"And in the middle of my chaos, there was you."
*************
Lilly's POV
Zack's words rocked inside of me a type of terror I haven't experienced before. Fear lifted in a flurry of nerves. It only wounded the anxiety tighter through my chest and made it hard to breathe.
I blocked every other thing he said after and rushed back to the kitchen. I halted to a stop by the door, my eyes first fell on Chase sitting over the chair, beside him uncle Ashton, his arm around his shoulders, asking him something.
"No, no, I am better now," Chase replied back, rushing a hand over his face.
"I don't think you are," Uncle Ashton insisted, "We are going to the doctor now."
I rushed forward toward them, "He is right," I said to Chase, the urgency in my tone had uncle Ashton looking at me. I directed my words at him, "You should take him to the hospital," My throat bobbed when instant worry flashed in his eyes, so I carried on, "It's the pills."
"What pills?" Chase asked, his eyebrows pulling together ever so cluelessly.
My gaze drifted to him and my chest squeezed tighter. I couldn't begin to think how badly this is going to affect him, both physically and mentally. A lump clogged my throat and before I could utter another word, I felt auntie Katherine coming up beside me.
Her gaze dropped on Chase and she immediately walked closer to him, "Chase, baby, what's wrong?" She asked, worry tightening her brows and itching lines over her forehead, "Are you okay?" Her palm rested over his cheek, "You look so pale today."
He shook his head as he got to his feet, way too bothered by this excessive attention, "I am fine," He mumbled, pushing his way away from us.
My hand shot to his arm, grabbing at his sleeves and stopping him. Confusion drew lines between his eyebrows as I said, "No, you're not."
Uncle Ashton's gaze drifted from me to Chase, understanding the underlying reason for my immense worry, he urged, "Chase, please, we need to go now and check with your doctor."
"After school, we can go," Chase answered, unable to realize the seriousness of the situation, "I am fine, and I have exams, this can wait-"
"I don't think it can," I said, shaking my head as I turned to uncle Ashton. He nodded his head, agreeing, "She is right."
Chase's confused gaze drifted between us, "Why does it feel like there is something I am not aware of?"
"Because there is," Uncle Ashton said and Katherine's eyes grew a bit wide, "I'll tell you all about it, now let's just go to your doctor and we can take care of the rest later."
"Ashton," Katherine said lowly, "What's...what's wrong?"
A low sigh parted his lips and he shook his head, "I will tell you," He assured, "But, for now, why don't you drop Lilly and Max at school, I will take Chase to the doctor and then-"
"No," I interjected, "I am coming with you!" I am already dying over here of the possible ways this could go wrong. I wouldn't handle to wait for more.
"No, you are not, you have exams," Katherine said, "Your father would kill me if he knows I let you skip school."
"But-" Before I could say more, she shook her head, her tone strict this time, "Go get your things and tell Max to hurry up."
Before I headed for the stairs, my gaze flickered to Chase for a full second, his eyes fell on mine and all I wanted was to step closer and wound my arms around him. Feel him. Tell him that I will be here for him, always.
But all that felt so pointless at the moment.
*************
Chase's POV
I've seen my father angry before. Many times. I've seen him nervous. I've seen him worried. But never have I ever seen this much fear in his eyes as we sat down in the doctor's clinic and waited for his diagnosis.
Once arrived, my doctor made his usual check-up, nothing was out of the ordinary, so now we are just waiting for the blood test results to come out. The pain this time was like nothing I've ever experienced before. It wasn't my lungs malfunctioning. No, it felt like my brain was fighting a war of its own. I felt on edge. The pain surging through my head only intensified by the second.
Yet, I tried my best not to show my discomfort.
When the doctor came back, dad's whole being shifted, his attention on him only. The worry emanating from him in waves, got me worried as well.
The doctor placed something over the desk in front of us, "You were right," He said, directing the words at my dad as he seated himself down. I looked closer and my eyebrows pulled together when I recognized it as my usual medicine's bottle, "The drug is still in his system," He started, looking at the papers in his hand before he looked up at me, "It's the same drug in this bottle."
What?
"Drug?" I asked, unable to understand what he just said, "What...what drug?"
"It's called Klonopin, usually with a doctor's assigned dosages, it helps in treating anxiety, but..." A low sigh parted his lips, "But when it's misused and taken frequently, you could easily develop an unhealthy addiction, and in your case-"
If his words were meant to make me understand, they totally failed. They just doubled my confusion so I interrupted the rest of his words, "Hold on, I didn't take whatever that...thing is," The muscle beating against my ribcage felt like it could ram a hole in there as I turned to dad and defended myself, "Dad, I don't know what he's talking about, I've never taken any drug."
He nodded, "I know, I know," He said, believing me, way too fast for my liking. Way too fast for me to get a grip of what's going on. I didn't understand.
His hand came and rested over my arm. In his eyes, there was an unexplainable look as he explained, "It wasn't you," He shook his head, "It's Zack," The muscles of his jaw tightened, "On the game night, he...he exchanged your medicine with this-" He said the last part while looking at the bottle and I still felt so lost, "You've been taking the wrong medicine all this time."
"That's why your health was deteriorating," The doctor interjected, grabbing my attention back to him, "Triggering asthma attacks, that's one of the drug's many many side effects."
Words betrayed me as I sat there and drank into the feedback of all the information being thrown at me. Nothing made sense, not what dad said, not what the doctor is saying.
This has got to be a damn joke, a very cruel one.
"But that's not the important thing," Dr. Mark carried on, "I made the calculations. If you've been using this instead of your daily medicine, then...then you've taken enough to get your body addicted." Worry tightened his brows, he seemed genuinely bothered by this, he has been my doctor since I was just a little kid, "Your withdrawal has already started and as soon as the drug totally leaves your system, then...it's just gonna get worse."
Dad's hand tightened over the armrest of the chair as he leaned forward and asked, "So, what should we do now?"
"Detoxifying should be our first step," The doctor answered, his gaze flickering between the both of us, "I know a really good and a high-quality center in the city, usually it takes months to get in, but I have connections in there, there is a doctor I know, I can explain Chase's health condition to him and maybe we can administer him right away, and after that, we-"
"I am not going anywhere," I interrupted as the anger pushed at my insides, "You're talking as if I am an addict or something." I shook my head, still trying to come in terms of everything, "I am not." I turned to dad, "I won't be going to a damn rehab center for god's sake."
"I am fine," I added. I lied.
"No, Chase, you're far from fine." The doctor replied, "Maybe you don't think you are addicted, but your body and brain are, whether you like it or not, your body is going through withdrawal right now, and whatever pain you're feeling at the moment, it's only gonna get worse."
"I can handle it," I said, getting up to my feet, more than ready to get as far as possible from this bullshit.
"Chase, please, you got no idea how dangerous this is," Dad said, getting to his feet and stopping me from storming away, "We need to do what the doctor is saying, he'll transfer us to a specialist in this, we'll go check the place, we can't ignore this, it's your health!"
"Yeah, and like I said, I am okay, so I won't be going anywhere," I stressed out, and a ragged breath ripped from my lungs. The rage mixed with the pain, only worsening the situation. But, it wasn't anything I can't handle.
"Look Chase, you're not thinking clearly now and that's justifiable, your body has started to rebel against your well and-"
"For god's sake, stop talking to me like I am an addict!" I snapped, unable to hold it in, my voice bellowed off the walls, "Because I am not!"
Not waiting to hear more of this, I stormed out of the clinic, ignoring dad's call for me as I walked away. I stepped into the chilling air outside and paused in my steps. Everything happening was enough to knock the breath from my lungs. I lifted my head up, my eyes connected with the defiant sky, where the deep steel blue-grey clouds mirrored the chaos pushing up against my mind.
I tried to breathe, I tried to think and I tried to understand.
But nothing made sense.
I rushed a hand over my face and raked it through my hair. I pressed my eyes shut as I tried to silence the voice in the back of my head whispering to me how everything is just...ruined. How right now, there is a drug running through my veins, a one I didn't even intend to use. How the pain surging through my head is only amplifying and pressing against my skull with every passing second, and how tomorrow I am supposed to have my medical exam.
The thoughts didn't shut up, they penetrated deep down, seeped, and bled into my consciousness. My brain couldn't comprehend how fast things changed; I went to sleep last night thinking I haven't had an attack in a while, so positive and certain about the exam's outcome, but when I woke up, it felt like my whole life is being thrown away through no fault of my own.
The footsteps nearing me had my eyelids gliding open, I turned to the right, and before he could say one more thing; I stressed out, "If you think you can convince me otherwise, then let me stop you right now," Air harshly pushed in and out of my chest, "I can get through this alone and I don't need that... that place he talked about."
Dad silently nodded his head, confusing me. I just thought he'd put up a bigger fight, or somehow force me to go there. Instead, he calmly said, "Let's go home, then."
He unlocked the car and headed toward it. I did the same and got inside, deciding not to overthink his reaction. He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in the glove box ahead of me. I noticed it as the medicine bottle that the doctor just showed us. I couldn't begin to understand how did he even take it from me, or how did he discover about all of this in the first place?
How did he know that Zack...
I pressed my eyes shut. Let's not go there. The thought of him and what he had done is enough to send me right over the edge.
Without uttering a single word, dad started the engine and I pulled at the seat belt, but as I tried to secure the tongue in the buckle, my fingers shook, against my own will, a tremor contracted my muscle, and couldn't allow me to perform the simplest of tasks. My heart throbbed a wayward beat and I let go of the seatbelt, shocked at how my own body started to fail me. I fisted my hand, so hard, trying to regain control over my own muscles.
When I lifted my gaze, dad's eyes were on me, aware of what just happened. The muscles of his jaw tightened, his fingers tightened over the steering wheel as he took off. The anger radiating off him in waves but weirdly enough, he didn't utter a single word.
His silence is scaring me now.
I pressed the back of my head against the headrest and closed my eyes. I kept on curling and uncurling my fingers, making sure I am the one in control. The migraine starting a war against my brain had me opening my eyes and shifting in my seat, trying to suppress it all back down. It was cold yet I could feel the sweat beading up on my forehead. I rubbed at it and raked my fingers through my hair, the frustration at the whole situation had me shifting in my seat again, trying to get comfortable but miserably failing.
The car felt so small, its inner walls closing up on me. My breathing fastened and I rubbed a hand at the back of my neck before my fingers tightened over the fabric of my sweatshirt, pulling a bit at its edges, somehow feeling suffocated by its thin material.
I tried to breathe in, and breathe out. My chest tightened as a result and my head spun. I didn't understand how I was hearing every little sound, so distinctly. The churn of the car's engine, the wheels moving over the wet roads, the raindrops hitting the window, each and every drop, one after the other. The sound of people talking, arguing, as we passed by. The sound of the air leaving my lungs and the oxygen being pulled back in. A frenzy lit up the cells of my brain and I bit at the inside of my cheek, trapping the pain and the chaos inside.
I pressed the button at the side and let the window slide down, allowing some fresh air to get in and cleanse my lungs. I sucked down into a deep breath and felt dad's eyes flicker toward me, trying to understand what's going on with me.
I tried so hard to pull on a calm posture, I swallowed past all the pain and looked ahead of me, trying to concentrate on one thing only. I blinked but the dizziness swarming over my eyes blurred my vision. I rubbed at them and tried to focus my vision again but an uncontrollable ache flashed inside my head, I flinched and it took everything in me to suppress the groan creeping up my throat.
"Chase," Dad's worried voice pulled me back in.
I opened my eyes and breathed out, "I am fine." I mumbled.
"No, you're not fine!" His voice raised a bit, unable to keep his anger at bay, "Why are you pretending that you are?"
That's when I felt the car coming to a stop. I opened my eyes and noticed that we had arrived home, "Because if I don't, then everything else in my life will be ruined!" I snapped, before I immediately latched the door open and went down, more than ready to get out and far away from him.
I made my way toward the house and my mom was waiting by the doorway, "What happened?" She asked, concern evident in her tone.
"He can tell you," I mumbled as I passed by her, not bothering to even stop. She called for me, but I decided to ignore that as I went up the stairs and into my room. I wasn't trying to be mean, I didn't want to sound so annoyed and angry. I don't know. I just need a...release. I need something, but I don't know what.
I slammed the door shut behind me and opened the drawer, searching for a painkiller to blunt the ache rocking through my head. I swallowed down two and slumped over the chair, my elbows pressed over the desk and I placed my head in my hands.
My phone buzzed and rang a couple of times, I didn't bother to pull it out of my pocket and check who. I couldn't. I was too busy fighting through whatever was going inside of me.
Some time passed, maybe an hour, maybe two, but the pain never went away. If possible, it only got worse, driving me beyond insane. What I was going through at the moment, I couldn't put a name on it. All these mixed feelings, all this anger, all this pain, it all fought and ripped through my head and chest. A groan rumbled from my throat as I slammed my fist over the desk and I got to my feet, unable to sit down, and unable to stand up.
I needed something. At that moment, I knew exactly what I needed.
One thing that could take all this pain away.
I pulled into a deep breath before I opened the door of my room and walked out. My gaze drifted around, searching for my parents. They were nowhere in sight, so I walked down the stairs, like a man on a mission, I took the car keys from over the stand beside the door and made my way outside.
I unlocked his car and got inside. My eyes fell on the glove box in front of me. Without hesitation, I opened it and pulled the medicine bottle out. I opened the cap and looked at the few pills inside. The ones I've been taking all this time, without a care in the world. The ones that ruined my brain and lungs, the ones that now could make it all okay.
I tilted the bottle till two fell into the inside of my palm. I stared at them for the longest time, doubting and calculating. All the logic fled away and I inched my hand closer to my mouth, ready to swallow them and relieve some of this ache.
I pressed my eyes shut and my heartbeats accelerated when one sentence only echoed through my head, pausing and stopping my movement. My mind took me back to one day ago, to the talk I had with my dad just yesterday. To how he told me that.. that he's proud of the person I became. I shook my head and logic finally decided to kick in. I told them I am not an addict but look at me now, doing exactly what any addict does.
I turned my shaking hand upside down, letting the two pills drop down into the car's floor. The truth of everything happening crashed down on me, the gravity of what is going to happen pulled deeper at my inside and it hurts like hell. It didn't feel fair. To lose after working so hard for something. It didn't feel right. To go through this. To be like this. This is not me.
I was always in control.
Now, I am not.
That alone is capable of destroying me.
I opened the car's door and stepped down. The moment I turned around, my eyes fell on dad, standing right there by the car, and probably witnessed what I was about to do.
I shook my head, "I don't know what to do," I said, the truth finally tumbling out.
The weakness in my voice alone had his eyes softening and he stepped forward, his arm came around my shoulder and he pulled me closer to him, "Believe me, I don't know either." He mumbled, doubt, and sorrow swirled within his words as he hugged me.
I pressed my forehead against his shoulder, my eyes pressed shut and I felt so hopeless and helpless, "But I need you to know that we'll go through this together, you are not alone," His palm pressed over the back of my neck before he pulled back and faced me, "I know my son and he's not the one to give up on anything so fast," He said, meaning it, "You're strong Chase, you can do this, and you will."
I shook my head weakly, "I don't know if I can."
He nodded, "Yes, yes you can, I am here, your mother is here, we will help you." He assured me and that's when I saw mom standing there as well, she stepped closer toward us and nodded her head, "We would never leave your side," She said.
"I will be there with you all the time, I won't leave your side, I promise," Dad added, "But for this to work, you need to be ready and determined to get through this. I couldn't force you before, I still can't. Because if you don't accept that you're not okay, that you need help, this won't work." His eyebrows pulled together, "I know it's not fair and you don't deserve this," He shook his head, "You don't. You didn't do anything wrong."
His voice hardened, "And believe me, Zack is going to pay for this."
"But the important thing now is for you to get better," Mom interjected before she edged forward, she rested her palm over my cheek, unshed tears lined her lashes and she gave me a small assuring smile, "Trust me, you will get through this, and it's all gonna be okay."
I shook my head, "How will it be okay when I am gonna miss the rest of my last year at school, how, when my medical exam is only tomorrow, I won't attend it and even if I did, I would fail it anyway." I couldn't see light through this dark path like they're urging me to.
"All of this can be fixed," Dad said, confident in his words, "We will find a way, there is always a way. I promise you that I will find a way to fix this, that everything you worked for won't go to waste," He urged, "But in return, I need you to promise me that you will work hard enough to get through this, that you won't give up."
He meant that I won't have a moment of weakness like what just happened minutes ago.
His eyes begged me to say yes, to not give up, to be strong enough, and fight this. Their trust in me was the only reason that had me nodding my head, giving him a promise, and hoping with everything in me that I will be able to keep it.
A bit of relief lightened the blue of his eyes, "Should I call the doctor?" He asked, taking permission and I nodded.
There is no other way.
"I will go and...get my things, I guess," I mumbled, still refusing to believe this, unable to come to terms with everything.
It still felt so weird. An unexpected turn in events that could change me. It has already done.
I could only wonder; how long will it take me to ever feel like myself again?
*************
Lilly's POV
I stood by the room's ajar door for more than five minutes. Just staring. I was still in shock, still trying to understand how in one day, someone's life could be turned upside down like this.
My eyes drifted around the room's interior, taking every detail in. It wasn't that bad, to be honest. The whole center was fancier than I ever expected it to be. It was made for the purpose to give people hope. And I tried...tried so hard to cling to that hope with everything in me. For him, I couldn't lose that hope.
I don't know how my day passed at school, or how my exams went. I couldn't concentrate on one thing with my mind busy with what's gonna happen to him. I thought that doing this from home could've been a better option but they couldn't take the risk with Chase's asthma condition, in case the medications had side effects, it is best to be here, under supervision.
"Hey," Uncle Ashton's voice from behind had me turning around, his gaze flickered from me to the room's door, "You didn't get in yet?"
I swallowed hard and shook my head, "I am preparing myself, I think." I don't know what I am going to say, or what should I say even. How can I explain to him that I would do anything to make it all better?
The muscles of his jaw worked and on a low whisper, he mumbled, "It's killing me seeing him like this."
He shook his head and when his eyes fell on me again, they softened, "I couldn't tell you this before but thank you, Lilly." Appreciation resonated deep in his voice, "Without you, I would've never known that it's all Zack's doing," A sigh parted his lips, "We would've never known how he took the drug and I can't begin to think of the possible worse ways this could've turned into."
I shrugged, "I only wish I could've figured this out earlier," I said, guiltily, "I blame myself because for the longest time, we weren't talking, and maybe if we were, if I wasn't so stubborn then I would've noticed this before and maybe things wouldn't be as bad as they are now."
A small smile curved his lips and he shook his head, "You really are Alex's daughter, aren't you?" He said, a little amused. His hand rubbed at the side of my arm, "Like your father, when you care about someone, you care too deeply."
I shrugged, "It's because no matter what," Even if we never dated, even if I didn't have all these types of feelings toward him, "We are a family."
He nodded, agreeing, "Yes, we are." His smile was heartfelt, "And Chase is so lucky to have you."
A small smile curved my lips at that sentence, "If only my dad can think like you."
He chuckled, a low one, "I believe that deep down, he does, but he is just too damn proud to admit it."
"I really doubt that," I added.
He smiled and nodded toward the room, "Why don't you go inside, and I will go finish up the administration papers."
I nodded and he went off before my gaze drifted back into the room and my smile dropped almost instantly, reminding me again of everything wrong going on. My eyes fell on Chase's back as he stood there by the desk positioned in the middle of the room.
My heart stumbled and I pressed my hand over my chest when that familiar ache pressed so tight. It pained me to see him in pain, to know he is in pain. It killed me, feeling ever so helpless.
I noticed his fingers tightening over the desk's edge and his head hung low. His whole demeanor screaming that he is in pain. That's he is not okay. He's hurt, both physically and mentally.
I finally took my chance and stepped into the room.
I walked inside, my steps hesitant.
I paused to a stop when I reached his side. He didn't seem to even notice my presence till I placed my hand over his arm, shaking him back in. His eyelids glided open and his head turned to my side right away, his eyes fell on mine and if possible, my chest squeezed even tighter.
His gaze drifted from me to the door then back to me. I noticed the bob in his throat before he blankly said, "What are you doing here?"
"Where else would I be?" I said, ignoring how his tone alone showed that for some reason, my presence isn't welcomed.
He didn't say a thing as he walked away and sat by the bed's edge. I followed him and sat down by his side, "How are you feeling now?" I asked, the worry eating up at my insides, "Your dad told me what happened in the morning."
"You two seem pretty close these days," He said, mockery pretty much evident in his tone. His words alone showed me the reason behind whatever anger he has toward me now.
"I was the one who told him not to tell you about Zack," I clarified.
His eyebrow raised, "Why?"
"Because one, you cared about him, I didn't want you to be hurt," I explained, "And second, you were already stressed about the medical exam, I just didn't wanna to add more into your plate."
A short breath left him, "Well, that doesn't matter anymore."
I placed my hand over his, "It still does." I said, "I know that you've lost all of your hopes, but you shouldn't, you will get through this Chase, and everything will go back to the way it was, I am sure."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I know you," I said, "I know you so well. I know how improtant it is for you to be in control, you organize and you plan everything, that's who you are but now, that has been taken away from you," I knew exactly where his real pain is originating from, "You hate not to be in control."
I shrugged and my tone lightened a bit, "That's why you're usually so annoyed by me, because I make you lose your control," I explained, "The same is happening now."
"So, I know how hard you're willing to work in order to regain that control back." I added, "You will pull yourself out of this, maybe even faster than anyone ever could." I assured him, trying to restore his confidence back.
My hand tighetend over his, "And I will be beside you every step on the way, I promise."
His jaw ticked and he shook his head, retreating his head back, "Don't-"
"Don't what?"
"Don't give promises you can't keep." The hardness in his words added salt to the wound, "Because Lilly, this is the last thing I need right now."
"I am telling you that I am gonna be here for you," I explained, "Don't you trust me?"
"No, I don't." He said, almost immediately and that hurt me like hell, "Lilly, I can't, you always, always find a way to run away, how can I trust that this would be any different?"
"You really think so low of me." My voice barely made it out.
How could he think I would ever leave him in a situation like this?
"That's not it," He shook his head, "But, when I needed you, you weren't there and now...now I need you more than ever," Hurt bled through the words coming out of his mouth, "Because I have no idea how I am supposed to get through this," His gaze drifted around the room, the white walls that will keep him prisoned for how long, "Because everything I have planned for is just...is ruined," He turned his head toward me, his hopeless blue eyes settled on mine, "So, please, just go, leave now, because in the end, you're gonna leave anyway."
I wanted to be angry at him and at his accusations but I couldn't, not when I knew where his doubts were coming from.
"What if I promised you that I won't?" I requested over a whisper as my hand reached out and held his again, stupid tears formed up in my eyes as I added, "That I would never...never leave again, would you let me stay?"
He didn't give me an answer right away, he didn't need to. His eyes looked into mine, his hand tighetend over my hold and I found my answer right there.
"Lilly, of course I want you to stay, I need you to stay," He rushed a hand over his face, it seemed like he was fighting a battle of his own inside his head, "I just...I didn't mean to sound so aggressive," He said, shaking his head, "It's this...this pain, it's messing with my head and I don't wanna admit it, but I am scared."
He nodded his head, "Like you said, just like this drug, you make me lose all of my control," His hand reached for my face and rested over my cheek, I leaned into his warm touch, "But Lilly, you're the only addiction I don't wanna break free from."
Emotions brimmed over my chest and one stupid tear passed through the threshold. I sniffled, "How can you not trust me, see, I don't usually cry," I mumbled, annoyed at my vulnerable state, "But one word from you and I am a mess."
His eyebrows pulled together and with his thumb, he wiped the tear away. I immediately leaned closer to him, till my head rested over his chest and my arms wrapped around his waist, while he wounded his arm around my back, tucking me even closer.
A moment of peaceful silence wrapped around us and I let it. But the tightness over my chest never went away, knowing that there is still a very long way ahead of us. There is still the chance of being disqualified from the program, there is still the school year that he yet has to finish.
I edged backward a fraction, "Chase, I don't want you to worry about school," I started, knowing that's one of the many things on his mind, "I will talk with our teachers, with the prinicple even and maybe we could still manage it so that you would graduate with your class on time."
I've been thinking about that since the begining of this day, "Maybe you can do your exams online or something, I mean come on, online education should become a thing!" If this was a cartoon right now, I would have a light bulb showing above my head as the idea hit me, "Imagine how much time and effort it could save, really I should suggest this to our school, or maybe even to the goverment, I mean imagine being like sick or in another country, yet still you can catch on and follow up and m-"
The smile curving Chase's lips had me pausing in my ramble. My heart stuttered and my head tilted to the side, eyeing his beautiful smile and feeling accomplished, "I made you smile."
He nodded, "Only you can do that."
***************************
HEY!
LONG TIME NO SEE.
I AM SURE YOU MISSED ME, I MISSED YOU TOO!
I am also working on a new chapter of "Unraveling him." I was planning to update them together, but this one finished first so here you go.
Also, while writing the part where Ashton and Kat where telling Chase that they will be by his side all the time, it only had me realizing how important parent's support is.
And that had me thinking of Nikolas, like if only his parents supported him after what Frank did, he would've turned out to be totally a different person *sighs*
Anyways, this time the next chapter will be up sooner, I am all settled down at work and ready to dive into the writing cave.
See you next chapter,
Love ya all!