27. The Chase

27. The Chase

***********PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT EDITED**********

With the envelope Jared had given to me gripped between my hands, I stared after him, lost at what I should do. Doubt weighted heavily on my mind, swarming my thoughts with the terrors of what could go wrong.

I shifted it in my hands, the packet surprisingly heavy. The fact that Jace had known about Noah hurt more than I wanted to admit, but I also wasn't all that surprised. It seemed the more I discovered about how much he really knew, just how involved he was in everything would grow clearer.

I pried the tab open, shifting it so the papers were visible inside. I slid them out, lifting my eyebrows at the list of locations and times that had been recorded. Several were highlighted, and my face wrinkled in confusion. Flipping through the pages, pictures began to surface as well of the boy and I felt unease fill me. It felt invasive, looking at moments of Noah when he had no idea that he was being watched. I flicked my eyes over his face on one of the pictures. He sat leaning over a book, his brow scrunched up as if confused at whatever he was studying. Another was him walking towards his car, earbuds in each ear and a harmless smile painted across his lips.

I stuffed the photos back in quickly, my stomach churning at the new information I had in my hands. He was just a little boy and Jace already had him being watched. That fact filled with stomach with grief.

The shiny glint of the car keys left on the coffee table caught my attention and I sucked in a shallow breath, the beginnings of an idea beginning to spiral curl together in my head. It couldn't just be a coincidence, was I right? I hedged closer to them, my body tense as my eyes flickered back towards the door. Jared wouldn't have just left me with the information in this envelope and nothing else. This had to be his help also.

Right?

Before I could overthink it, I was stuffing the keys in the pocket of my hoodie. I sucked in a breath, my nerves getting the better of me, before I sunk down in a plush chair. I needed a plan.

And quickly.

Swallowing sickeningly, I pried the envelope open once more. Skipping past the pictures, I plucked out a pile of what seemed to be notes. Scanning over the writing, which was scrawled hastily across the lines, I tried to gather whatever the person had written.

"A schedule?" I muttered, flipped it over, hoping it would give me more hints. Running my finger over the list of times, I paused to take a glance at the clock hanging on the wall over the fireplace.

4:03.

Shooting my gaze back at the paper still gripped tightly in my hands, my teeth sunk into my lip. Based on this schedule, he would have just gotten out of class and would be heading off to the library.

Knowing it was my only chance, I once again sorted the papers back into the envelope, before forcing my weak legs to straighten and hold my weight. I needed to get a move on.

I tucked the papers against my torso as well, before wrapping my jacket tighter around me.

The terror that I was going to get caught made it hard to move my feet forward, but I forced myself to stride over to the doors. The memory of how cruel the guys had been over the last few days turned my gut sharply. If I was going to do this, now would possibly be my only chance. I didn't know when someone would eventually come looking for me, but I knew it could be at any time. That had me opening the door with urgency and shooting a look down the hallway.

I didn't know exactly what Noah could help me with. Heck, I wasn't even sure why I was doing this. But, there was a small hope lingering in my chest that the boy could help me with something. Plus the fact that Jared had given me this information had to be some clue that could help me.

Or land me in deeper shit.

But even with knowing that, the urge to trust Jared was something I couldn't deny.

Not knowing exactly where the garage was or where the hell Jared's car was, I stepped out into the hall hesitantly, surprised to find it empty.

I knew the general area of where the garage was. I had commonly frequented there, nor did I exactly know how to get there. I shut the office door softly behind me.

Starting quickly towards the staircase, I attempted to make my steps as quiet as possible, but with each step on the creaky wood, I knew that was nearly impossible.

Holding my breath, I finally made it down the staircase and to the front door, my eyes scanning the foyer. No one was in sight, as if this was set up to be the best timing to escape.

I eased the lock over, before opening the door, silently shutting it behind me before turning towards the drive.

There, sat a car.

I narrowed my eyes at the car. It was facing towards the exit, perfectly lined up, as if waiting for a driver to take it and leave. I was willing to be big bucks that this happened to be Jared's.

It had to be.

Jamming the keys into the ignition, I pushed the car into drive, slamming my foot on the gas not even a second later. With a loud squeal, I was flying down the driveway, passing the densely packed forest at speeds that had my stomach twisting.

My eyes flickered to the rear-view mirror, anxiously taking stock of the fact that no one could be seen it. The churning feeling increased in my abdomen, paranoia causing me to grip the wheel harder. I didn't know what the consequences would be whenever they discovered I had left, but I figured they'd be drastic.

Finally hitting the main road, relief flooded me when I turned off the driveway. Mentally, I tried to collect my thoughts and think up a reasonable place of where Noah would be. The library would be the most likely, but what if he wasn't there?

My nerves increased, my teeth sinking into my lip. Then I'd have to try other places and the likelihood of getting caught grew with each minute.

I forced myself to lighten the weight I was placing on the gas pedal, easing off so the likelihood of getting pulled over was decreased.

I figured I had ten to twenty minutes before someone realized I wasn't in the office and Jared wasn't with me - even less if luck wasn't on my side today.

I tried not to focus on something rather than what I was about to, instead studying the road in front of me intently. I wasn't even sure on what to say to Noah, but I had to trust that he could help me in some way.

Entering town gave a rush of adrenaline to flow through my veins as I scanned the streets, looking for a hint of where the roads could lead me and for any police officers, in case they had anything linked to Jace.

Finding the library took longer than I had expected as I gripped the wheel nervously, my eyes flickering to the clock with anxiousness as I watched the clock tick down on my precious time.

Discreetly I ducked my head, focusing in on my feet and on what I was about to do. Taking deep breaths, I prayed that the beating of my heart would slow down. The memory of the traumatizing memories with Ricardo's men only succeeded in making my panic increase and perspiration broke out on my forehead.

A tinge of relief released a weight from my shoulders when I was finally in the safety of the library, letting the doors of it close before I quickly disappeared behind a shelf, my eyes wandering around the tables nervously, anxious for both if he was here and if he was not.

I pretended to scan a row of books before moving to the next row, scanning the next row of tables. If Noah was here, then there was also a good chance that his father's men could be as well and that thought terrified me.

Most of the tables were students who had just got out of school, most with their backpacks slung lazily on the tables, a strew of loose papers and school supplies spilling messily from them. The possibility that Noah was just here but was blended in with the chaos of after-school students didn't escape me.

Ducking my head once more, I stepped out from behind the shelf, confident that my hood covered most of my face with a shadow as I hesitantly began to step into the mess of tables, my eyes scanning each individual one with nervous hopes of finding a familiar face.

I had luck. Near the back of the cluster sat a boy, slumped over a textbook and tapping the eraser of his pencil against his cheek as if he was bored with whatever he was reading.

"Noah!" I gasped, too loud in the quiet library. I received more than just a few hostile looks which I ignored, instead dropping quickly into a chair nearest to him.

The Noah had looked up, his eyes surprised at hearing his name escape from the loud voice. When his eyes finally locked with mine, that surprise turned into a dose of shock.

"Savannah?" He suddenly guarded and I immediately knew he was exposed to more of the world he lived in compared to when we had first met. "Hi. How are you? It's been awhile-"

"I need your help." I blurted out, interrupting his polite small talk, my words a blurred rush.

He seemed surprised, as if he wasn't expecting that to be my first words to him. "With what?"

"This isn't the right place..." My eyes flickered to the close groups of people, crowded into the tables surrounding Noah's. "Can we...?" I jerked my head towards the doors, pressing my hands tightly against my denim-clad thighs in hopes to stop them from shaking.

"I don't know." He looked conflicted, as if he didn't trust me near him.

"Please?" I whispered, trying to avoid having to beg for the young boy to talk to me.

Nodding slowly, Noah stood up, jerkily shoving the packet of papers he was working on back into his book bag. He looked anxious, as if he wasn't sure what was about to come.

I started to the door as soon as he had slung his bag over one shoulder, glancing back a single time to confirm that he was still following.

"Is my car okay?" I nervously tucked a handful of hair behind my ear, turning my head briefly to stare at him. He looked distrustful suddenly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm not going to kill you." I muttered darkly, suddenly offended that Noah would believe I could do such a thing. "You honestly thing I could do that?"

"I have a right to be hesitant." He argued, shrugging simply, before exhaling and hurrying his steps so that he was walking directly by my side. "I've heard some things."

My eyebrows wrinkled together and I studied the ground beneath my feet as I trudged along, anxiety filling my gut at what he could have heard.

"What exactly is this about?" He spoke up, his gaze dropping to mine, suspicion still there distantly in his eyes. "I mean, I know barely the basics. I was told not to talk to you. So, why are you here?"

"I think you have an idea." I murmured back, reflecting on the look I had seen on his face when he first had saw me. "I think you must know more than just the basics."

"What do you mean?"

I didn't answer, instead unlocking the doors to the sleek car and sliding in, starting the engine. He cautiously climbed in, his eyes appreciatively sliding over the interior. He let out a low whistle.

"Damn. Nice car." He complimented, his eyes briefly meeting mine, before I started to reverse out of the spot.

"Thanks. I stole it." I grinned wickedly at him as his jaw unhinged.

"You what? Let me out now!"

"Calm down, I was kidding. Sort of." My lips curled up slightly. "I stole it from Jace's collection."

"I doubt he's going to be too happy about that." He shivered, as if he feared just the thought of Jace's reaction.

"It'll be fine." I honestly replied, knowing that it would be. I would be gone soon enough.

Noah cleared his throat, nervously tugging on the collar of his buttoned shirt. The slight creases around his mouth clued me in on the fact that he was more stressed than he was letting on. "So, what is this about?"

"How much do you know?" My voice cracked with nerves and I sunk my teeth into my lip. From the corner of my eye, I could see him studying me with narrowed eyes, attempting to figure out my intentions.

"I barely know anything. Heck, I barely know you. I don't know why I even got in this car." He sighed, pressing his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose.

"Please, just tell me what you know." My anxiety was rising with each minute that passed. Someone would have to notice soon.

"I-I don't know much." He admitted once more, bunching his hands into his shirt. "I know that you know that my family dabbles into some... some not so nice business." He finally finished, his lips pursed as if struggling with what he wanted to say.

"I actually found that out accidentally. My father never let his business into our family home, as he never wanted me to discover the truth. As you know my parents are divorced and on my way back to my father's place one day, I forgot my key and had to stop by his business quarters. His secretary let me into his office because he was in a meeting and there was some paperwork left on his desk. Stuff I wasn't supposed to see."

"What was it?" Curious invited me to speak and he hesitated once more.

"Designs for weapons, numbers, that kind of thing." He waved his hand, as if the fact was nonchalant to him now. "I didn't understand what it was at first, but then Dane - my father's associate and arguably closest right hand man - came in and found me. He told me the basics and made me promise not to speak of it again." Noah pursed his lips, studying his hands. "When I picked you up that night, I had no idea you were in association with the Kingston's, until recently."

"How'd you find out I was?" I questioned, pulling off onto a deserted part of a vacant road. I trusted that no one would drive by that would recognize us.

"Stella actually." He mused, a sad look entering his eyes. "My father had raised my thinking that she was a foster child staying with us. He had her stay in the guest house, with Dane, and I didn't get to see her much. But the time I spent with her, we grew close. She never opened up to me about what the truth was on her stay though."

"My dad told me he was taking Stella on a trip to find her birth parents." Noah rolled his eyes, his voice taking a sarcastic note. "Only he was actually taking her to that gala and well, you know what happened that night cause you were there." He shook his head bitterly. "I would have been in the dark if it wasn't for Stella, who when she came back, decided to open up to me finally. We may have - uh - we may have kissed." He muttered, a dark blush crawling up the back of his neck to his cheeks.

I managed a smirk at his shyness, before he cleared his throat and continued.

"That's not the important part though. She told me about how she wasn't actually a foster child and that she knew exactly who her family is. She also told me what my father is doing and what he's planning to do to you - the bribe, I mean." Guilt colored his tone and I knew he pitied me. "Of course I went to my father and he finally opened up to me about it all, saying I could be a help and then he showed me photos of you all, as a caution."

"So you do know..." Hope drained from my body.

"Savannah, I don't know how I could be of help to you anyways. There's not many choices in this. It's one way or the other." He whispered, his tone heartbroken. "I really wish I could do something to help you and Stella. I don't agree with what my father is doing."

"You would help if you could though?" I desperately wanted to clutch onto his arm and beg, but I forced myself to sit still, instead studying the leather of my seat with intent.

"Of course. You know I would."

"I need one favor. Please." I turned to him, my eyes fierce with determination. "I need your father to keep his word. If I go through with this - when I do," I corrected, blinking back the water that had suddenly surface in my eyes. "I need to know that he'll actually return Stella back to the Kingston's."

"What about you? Don't you want to live to?" He questioned, staring at me with wide eyes. They still held a certain innocence still, even after discovering this whole mess.

"I understand that the chances I will are extremely low." I didn't want to focus on that too much, so I continued. "Can you do that for me?"

"Why? Why give up your life for someone you barely know?" He pushed, his eyes intense. "Why not just leave things how they are? Why not be selfish?"

I didn't want him to know that there were more factors in this story than just what he knew, so I merely lifted my shoulders, my mind whirling with thoughts of Jace.

"I'll try my best." He settled when he realized I wouldn't answer his questions. "I understand Stella deserves her life back, no matter how tough it will be." His hands had turned into two tightly wound fists and it suddenly occurred to me just how much he loved her.

"It'll be okay." I forced a smile, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

At least I was trying to tell myself that.

"One last thing," I spoke, my mind muddled with all the information that he had let me know. "Is Greg trustworthy?"

"Greg? Yeah, why? How do you know Greg? He helped raise me pretty much." His lips turned into a crooked smile. "Good guy."

Not wanting him to know that he was locked in the cells beneath the Kingston residence, beaten, I forced a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "No reason. I should get you back. I should be getting back soon. I just needed to know if you were willing to help."

"Of course," He murmured.

I pushed the keys back into the ignition once more.

We had barely reached the main roads, before something caught my eye.

"Shit." I muttered, squinting into my rear view at the flashing police lights. "I was going the speed limit!"

Before the sentence had even left my lips, a similar face caught my attention from behind the car's wheel.

"Xavier?" I whispered once more, this time in horror. "Oh, shit. Shit." I hissed, stepping harder on the gas as I cast an anxious look at the boy in my seat. I wasn't sure what exactly would happen to him if Jace's men caught me with him, but I sure as hell wasn't willing to risk it.

"What's happening?" Noah's face had gone white as he leaned forward to peer behind us to see the police car. "Savannah! What are you doing? Pull over!"

"It's not the police! Well, technically it is. But, not the innocent kind!" Understanding what I meant, he leaned back into his seat, looking even whiter if possible.

"What?"

"It's fine. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I just have to figure out how to lose him."

"Lose him?" Noah shouted, not looking so relaxed anymore. "He's pretty much a fucking cop! We're not going to just be able to lose him!"

"Noah!" I yelled back, shooting the young boy a stricken look. "Language!"

"Are you kidding me?" He rolled his eyes back. "We have one of your boyfriend's gang dudes chasing us down under the impersonation as a cop and you're worried about the word fuck?"

"Yes! Now stop it!" I order back angrily, only pressing my foot harder down on the gas. Noah let out a gasp, gripping his chair tightly.

"You're going to kill us." He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Have a little faith in me, Noah." I responded sourly, nerves overtaking my stomach when Xavier laid on his horn as well. "We need to get you out of here."

"Well, no shit-"

"Since when do you swear!" I cried out, saddened that the once innocent boy I had known seemed to have disappeared. "You used to be such a... such a-"

"Pussy?" He suggested casually, turning his head slightly to watch my reaction.

"Not what I was gonna say." I swatted at him, my eyes once again drawn to my rear-view mirror to stare at the car still tailing my ass. "Now, what am I going to do?" I muttered under my breath frantically, easing onto the gas slightly more. The urge to protect the boy next to me was huge, as I really had no idea what the intentions were of the man that was determined to stop us.

"There's nothing you can do, Savannah." He muttered glumly. "And if I call my father for help, you'll get hurt. There's nothing we can do. Pull over."

"Not on my watch." I muttered once more and before I could hesitate, I jerked the wheel towards the right, easing up on the gas just enough so we could make it down a side street.

"Jesus!" Noah shouted, once his screams of terror had stopped. "You really are trying to kill us!"

"I'm trying to save us." I corrected, scowling at him. "Now shut up, I have to focus."

"You won't lose him!" He shouted appalled, as I pulled down another street, my eyes connecting with the car as it managed to keep up.

"Fuck," I muttered, turning to glare at the boy. "That's our only option! Unless..." I hesitated, my mind whirling as it formed a plan.

"It's just one cop on our tail right?" I questioned, squinting with focus at the road.

"Affirmative." Noah marked sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

"So, if I drop you off, he'll have to pick one to chase?" I pondered, the idea turning over in my head.

"And then he'll most likely decide to come after me and I'll be fucked over." Noah hedged, sinking down in his seat as he pouted.

"He won't. He wouldn't risk losing me. He wouldn't risk losing their pawn." I scowled, slowing down to turn towards the library.

Noah shot me a pitying glance.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'm going to drop you off at the library and you're going to get inside as fast as you can, while I speed off. If this goes right, Xavier should follow me and you should leave the library and head to safety as soon as we're out of sight. You got that?" I ordered him, the library quickly making it's way into sight.

"What if this doesn't work?" He frantically questioned, his eyes filled with panic. "We don't even have a backup-"

"No time to worry, only time to go." I interrupted him, slamming to a stop in front of the library, Xavier swerving to avoid hitting us. "Now, go!"

He was out of the car in seconds, scooping his bag up and slamming the door, before he was sprinting towards the library without a look back.

I slammed my foot back onto the gas and with wheels squealing, I took off once more. With adrenaline filling my body, I knew I needed to stall him enough as to where Noah could get to safety.

With my nerves continually building up in my gut, I let the miles pass by, as the lights continued to pass behind me.

After ten minutes and two entrances onto the highway, I finally let myself pull off to the side of the road, the gaslight brightly lit on the dash.

Unrolling my window, I patiently waited for the man who I knew who appear at my window in seconds.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Xavier screeched, breathing heavily, as he leaning through my open window. "That was unbelievably dangerous!" A bead of sweat lingered on his brow, letting me know just how anxious the chase had made the man before me.

"What are you talking about?" I replied innocently, dragging my gaze form his to casually examine my nails, not wanting to clue him in on just how much my heart was thumping.

"You know exactly what I mean. Wait till Boss hears about this." He snarled, yanking my door open, before he jerked his head. "Get out. We're headed back right now. What the fuck were you thinking? Noah? Are you kidding me?"

"Oh, don't be such a wimp, Xavier." I rolled my eyes, yanking the keys out of the ignition and dropping them into the palm of his waiting hand. "Jace doesn't even need to hear about this."

"...the hell he doesn't..." Xavier scowled, before whirling me press me tightly against the car, as if he was really arresting me.

"What the fuck? Do you guys always have to man-handle me?" I squirmed, trying to fight off the man. "I would've gotten into the car!"

"Consider this your punishment." He smirked, clicking the handcuffs into place with a snap. "This has been a stressful day. Do you not understand how frantic the guys have been?"

"Yeah because it's their asses on the line." I hissed out, before muttering "God forbid if Jace doesn't have his pawn."

A strange look crossed the man's face. "What-"

"Can we leave now?" I grimaced at the handcuffs, turning towards the car, the lights still flashing brightly. "I'm tired."

He didn't speak, instead complying with my request.

Opening the door to the police car, he slammed it shut, speaking quickly into the radio attached to his chest, before he got into the driver's seat. "I'm tempted to bring you to the station. Though, Jace would probably actually have my ass for that." He muttered.

I didn't reply, leaning back and shutting my eyes, suddenly exhausted with how this day had played out.

"What were you thinking?" He muttered once more to himself, briefly shaking his head. "Especially after what happened?" The expression on his face was one of confusion.

"Don't try to understand it." I murmured, satisfied that it felt like I had control over something finally.

"Jace wants to have a word with." He cleared his throat, stiff with fury at my actions.

"Tell him to fuck off." I didn't crack an eye open.

He only sighed, as if suddenly exhausted as well.

I must of fallen asleep on the way back because when  I was shaken awake, we were in the driveway of the massive house.

"Here, Savannah." He gently turned my still half-sleep body to undo the handcuffs, gesturing towards the door. "Now, get your ass inside. You're in trouble."

"When am I not?" I questioned sleepily, biting back a yawn.

"Up the stairs."

"Yes, Sir." I mocked, not putting up a fight.

"To Chase's room." He continued with his orders and I paused, turning to face him with a creased brow. "Huh?"

"You heard me." There was no humor on his face, only a stricken expression that let me know he was still seriously pissed about what had happened.

"I want my bed." I half-whined, knowing it was no use though - I would be forced to listen.

He only gestured me forward and I resisted a sigh, dragging my feet.

"Chase," He nodded in greeting as he opened the door and stepped through, allowing me to pass through as well.

"Hi, guys." Chase waved, a half-confused look on his face as he appraised us. "What's with the visit?"

"She needs a babysitter." Xavier grumbled, leaning against the door.

"Correction," I interrupted, turning towards the boy. "They want me to have a babysitter."

"What'd you do now?" Chase looked almost amused, as his eyes flickered between us two.

"I'll let Xavier fill you in. I need a nap." I turned to the door, causing Xavier's eyes to darken.

"Jesus, just stay here!" He shouted, looking stressed as he glared at me for a second longer. "I need to speak with Jared." And then he was slamming the door behind him.

"Well, hi, Chase." I turned sheepishly towards the boy, shoving my hands in my pockets and grimacing at the lack of comforting weight the keys had once given me.

"Savannah." Chase nodded towards me. "You look thinner." He observed, watching me from where he was laying, his blankets folded neatly over him. "I see all the trouble you get yourself in is showing."

"So do you." I shot back wearily, running a hand self-consciously over my ponytail.

Chase raised an eyebrow, cocking his head in my direction. "But, I have a valid excuse for that. When you're shot and Ash puts you on bed rest, it's pretty much guaranteed. But, I'm getting pudgy." He pouted, his bottom lip jutting out. "So, therefore I win."

I stifled a laugh, rolling my eyes, and reaching out to pat his arm. "I'm sure you'll be fine. How are you doing?"

Chase lifted his shoulders, letting them drop casually, as he looked down at the sheets covering his body. "I'm fine. Better. Ash says I'm almost done with this whole bed rest thing."

I watched him carefully, letting my lips tilt upwards. "That's great, Chase! You look much better than the last time I saw you."

At my words, he stuck his tongue out at me, shaking his head. "I always look good."

"Keep telling yourself that." I snorted, shaking my head at him jokingly.

"How are you?"

As he looked away from my gaze once more, I could tell he was troubled by something, but it wasn't my place to pry so I kept my lips locked together.

"So, I heard you've been busy." His tone was a cross between curiosity and sadness, as he ignored my question.

My teeth sank into my lip. I was unsure on what exactly he had been told, which caused unease to tingle it's way through my body.

"Listen, I don't know much. The guys don't share a ton with me cause they want me to heal before I feel encouraged to get back out there and help with everything. But listen, Savannah, you are your priority. Worry only about yourself."

"If only it was that easy." I muttered.

"It is." He shot me a dark look, almost like a warning. "If you do anything stupid, Jace is going to blow a gasket, which isn't going to be too great for any of us."

"Ha!" I snorted under my breath, barely managing to resist rolling my eyes. "As if that isn't the biggest lie I've heard all day."

"Huh?" He offered me a confused glance, as if unsure about my words.

"It's nothing." I replied quickly, not wanting to expose the ill feelings I had towards his boss.

"Right." He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "I forgot, you're not one to confide in people."

"That's because there's no need." I shot back, unable to keep a smile off my lips. Chase seemed to make my spirits feel lighter.

"Whatever you say. But you can always talk to me. Just know that." He seriously spoke, his eyes leveled on me carefully. "Come sit." He gestured to the chair nearest to his bed. "Let's catch up."

I edged suspiciously over to his bedside, taking the seat next to him hesitantly. Uncomfortable suddenly, my throat tightened at what he could potentially want to catch up on.

"You want to fill me in?" He pushed, spreading his hands out calmly along his sheets. "I know there's a lot of tension between you and everyone right now."

"That's a bit on an understatement." I murmured, avoiding his eyes and trying not to think about Jace and Greg and Brooke.

"Yeah..." I could feel his gaze burning into the side of my head, as if he wanted to ask me something but was holding back.

Wanting to change the subject, I awkwardly cleared my throat. "Anyways, there was another reason for my visit," I began, smirking at the man's curious face before me. "Ashley..."

"Don't do it." To my astonishment, Chase's face went bright red before he placed his hands over his cheeks to cover the shocking color. "Do we have to talk about it?"

"You know?" Shocked, I widened my eyes at him.

"Look, it's embarrassing enough at it is."

By now, confusion had begun to set in and I tilted my face at him. "Huh?"

"I can't help it!" He burst out. "But, I get what you're about to say! I can barely talk to her without clamming up and I know my feeling aren't reciprocated but..."

"What?" I finally interrupted, lost at what he was trying to say.

"I know she doesn't like me!" He finally forced out.

A choked giggle escaped through my mouth before I could stop it and his eyes darkened.

"You don't need to laugh at me for it." He muttered, an edge to his voice.

"I'm not! She likes you, you idiot. Now ask her on a date." Still laughing, I leaned over to ruffle his hair.

"You're lying." His eyes were wide with shock, but they had something in them - maybe it was hope, or glee, but the emotion made me smile, the first time I had in awhile.

"Believe what you want," I shrugged, propping my feet up on the table in front of me. "In fact, we should just plan this now and I'll pass on the details." I nodded to myself. "So, where do you want this date to be?"

"Savannah." Chase complained, his voice dropping a few syllables as his nerves grew. It's not going to happen."

"I was thinking maybe a classy dinner on the pier in Seattle. What do you think?" I pretend to scratch at my chin in consideration, enjoying the flush that seemed to darken his cheeks.

"I don't think she'll agree to any of this." Chase murmured, still seemingly concerned over what Ashley would think.

"Maybe just trust me?" I pondered, arching a brow at him. "How about this? If I'm right and you do go on a date with Ashley that I set up, then you owe me a favor. And if I'm wrong and Ashley doesn't want any of this, I'll owe you the favor."

He glared at me, clearly thinking over what I had said. "What kind of favor?"

"Guess you'll have to find out." I responded cheekily, before extending my hand. "Deal?"

"Fine." He responded reluctantly, looking nervous yet excited.

"Perfect, I'll come up with the perfect date. Leave it up to me!" I cheered, leaning back, consumed with ideas on what could be the perfect date for the two.

"I'm already regretting this." He groaned, rubbing his fingers at his temples. "I should never have agreed to this."

"Too late for that." I sang, smiling brightly at him. "You're so going to have to owe me."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved a hand in my direction, a tiny smile painted across his lips.

Standing up to pluck a piece of paper and a pen from his desk, I pursed my lips. "When does Ash say that you'll be out of this bed?" I tapped my fingers against the blankets, tilting my head at the man.

"I'm guessing he'll let me out in a few days." He pondered and I grinned.

"Awesome! You're going to make her dinner and then you're going to eat it at a beach in Seattle? Okay? You can watch the sunset. Here, Sunday at seven. Make sure to bring champagne." I scribbled the details out onto the paper, excitement rising in my chest at the prospect. "Okay, what's your number?"

"Why?" He grumbled, the blush in his cheeks increasing once more.

"Don't be difficult." I scolded, before he began to mumble out the digits as I wrote them down.

"Great! I'll be sure to deliver this to Ashley." I stood up, making my way to the door. "Remember, Sunday at seven."

"Uh, Savannah? I think you're supposed to stay here, remember?" He questioned and I waved my hand in his direction.

"Worry about yourself, Chase."

And then I was out the door.

Hurrying down the hall, I paused briefly in front of Ashley's door. Rather than knocking, I slid the paper underneath, before quickly falling back in step towards my room. I wanted to be underneath the covers and asleep before Xavier found me.

Getting to my room, I slammed the door shut. Kicking off my jeans and tank top, I slid a gigantic t-shirt over my body that smelt like the man I just wanted to forget. Exhaustion weighting on my body once more, I slid beneath the silky sheets, shutting my eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late when he returned. That was the only thing I was really able to comprehend as I awoke, still half asleep, to the sound of the door being softly shut.

"Shh," He spoke, his voice hushed and soft as he quietly moved towards the bed. "It's just me."

I didn't speak, settling on shutting my eyes instead. I heard the soft sound of his clothing hitting the floor before I felt him sliding in next to me, his arm looping around my torso to tightly pull me to him. He buried his face against my neck and inhaled, his body relaxing as he did so.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, my voice sleepy and groggy with tiredness.

"Please, I just need this." He spoke, the pleading in his tone causing me to pause for a moment. With his scent surrounding me, I squeezed my eyes shut once more, unable to deny how comfortable I was.

"Just for tonight. I hate you." I mumbled, feeling my mind once again succumb to the tiredness I was feeling.

"I know. Sleep." He exhaled, as if he was exhausted and his arms briefly tightened around me.

Moments later, he was speaking once more, as if he couldn't resist.

"I missed you." He whispered, his hand moving to softly stroke my hair away from my face. "More than you'll ever be able to comprehend."

I wasn't able to focus much on his words because I was already drifting off to sleep.