brought his card out and gave it to me.

 "Don't pity me." He said, cleaning my eyes. I might have slipped a tear or two.