He looks especially sexy today in his black button up dress shirt that’s untucked and rolled up to his elbows, I can see a few of his tattoos peaking out. His hair that’s grown out for the first time I laid eyes on him looks like he’s been running his fingers through it repeatedly. Something I notice he does often when he’s nervous. His beautiful green eyes scan the crowd until they rest on me and I feel the instant connection of love flowing between us when our eyes meet.
He nods his head to someone in the crowd and I see his older sister, Katie, push her way through the crowd and pull me up to the front until I’m standing in front of Chase. Calebs perched on a stool next to him and I’m surprised to see him sitting so still. He must have been promised a really big piece of cake. Chase motions me over with a finger and pulls me into a deep kiss until he lightly pushes me back and begins to strum his guitar and I instantly recognize the familiar notes.
As soon as we met he had teased me about a song by Bruce Springsteen aptly named Leah that he said was written especially for me. I always rolled my eyes when he said that because I had always despised Bruce Springsteens music, when I still lived at home with my mom.
That was the one singer she seemed to have stuck in the cd player blaring it into the wee hours of morning even though I was only 10 years old and had to be up for school the next day. I always cursed Bruce the next day when I had had to show up at school and focus through bleary eyes. I was convinced that man was a devil.
Chases voice is so much different though, as I listen along with the crowd and close my eyes listening to the soft raspiness of his voice that I love.
“I wanna build me a house, on higher ground
I wanna find me a world, where love's the only sound
High above this road, filled with shadow and doubt
I want to shoulder my load, and figure it all out
With Leah
I walk this road, with a hammer and a fiery lantern
With this hand I've built, and with this I've burned
I wanna live in the same house, beneath the same roof
Sleep in the same bed, search for the same proof
As Leah
I got somethin' in my heart, I been waitin' to give
I got a life I wanna start, one I been waitin' to live
No more waitin', tonight I feel the light I say the prayer
I open the door, I climb the stairs...”
Everyone around us bursts into applause and cheers as Chase sets his guitar down. Mary leans in and gives him a hug before she whispers into his ear while placing a quick peck on his cheek and placing something in his hand.
Oh shit what is that in his hand? As he gets closer to me I realize it’s a small black box before he places it into Calebs waiting hands. A small black box that normally signifies one thing.
One thing that I don’t know if we’re ready for we haven’t talked about this before, why is he doing this in front of such a big crowd with everyone he knows and loves. Maybe he’s doing it on purpose, he knows I won’t have anywhere to run.
I slowly back up seeing if I can lose myself in the crowd, but I feel a set of hands on my back and a slight push as I turn my head around and see that those hands were attached to Ally who’s standing behind me with Teddys arm wrapped around her waist.
Wait, what? Teddy? Eww doesn’t she know he’s practically a walking STD. I’ll make sure we’ll have a talk about this later but for now I need to concentrate on my current situation.
I give her the stink eye before whipping my head around and crashing into Chases broad chest. Chase. My head instantly gets fuzzy as I’m wrapped in his embrace and his soft full lips come crashing down on mine and I’m wishing he’ll just stay there and forget about whatever plan he has in the works but he abruptly pulls away.
Chapter 28
Chase
The moment the crowd parts for Leah I can see how nervous she is. She looks like a freakin’ deer caught in the head lights and like she’s trying to devise some sort of escape plan before Ally lends her best friend a helpful shove back in my direction. I’ll need to thank her for that right after I question her about the whole Teddy having his arm wrapped around her waist possessively thing. I know Leah saw it too and she’s probably debating on whether or not to ask that very question right now by the way she’s chewing on her lip and darting her eyes back and forth between the two of them before locking her eyes back onto mine. Well here we go.