Playing Chase (Against The Wall) (15 page)

“Chase,” I reach out to him, “you’re right. It’s in the past. Thank you for apologizing, but what the hell is going on? I can see that you’re hurt
ing. You didn’t come here just to say you’re sorry.”

“Actually, I did.” He sniffs and wipes his eyes and nose. “Since that god
-awful night at the party a year ago, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I did. How I was a complete ass to you and Summer. And to you, Matt.” He looks at my hubby. “If I were you, I would’ve kicked my ass. I had no right to say the things I did.” Then he looks at me. “I feel like I’ve been hurting you since we were teenagers and I haven’t stopped.” He pauses again. “It makes me sick to think about the way I treated you. I was just like my dad and that kills me.”

He chokes up at this point and so do I. I always knew his dad was at the heart of his issues, but he was never willing to share them with me. He tried keeping me as far away from his father and never let me in to help him. It breaks my heart to see this grown man cry. Has he been a total douche to me in the past? Yes. But why
he must bring up old shit? What’s in the past is in the past. It’s obvious he’s trying his damnedest to change. Going on these torturous dates is proof of that.

“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’m done being that guy. You and Matt, Summer and Dean have moved on, and I’d like the chance to do that too.” 

I scoot closer to him and place my hand on his wrist. “Chase, you listen to me. I’ve known you since we were kids. And yes, you’ve been a total ass at times. But you’ve been totally wonderful at others. It’s always easy to focus on the bad. Especially when you want to play the man-hating game, which my friends and I are guilty of. But don’t you think for a second you are anything like your dad. If you were, you wouldn’t be helping your students day after day. You wouldn’t be turning Tiffany into the best teacher she can be. You wouldn’t be here now. You’re twice the man he could ever be.”

Chase shakes with tears. “Thank you, Shel.” He swipes at his tears with the back of his hand. “I want you guys to know that I’m very happy for you. I always knew that you’d end up together. You always had this special bond that I envied.” He smiles. “Just seeing the way Matt looked at you, Shell…I always knew you’d be in good hands.”

Matty grins, giving me that look Chase is talking about. “Well, if I’m not mistaken, I think I’ve seen that same look in your eye when it comes to Tiffany.” Matty raises his brow at Chase. 

“I agree.” I nod. “I think it’s about time we cancel that online dating service of yours.”

“Yes.” Chase sighs. “Cancel it.”

“I’m glad you have her. I can tell that she helped you to work through some of the things with your dad. She’s good for you, Chase.” And I mean every word I say. It would be easy for me to continue to be a bitch to him. But what’s the point? He gets it. He was a total dick. And he’s said he’s sorry in the most sincere way possible. So let’s move on.

“Well, I don’t quite have her. My dad has struck again.” Chase goes on to tell us about what happened last night. If I could, I’d punch his dad in the face too.

“Well, that explains your sad state. You look like shit.” I’ve never been one to sugar coat things.

“Thanks,” he says, combing his finger through his hair.

“Dude, things will work out,” Matty tells him. “Just give her time.”

“Bullshit,” I tell him. “I have a plan.” I stand and grab Chase by his arm. “Get your ass up and go home and shower. Wait for my call.”

“Excuse me?” he says. “What are you up to?”

“Date number three, my friend. Now, get your ass out.”

On my way out, I take a minute to shake little Noah’s hand. And then Matt walks me to my car. I hear Shelly on the phone, “Girls, get your asses over here. We have a date to plan.”

“Should I be scared?” I ask him.

“Probably.” We both laugh. “Hey, man. I guess I should apologize to you too. Shelly had my heart from the moment I met her. If I was a better man, I would’ve walked away since she was in a relationship, but you know how it goes. When you know, you know.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy she didn’t make you hold out forever. She’s a stubborn thing.”

Matt’s eyes widen. “Tell me about it.”

I hold out my hand to him and he takes it. “Thanks.”

“Good luck,” he says.

“I’m going to need it.”

On my way home, I decide to make a pit stop.

When the door opens, my eyes fill with tears again. I feel like such a girl. I’ve cried more times in the last two days than I have in my entire life.

“How’s my baby doing? I’ve been expecting you?”

“Hi, Mom.”

She greets me with a hug, rocking me back and forth in her small arms. “So I hear you finally told your dad off.”

It’s no real surprise that she knows. My dad rarely speaks to her, but if I piss him off, she gets an earful.

“Yup.”

“So tell me all about her,” she says with a smile spread across her face. Her eyes light up, brightening my day.

“What are you talking about?” I tease.

“Chase, don’t make me angry. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”

“For what?”

She smiles widely again. “For you to find your one true love. The one who would be so special and worth fighting for
, that you would finally tell your dad to go fuck himself.”

“Well, I didn’t quite say those words.”

“No, you hit him. Even better.” She chuckles. “I wish I could’ve been there.”

“Do you see anything wrong with this picture?” I ask. “You’re happy that I raised a fist to my own father?”

“Chase, let’s be real. He’s had it coming for years. I’m just glad that you’ve finally freed yourself from his nonsense.” She gives me a weak smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you do it sooner, but I knew the time would come.”

I nod in complete understanding.

“So when do I get to meet her?”

“I don’t know.” I go on to tell her about what happened. I also tell her about my heart-to-hearts with Shelly and Summer.

“I’m glad you were thoughtful enough to make amends with those two. They always thought I didn’t like them. But it wasn’t that. I just knew it wasn’t going to work, because you weren’t ready to stand up to your dad yet.”

“I might share that with them, especially Shelly. She might like to hear that.”

“Well, if anyone can fix this thing with you and Tiffany, those three can make it happen. I bet Mel has her in a headlock and is dragging her over to see you.”

“I hope not.”

My mom laughs. “But you could picture it, can’t you?”

“Unfortunately. Yes, I can.”

She stands and slaps me on the back. “Get up and get going. I bet those girls are going to call you soon and you need to be ready.”

I go to hug my mom, thankful that I have at least one sane parent. In just the few minutes I’ve visited with her, she’s made me feel a thousand percent better. “I love you,” I tell her.

“I love you too, baby. No, go on and get out of here. And don’t come back until you have your girl.”

When I get back to my place, my house is a mess. My dad has packed and left, but has torn apart everything in the process. I should feel better that he’s gone, but I don’t. This isn’t the relationship I want with him. I want what most people consider normal. I’ve just finally come to terms with that fact that I’m never going to get it.

I take a long hot shower, cleansing myself of all the hatred I feel for my dad. Instead, I soak in the love I feel for Tiffany and the forgiveness I’ve been given from my old friends. I couldn’t be more thankful for their understanding. I’d say that I wish I would’ve apologized sooner but I’m glad I didn’t. It wouldn’t have been sincere. I wasn’t ready
, and I don’t think they were either.

It might sound crazy, but I think those ridiculous dates went a long way. If not for Tiffany, I would have taken the abuse for as long as I needed to make them feel better.

I dress in a nice pair of dark jeans, a Mountain Dew shirt—which made Tiffany cry with laughter the first time I wore it for her—and a my favorite pair of black Chucks. They have to be about ten years old, but they are so comfortable and they make me feel good.

I drag some gel through my dark thick hair, trying to tame the wavy locks. It doesn’t work. Unless I cut my hair short, there’s no use in trying to style it. It does its own thing.

The phone sits on my bathroom counter. Silent. No beeps. No chirps. No vibrations. I stare at it, almost willing it to do something.

I walk away with a groan and fall back onto my bed.

And that’s when I hear it. A loud beep to let me know I have a text. I practically fall off of my bed as I scramble to get up and get to my phone.

Carver.
50-yard line. 9pm.

The girls are crazy. It’ll be pitch black by then. I glance at my watch. There’s no time to question them. I quickly tap out a reply.

I’ll be there.

Just like I suspected, besides the dim lights in the parking lot, the school is completely dark. I get out of my car and double check that I’ve locked it before I start toward the football field.

My nerves are raised to an all-time high and I’m praying that whatever the girls have in mind, it works.

My eyes adjust to the darkness as I walk onto the artificial turf. The girls have some pull around here. These gates are always locked, but miraculously at nine o’clock on a Saturday night, they are completely open.

My pace quickens as I hit the ten
-, twenty-, thirty-, forty-, and then the fifty-yard line. I   squint, looking around the field until I hear something toward the center.

“Tiffany?” I call out.

“Chase?” I hear her voice as I jog to the center of the field.

“Oh my god,” I say when I reach her. A bandanna covers her eyes. “What did they do to you?”

“Those ex-girlfriends of yours are crazy. They practically kidnapped me.” Her hands move in all directions as she talks and I try to remove the blindfold. “I’m certain Mel would have put me in a headlock if I didn’t go with them willingly.”

“I’m sorry, honey.”

“Just get me out of here. You know they took my cell phone, blindfolded me and brought me here. I had no idea where I was. I was afraid to yell. They told me to just sit and be quiet and you’d be here soon.” She blinks repeatedly trying to gain back her sight. “And now that you’ve found me, take me home. This is bullshit, Chase.”

A crackle comes over the P.A. system. “Don’t go anywhere.” I recognize the voice. “Stay right there and talk it out or we’ll call the cops and tell them you broke into the field and are screwing like rabbits on the fifty-yard line.”

“Are you kidding me?” Tiffany cries out.

“No,” Summer says. “We’ve taken the time to listen to Chase. And we’ve forgiven him. It’s time to move on. And he wants to move on with you.”

“Yeah,” Shelly adds. “So just shut it and listen.” The girls giggle. “And if you’re hungry, we packed you a picnic basket.”

“Open it,” Mel says. “It has all your favorites.”

They finally shut up long enough for me to say something.

“What do you say, Tiff? Wanna sit with me and have a picnic?” I reach for her hand but she yanks it away.

“It’s not like I have a choice.” She lowers herself to the ground and sits.

I do the same, kneeling next to the basket and opening it. I laugh when I see what’s inside. Mel doesn’t forget anything. I remember mentioning our lunchtime chats when I poured my heart out to her.

“PB and J?” I ask Tiffany. “Pudding cup?”

“They didn’t
.” She peers over the side of the basket and chuckles. “Mountain Dew too.” She snags a can and pops the tab. “I’ve been dying for one of these since they picked me up.”

“How did that happen?”

“I got a call from Mel. She said they were in the area and that they wanted to pick me up for a girls’ night out. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind. When it became clear that we weren’t really going out, they threatened me with violence.”

I smirk. “
They mean business.”

“They’re fucking crazy,” she shouts.

“Thank you,” Mel says into the microphone.

I start to take out a sandwich and then put it back. “Tiff, I don’t want to eat. I want to talk. And I want you to listen.”

She stays silent, but she looks straight at me. Even in the darkness, I can see the tears in her eyes.

“When I texted you last night to tell you I was going out with my dad, I really believed that we were going to a little bar down the street. And then he went and changed his mind
, or maybe it was never his intention. You never know with him. I was just so happy that he was going to be moving out, I didn’t want to make him angry so I went with him.”