Chase

"So..." Asher started, and I knew immediately it was going to be about the goofy smile that had been on my face since I saw Indie this morning.

"So, what?" I whispered back to him. We were in our second class of the day, and I was surprised he made it this long without asking.

"I'm guessing by the smile and by the shameless flirting that happened this morning that you finally told Indie?" Asher asked me.

I tried to dull my smile, but I just couldn't seem to. "Tell Indie what?"

"You know what," Asher replied in a louder voice than he should have. The kids in the row in front of us turned around, giving us dirty looks.

"You know what," Asher whispered out again, once they had turned around. "You told her about the years-long crush you've had on her?"

"Um..." I let out, my smile finally falling. "I mean, not in so many words."

"Well exactly how many words did you use?" Asher stared at me with an unimpressed look on his face.

"None?" I turned away, looking pointedly towards the front of the classroom.

Until Asher's silence was loud enough I turned back to look at him. He was shaking his head, glaring in my direction.

"Why are you so stupid when it comes to Indie Adams?" He asked me, and I couldn't tell him the answer.

"Why's it matter now? If she likes me then why do I have to tell her about the times when I liked her and she didn't know my name?" I let out the question that had been in the back of my mind all morning.

The bell rang, thankfully, because I'd had enough of whisper yelling at Asher surrounded by our peers.

"I'm just saying man," Asher told me as we gathered our things. "Honesty is key."

"It's not like I'm lying to her," I defended myself.

"Well, you're not telling her the truth," Asher argued as we stood to our feet.

We began following the line of our classmates who were all leaving into the halls. That's the problem with going to a school this fucking big, there were always people everywhere. And the worst part? They all sucked.

"Does she, or does she not think that you've had this huge crush on some other girl for a long time?" Asher asked me, causing my heart to sink.

"Who's fault is that?" I rushed out, knowing it was his fault Indie even knew about that. His and Lauren's.

"Wouldn't matter who's fault it is if you just told her. She likes you obviously, so what's the issue now?" He asked me, as we pushed through a crowd of lingering kids.

"It's just... Indie didn't fall for that guy. She didn't fall for the Chase who's pined after her for years. The one she didn't even know the name of. So, if she didn't like him then, why would she like him now? Why can't I just be who she likes now?" I asked him, my words letting go like they had been in the back of my throat, prepared.

"I see your point," Asher surprised me by saying.

I was about to thank him, for finally not sowing doubt into my mind, when the mention of Indie met my ears.

"We saw her in your hoodie yesterday, man," one of the guys in the group standing next to us said. "You two came to school together. You finally bagged Indie Adams my man."

Instantly, a scowl came to my face as I watched the guy clasp his hand on Brock Hanson's back, who was looking like a little kid who had just been handed a trophy. His smile was beaming, his chest puffed out.

"Calm down," he shook his head. "It's not official or anything. It's early, it's early. I'm still in the batting cage, I'm not running the bases yet."

My jaw clenched down, the muscles tightening as I began to turn towards him. The way he was speaking about her, like she was just a prize to be won was disgusting.

"Let it go, man," Asher pulled against my elbow, turning me in the opposite direction from where I wanted to go. "Come on, walk away. You don't want to pick a fight with those douche bags."

"I think that's exactly what I want to do," I told him, though my legs followed his commands and began to walk away. "Did you hear the way he was speaking about her?"

"Yes, and it's probably a lie. How many times have we heard the same lies about the girls from half the guys in the school? Let it go. Besides," Asher's tone turned from calm to intrigued. "Look who it is."

I followed his gaze, immediately forgetting most of my rage, because Indie was leaning against my locker. Her head was turned, her long hair laying perfectly down her shoulders, a smile on her lips as she spoke to Bella, who was beside her.

Indie turned as we approached, and the smile on her lips was enough to turn the rest of my rage into butterflies, because I swear, her eyes lit up when she saw me.

Indie's eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Mr. Sutton," she let out in a giggle as we approached.

Asher went straight to Bella, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her cheek. A tinge of jealousy shot through me, because I wished I had the same confidence he had with Bella when it came to Indie.

"I hope you don't have lunch plans, Chase," Indie said to me, her voice sounded happier than I remember hearing it in a while.

Didn't she realize? I'd cancel any plans I had for her. Any.

"No," I told her instead, hoping I came off subtle. "I don't have plans, Indie."

"Good," she smiled, and my eyes traced her lips as she did it. I wanted to pull her into me right here and kiss her.

"What's going on?" Asher interrupted those thoughts, though my eyes didn't move as quick as they should have.

Indie raised her eyebrows, biting down on her bottom lip as she let out a small laugh.

Busted.

"We're kidnapping you," Bella told us. "We're taking you to our favourite place."

"Well, one of them," Indie added. "So, hurry up. Put your things away and then we can go."

We did as we were told, Asher depositing his books in my locker too, as we were instructed. We barely batted an eyelid at their demands, I think we were both just feeling lucky to be included in them at all.

We followed the girls out of the school. They walked just a few feet in front of us, their hands linked together like they were afraid to break their connection for even a second.

I watched Indie as she walked, her hair flowing in the gentle wind, swirling around her head as if she was in a music video. She was saying something to Bella, that smile from earlier still on her face. She looked more like the Indie I had watched from afar than she has since the accident happened, and it made the moment feel even more surreal.

I never thought I'd experience these moments with her.

"You guys better not tell anyone about this place," Indie said over her shoulder, and her beauty in this moment was enough to send my stomach on a roller coaster.

"You have my word," I told her, my own smile greeting her back. "My lips are sealed."

"What's the punishment if we do?" Asher teased them.

"Give us time to get creative," Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm sure we can think of something."

We made it across the parking lot, where Indie's car was parked. She unlocked it with her keys, and Bella jumped into the passenger seat while Asher slid into the back seat. I circled around the car, surprised to find Indie leaning against the door.

"Did you miss me?" She chimed out, and she seemed like a completely different person that I had seen lately.

"In the two hours since I saw you in the halls?" I teased back, watching as her face just slightly fell. "Of course I did."

Her smile instantly re-emerged. "Come here, I want to tell you a secret."

She gestured with her hands for me to come closer, a twinkle in her eye. I did as she said, taking two steps towards her. She shook her head, gesturing for me to come even closer. I titled my head, observing her playful mood, before I did as she said.

She cuffed her hand to her mouth, as if she wanted to whisper something into my ear. I was intrigued, leaning further towards her so she could do so.

The secret never came, however. She quickly moved her lips to mine, just for a single second of heaven, before she retreated once more.

She didn't say anything else, she just giggled once again, and she opened her door and got into the car.

Leaving me standing there like an idiot. An incredibly happy, blushing, awestruck idiot.

And I must have stood there for longer than I thought, my mouth partly opened as I processed what just happened, because she honked the car horn. I could hear her laughter from inside the car, like a wind-chime of perfection.

I took the hint, opening the last door left and climbing into the SUV. Bella and Indie were both whispering to each other, and Asher was laughing at just me.

"Shut up," I told him as I fastened my seatbelt.

The girls seemed to be in their own world as Indie put the car into drive. Asher looked to be as confused with their carefree behaviour as I was, as we both watched them sing along to the song that was playing through the speakers.

It reminded me of the time they had done the same thing on the way back from the hotel, after the show we ran into them at, when Isla was still alive.

"Okay," Bella let out as we pulled into a parking spot. "This is it."

"Not only is this the best coffee in the world," Indie said, "yes, the world. They have the best sandwiches too."

They both opened their doors, climbing out, while Asher and I looked around our surroundings. We both looked at each other, a grin on our faces. We knew this place. Grady's. We'd been coming here for years for lunch, often times seeing the three girls as well. Of course, those were the days they never looked our way.

We followed the girls, getting out of the car. Indie met me once my feet hit the gravel.

"Seriously, we love this place. Their chai lattes are the best, and every Friday they have this sandwich they call..."

"The Great Escape?" I finished her sentence for her.

Her mouth was left open, her eyes scrunched together in surprise that Grady's wasn't just their secret.

"Asher and I found this place in middle school," I explained, wondering how it was possible they had never seen us there before.

"You did?" Indie asked me, laughing. She shook her head, as if she couldn't believe me. "Chase, where the hell have you been all my life?"

I reached out, taking her small hand in mine. She just smiled when she saw what I was doing, reaching out to meet me halfway.

"I've been here Indie," I told her. "Waiting for you."