Page 16 of Our Moon
“Thanks,” I smile shyly. It seems the awkwardness that was missing when Chase and I shared cookies has revealed itself once again. It has been mildly awkward between us ever since he sang that song to me a couple weeks ago. I’ve only seen him in passing, since the band is busy finishing the album, but when I have seen him, I’ve gotten a simple head nod, not even a “hi.” He had said the song is personal. I know I shouldn’t have pushed. Now he’s probably embarrassed he bared his soul to me in that way.
“So… why did you ring the doorbell?” I might as well ask what I was thinking.
He looks up at me, then back down quickly. “I knew the guys weren’t home, and I didn’t want to startle you by just walking in. Plus, I wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out, and just coming right in would have been a bit presumptuous.”
I’m a little high on the fact that he came over just to hang out with me; I’m definitely swooning on the inside. On the outside, I’m cool as a cucumber. I think.
“What do you want to do?”
He looks up at me and an adorable, boyish smile takes up his face. “You want to hang out?”
I laugh, “I let you in, didn’t I? Why do you seem so surprised?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I guess things just seem a little weird between us lately.”
“I know. I’m sorry I asked you to play the song.” Now it’s my turn to be shy and study my feet.
“What?” he asks. “No, don’t be sorry.”
I look up, and my gaze lands straight in his gorgeous eyes. “But that’s when things got awkward. I mean we weren’t exactly best buds before that or anything, but we hung out and watched TV together, and it seemed like we were going to be friends. Then I opened my stupid mouth and asked about the song. You said it was personal, and I should have just dropped it.”
“Ally,” Chase interrupted.
“Hmm?”
“It’s okay. Really.”
“It’snotokay.” I shake my head, getting upset. “We were going to be friends and then the song happened, and we haven’t spoken in nearly two weeks.”
He scoots closer to me on the couch, his left leg is touching my right leg. I swear I can feel that electric current buzzing through our bodies. “Hey,” he says, bringing my stare from where our legs are meeting to his face. “Is that what you think? That we’re not friends anymore?”
I shrug my shoulders, not really knowing what to say. I’m emotional and completely overreacting, but that’s kind of par for the course as far as I’m concerned. I’m surprised I’m not having an anxiety attack, but something about Chase soothes me.
“Ally, I’ll always be your friend. I’ll never not want to be friends with you.”
“Promise?” I ask on a sniff, doing a fine job at controlling my emotions, if I do say so myself.
“Oh, baby girl.” In a very un-Chase-like move, he puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side. “Don’t be sad. I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
This is weird. Different. Unexpected. But I feel safe in his embrace, relaxed, so I pull my legs up on the couch beside me to make myself more comfortable. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, baby girl.”
“Why do you call me that?” I feel him tense, ever so slightly, but it’s there.
“I don’t know,” he answers carefully.
“You called me ‘baby girl’ that day in the kitchen when I was having an attack.” I feel him nod against my head. “I like it,” I admit quietly.
“I like it, too,” he says, then he kisses the top of my head, so softly I could have imagined it. But I am so aware of Chase’s presence that I would probably feel it if he blew me a kiss from one hundred yards away. I can’t stop the grin from forming on my face.
“So what do you want to do today?” he asks.
“This is nice,” I say, still smiling and still curled up against him.
He pulls me in a little closer. “Yeah, it is.” I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling it. Whateveritis.
“Sometimes I feel so alone,” I confess to him after a few minutes of heavenly silence. “Some days, I’m surrounded by people, but I still feel like I’m all by myself. Like I’m not in on the jokes or the stories. It makes me really sad.”
