Blurred Lines 1: CHASE
Chapter 71

~Sofia-

I wanted to run into his arms, squeeze the life out of him, but something was holding me back.

I stepped back, rubbed my left arm with my right hand, gaze flickering down on the tip of my boots, remembering the need to remove them. Looking behind him, the door was still open.

"Uhm, excuse me." I skirted past Chase, picked Kyle's flowers and wine, and brought them to the kitchen. The candlelights were enough to illuminate my way. Next, I cleaned up the broken bottle, and the spilled wine in the hallway, closing the door when I was done. I removed my shoes, left them in the entry, and hung my coat and gloves on the wall plaque hook.

Chase remained perched where I left him. I pulled my beanie, walked past him, and headed to my room to change, but he gripped my arm.

"Sofia," he whispered, his voice careful.

I looked anywhere but at him. "I... I'll just change," I said, wiggling free from his hold, and froze when he drew me into a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against my hair, spearing his fingers through my curls. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

My lips quivered. Tears streamed down my cheeks profoundly. His familiar scent enveloped me. I inhaled a lungful, hoping it was enough to convince me that everything would be okay now that he was here.

"You're really here," I mumbled, looping my arms around his waist.

He blew out a heavy breath, the tension in his body easing. "I'm here... for you, baby!"

When he said those words, everything felt right again. It was like coming home after being away for so long. How ironic was that?

"That sneaky little witch," I groaned.

We sat facing each other on the picnic blanket, drinking wine while waiting for the mac and cheese to warm

Chase bit down on his avocado wrap. "She gave me the key after threatening to cut my balls off if I fuck this up."

Jessica let Chase use her kitchen and dragged me out of my apartment so he could prepare this surprise. The Kyle incident wasn't part of the plan, though. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on FindNovel.net. Visit FindNovel.net to read the complete chapters for free. He came out of my apartment when he heard Kyle. Although there had been a mishap in his plans, I'm still grateful he was here.

Kyle's attempts to get me back were getting worse. That DNA and kiss was definitely the end of the line for him. His threat to sue Chase only spurred me to put an end to his madness.

"She's not kidding, though," I said, grinning at him as he grimaced.

"I know. She's even scarier than Derek."

My brother's name quickly pulled me back to why I had left Rio. I chewed on my lip and reached for a wrap from the plate.

Chase noticed the shift in my mood.

"About Letty..." he started.

I munched down the wrap, chewed slowly, prolonging the inevitable. A torturous silence hovered over us. I wiped my mouth and smiled at him. "You don't have to."

The microwave beeped, signaling that the mac and cheese were ready. Chase stood up and headed to the kitchen.

I sighed and finished my wine, grateful for the break. Realization slowly dawned on me. He's about to tell me the truth, and it scared me more than it should. It was easy to believe I was giving Chase time to deal with the past. And now, it's my turn to face it. Chase came back with a plate of mac and cheese. He set it between us. The mouthwatering aroma of cheese wafted through the air, but suddenly I wasn't hungry. My stomach felt hollow.

His gaze was searing, so intense and determined, when I glanced up at him. As if he could read right through me, he opened his legs. "Come here."

I slowly crawled to him and settled between his legs, my back pressed against his chest. "I'm ready to tell you my story if you are."

I heaved a breath and wiggled back until all the space between our bodies was gone. "I'm ready."

My heartbeat was loud, but the thoughts in my head were louder. I moved to straddle Chase's lap, cupping his face. My tears streamed, my heart aching for the boy who had to endure that alone.

"Don't cry." He swept my tears with his thumb. "I've dealt with the past. Although part of me still thinks I could've done better, I understand things happen for a reason. Letty is at peace. I should let her go and move on."

I nodded and traced his jaw with my thumb. The burnt orange glow from the candles illuminated his earnest gaze. He was telling the truth. If he wasn't there yet, he's trying to get there.

"Derek and I made amends, too," he said, diffusing the downcast tension brought by the walk down memory lane.

"Really?" Knowing this made me smile.

"Sort of," he said, tucking my hair behind my ears.

Gooseflesh rose at the wake of his fingers. His gaze followed his finger's path. I shivered when he traced the narrow column of my neck.

"He's still mad?" I swallowed. His fingers traced the neckline of my knitted long-sleeve top, coasting my collarbones.

"Processing, I guess," Chase murmured, eyes fleeting to mine as his hands skimmed my shoulder down to my waist.

Derek was on tour. He told me his plan to stay at mom and dad's place once this tour is over. He wanted to open dad's garage, but he never mentioned Letty or Chase.

"He loved Letty," I added.

Even after Letty's passing, Derek never loved another as he did with Letty. He carried the sadness and anger of losing Letty so much. Maybe this will give him the closure he needs to move on.

"He worshiped the land Letty walked on," Chase said, hands settling on my waist. I agreed. Like Jessica said, those two were endgame. It's amazing how they found each other early in their lifetime. But fate had other plans for them, it seemed.

"Derek is fucking whipped. He never had eyes for anyone. Even when girls lined up to be with him, he stayed loyal to Letty. I never believed in love like that, but even after her death, Letty still held a part of his heart." Chase inhaled a sharp breath. "It's fucking sappy, but I understand him now."

I tilt my head to the side, my hands settling on his shoulder. "You understand why he held a grudge for over ten years?"

"No," Chase said, his grip on my waist tightened. The pulse in his throat quickened. Uncertainty blanketed his eyes. He closed them, blew out a breath, and when his blue eyes met mine, I gulped at how bright and certain they were. "I understand what kind of love he felt for Letty."

+pulled my lower lip between my teeth. His thick lash gaze flickered to my mouth.

"I had to be sure, Sofia." His fingers drew a messy pattern over my hips. It didn't matter that I had a thick sweater with two more layers of cloth underneath. His touch ignited millions of matches under my skin. "Sure of what?" I dared ask, feeling my throat like sandpaper. My heart lulled against my ears.

"I had to be sure of what I felt for you."

"And what do you feel?"

He grabbed my hand and placed it above his heart. If mine was racing, his was as calm as a morning breeze. "Do you feel that?" he asked. "It's beating only for you. Whether you forgive me or not, it's yours, only yours."