Chase I shove my phone back in the pocket of my black dress pants before heading back to the small party at the club down the road from the reception hall. So I said it. Finally. And she actually said it back. I really wasn’t expecting that one. I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with Leah since the first time I’ve seen her but getting it out there feels so much better.
I’m instantly assaulted by the smoke and the scent of alcohol lingering through the air as soon I come back through the doors of the VIP section we’re in. “Chase dude were you on the phone. Again?” Teddy asks as I slide back into my seat next to him. He has a different girl in his lap from before and I’m sure there’ll be a few more before the nights over, the way these girls are chasing down the liquor, shot after shot. “So how’s Leah?” Mark shouts in my ear over the blaring music. “She’s good, better than good. She’s awesome.” Teddy smirks over at me with a knowing look on his face. “Finally told her you love her right dude?”
How does he know that kind of shit? For someone who’s never been in a serious relationship once in his life, he seems to know pretty much everything about them. “Dude if you weren’t gonna tell her soon, I was going to be stealing her from you. That girl needs to be with Teddy. I can show her so many things with that hot little body of hers.” And there we go, good old Teddy. “Fuck off Teddy. You don’t look at Leah. Ever. And if I ever see you lay one of your disease infested hands on her, I will beat the living shit out of you.”
“Whoa, whoa buddy. Relax. Just messing with you.” He slurs out before taking another shot that one of the many girls whose been throwing themselves at him all night. I shake my head at a certain leggy brunette who’s been following me around all night. I think her names Sarah, Sharon, Suzy. Something with an S. Not like I care.
“Oh come on Chase. Live a little. She’ll never know,” she purrs into my ear wrapping an arm around my neck and trying to straddle my lap. “Thanks but no thanks.” I stand up and lift her off my lap, setting her onto Teddy. I’m sure he’ll appreciate her. “I’m outta here. I’m gonna head back to the hotel,” I shout over the music. Mark stands up and follows me out. “Me too bud. These kinds of things are just lame without your girl, huh?”
Finally some peace and quiet. We step out of the club and walk down the empty road into the stillness of the late night. Luckily this town is small enough that we can walk pretty much everywhere and we head in the direction of the small bed and breakfast the bride’s parents set us up at. “Speaking of my girl,” Mark says as he reaches into his pocket, a big grin breaking out across his face as he pulls out his ringing phone. Jeez we were both in love with our girls. Never thought I’d see the day Mark would be smiling about a girls phone call like that. He’s always been such a hard ass.
“Hey baby! Whoa Rem what’s the matter? Slow down, it’s okay angel. Just calm down.” I stop our walk towards the B&B so he can concentrate on the phone call from Remy. Obviously something’s wrong. I haven’t been around Remy much but I know she’s not a drama queen like some girls. Leah wouldn’t be friends with a girl like that. “Here,” Mark says as he shoves his phone into my hands and I look back at him with a questioning look. He pats my back with one hand and motions towards the phone again. “She needs to talk to you.” Me? Oh shit. A million thoughts run through my head and the only one that comes to the surface is Leah. Something’s happened to Leah. “Hey Rem,” I say with a trembling voice, bracing myself for whatever she has to say but knowing I’ll never be prepared if something’s happened to Leah. My Leah. “Chase,” she says between sobs and takes a big breath. “You need to get here now. NOW.”
Yup this doesn’t sound good at all. “Remy what’s going on? Is it Leah, tell me what happened? Please?”
I hear a few more sniffles come through the phone and thankfully she’s seemed to pull herself together a little bit. “There was an accident Chase. She was driving home after our shift, some asshole creamed her. I left a little after her, if I would of just made her stay with me maybe told her I needed help finishing up, this wouldn’t have happened. The jeep is a mess. I just don’t…..you need to get here Chase. I’m in the ambulance with her right now, we’re on our way to the hospital.”
“Oh shit okay Rem. Can she hear you, how bad is she? I need to….I’ll be there soon. Okay tell her I love her and I’ll be there soon.” I hang up the phone without waiting for an answer from Remy and push my fingertips into my eyelids. This can’t be happening. What about Caleb? Shit I didn’t even think about him. “I need to get back right now Mark.” He shakes his head at me and starts running back towards the club. Luckily we haven’t made it very far. “I’ll be right back with the car dude, just relax.” He shouts over his shoulder as I stand frozen to the pavement. “We’ll get there in no time, she’ll be okay.”
But he doesn’t know that, we don’t know that, no one knows that. I don’t pray often, mom was never religious but I’m praying right now. Please let Leah be okay I NEED her to be okay she’ll be okay, she’ll be okay.
Chapter 20