C h a p t e r   3 3

Two days passed by in a fast pace and in a fine way. Nonetheless, students didn't stop on making Chase and I the school's juicy news.

The fine silk touched my skin after donning a simple red dress that flowed three inches above my knee. I shifted a little to see half of my back in front of the mirror which made my necklace twinkle as the sun struck its rays directed to it. A close minute after, I reached for the plaid scarf and looped it loose on my neck.

I always celebrated Thanksgiving with my grandparents and a few of our relatives. In the back of my mind, I could hear a fainted voice of people downstairs, getting ready for the small yet important feast later this day.

Memories flashed through my eyes but a sudden soft knock made me blinked a few fast times, realizing that I had been staring blankly at the wall. I tilted my head, seeing my aunt enter my room.

"It's already eight. Chase will be here anytime soon." She reminded.

"Uh-huh, I'll be down in a minute." I smiled.

Aunt Crissa nodded and let out a small okay, before withdrawing herself out.

Chase asked me to come with him early in the morning, and I gladly accepted. I mean, why wouldn't I? Whereas, aunt Crissa will be joining us at dinner time since she had already been invited first by his brother.

Sloping down on the drawer, I picked a pair of gray knee high socks and ambled over to the bed. After I sat down, I lifted my right leg, and covered my cold feet with the warm cloth. Just right when I was done slipping the other sock a horn blared, causing me to jump up on my feet and peer out the window.

There was an unfamiliar white Audi parked in front of our house. The butterfly door soon opened as a man in blue V-neck tee went out.

Okay, so that was Chase. Looking cool with his shades on.

Exactly how many cars does this boy owns?

I quickly backed away from the window before he notices me and hurriedly pulled in my brown boots. For the last time, I intently looked at myself in the mirror then decided to tie my hair up but left a few strands hanging.

[Nikki's outfit for the Thanksgiving]
I don't own this image below! :)

I ran out of my room after I grabbed my purse, feeling contended to myself. As I darted downstairs, a feeling of excitement and nervousness creeped up on me, making me feel a bit shaky. I will be meeting Chase's parents, are they expecting someone like me?

Opening the front door, Chase greeted me with a warm smile. We let aunt Crissa know that we were leaving before we sauntered outside towards his car.

"New car?"

"It's my dad's." He answered, lifting the left edge of his lip as he escorted me inside.

It was funny how I thought Chase was much closer to his dad. I mean, he never mentioned his mom before.

Arriving at the Grey Manor, the towering mansion attempted to intimidate me. The cream coating of it shone as the sun beats down to it. The roof was peaked, slanting down at an angle, then I traced my eyes down to myself. Am I even in the right place?

I gritted my teeth while trying to make my jaw perform a calm line, feeling a bit uneasy as my insides danced nervously like I gulped down a blender machine. With my clammy palms together, I directly eyed the marbled fountain sitting on the lawn and drew my attention on the neatly trimmed hedges surrounding the extravagant house.

"Nikki," 

I snapped my head to face Chase with his shades off. Staring at his iridescent eyes, I got lost than ever.

"Come. Dad is waiting for us." He smiled, taking my hand.

I released a heavy sigh and smiled, "Okay."

We walked through the stoned pathway and before reaching the door that could accommodate a family of giraffes, a man in a formal suit opened it, welcoming us. He looked like Chase, but his eyes.

I let the thought sit, that maybe Chase's mom was doing something inside so she hadn't got a chance to welcome us.

"Hey, dad." Chase smiled. "This is Nikki." He added, introducing me to his dad as he gestured his hand over to me.

"Good morning, Mr. Grey. I'm Nikki Rose White." I greeted with a smile and extended my hand to him.

He gladly took and shook it, "Please, call me Alexander. Come, let's get inside." Mr. Alexander motioned, as we walked in.

Entering, I was being welcomed by the high ceiling with a magnificent crystallized chandelier hanging in the far middle. Velvet drapes framed the beautiful arched windows and the laced inner curtains remained drawn, allowing daylight to enter.

"This is beautiful." I muttered silently as I stared at the place surrounding us, deeply amazed.

I was interrupted when Mr. Alexander spoke to Chase, "Chase, why don't you show Nikki around while I do some arrangements for later?"

Afterwards, Mr. Alexander turned to me with a smile, "It's nice meeting you, Nikki. I'll see you again, later."

"It's nice meeting you too, Mr. Alexander." I smiled, politely.

"Come on, Nikki." Chase answered as he grabbed my hand and let him dragged me around.

We spent a couple of minutes, walking as I was being mesmerized by the whole place. But I was still wondering where Mrs. Grey was, since I never sighted anyone Chase would introduced to as his mom.

Soon enough, we both landed in his old room. The room he stayed in for thirteen years. It may be vacant for almost four computed years now but it still projects a neat look with the light gray paint of its walls and a darker paint of gray on the ceiling. The tiled floor has been nearly coated by a thin artichoke green carpet. Windows were latched, no light peeked in the room as the thick black curtain blocked the view from the outside.

Apart from that, I happened to picture a different Chase Grey. Football uniform beddings, collection of hot wheels all set in a large shelf along with mini action figurines. As I came to stare at a box labeled toys, I couldn't help but to grin. I mean,  of course, who would skip their childhood?

"Yup, this was my room." Chase intoned, making me look up to him as he lightly scratched his nape.

"It's cute." I giggled as I glanced back around his room which was pretty spacious with the lack of much furnitures around.

Chase sighed heavily and murmured, "Please, don't start."

"It's fine! I once had a kiddie room with plenty of Barbies and Barney." I chuckled, walking a bit further from the door and closer to his toys.

Chase walked over to his bed with his hands in his pockets as he glimpsed at the ceiling. The part of the ceiling directed up above his bed has glow-in-the-dark stickers. Most basically, stars and comets. He sat down on his bed, and whistled a song, still looking around.

"You grew up loving football, huh?" I asked, eying a number of trophies he had at a young age.

"Nah, I hated football. Not until, I learned how to punch, kick and curse when I was eleven." He chuckled, picking a softball and throwing it up in the ceiling before catching it.

"Before you became eleven, what do you love doing?" I asked, sitting down beside him.

He looked at me after throwing the ball again. "Dressing up Ken."

"Really??" I exclaimed in surprise.

He glimpsed upward and catched the ball before staring back at me. "Of course not. I don't even know who Twain is."

"Yeah? I can tell." I shrugged before Chase plumped on top of his bed, letting a few minutes of silence to pass.

After inwardly debating whether to ask Chase about his mom or not, I soon plucked up a courage to do so. I whispered a call while staring down at my fingers.

Chase did not respond and I gradually turned my head to see him with his eyes closed. His hair fell down on the mattress, and his muscles seemed to relax for a moment with his one hand thrown on his stomach while the other pillowed to rest his head upon. His chest gradually grew up and down as he breathed calmly.

With my eyes fixated on him, I came to think how such a wonderful carved face let out a dark side. Hollow. Completely fine on the outside, yet almost empty inside.

"A person won't and can't be changed by someone or something unless they do it on purpose. On their own reason."

"He was a jerk, because of something. But why do you think did he change to become a better person?"

Aunt Crissa's voice rang into my ears and I thought, If I asked Chase about his past. Would he let me?

After a minute, Chase's biceps moved and his eyelids slowly opened. His eyes met mine as we locked in contact.

He smirked and I knew exactly what he was gonna say. "What?"

My eyes soften. Actually, it's not what I thought he's gonna say.

"Well, uhm..." I paused and looked around for things to do rather.

Chase chuckled as he tightened his abs to sit right up, "Go ahead."

"I've been wanting to ask you something. Well, if you don't mind me asking..." I paused, asking Chase for a pass to continue as I stared at him.

He nodded, "Shoot."

"Uhm.. where is," I stopped, thinking a best way on how to say it.

"...the toilet?" He continued.

I shook my head in disagreement, "No."

"Well, what?"

I looked at him for a second and parted my lips, "Your mom." I almost said a whisper.

Chase's jaw tensed up and his lips pressed on a thin line. His eyes stared at me but not much like before as they were emotionlessly stoned. Bad idea, Nikki.

I bit my lip in apology as I slightly bowed my head down. "I'm sorry, Chase. I just wondered, since you never mentioned her to me, but, you know.. you don't really have to answer, if it makes you uncomfortable."

A moment of silent swift passed us before Chase cleared his throat, "She,"

I looked up to him as I patiently waited for his next words.

"--left us."

I sent a sympathetic look as I uttered a sorry.

"I was twelve that moment she left." He started, then paused for a moment.

I don't know what to say, so I placed my hand on top of his. The sudden shock made him jolt his head up to me in surprise. And I just nodded in response along with an assuring smile.

"All because of some petty issues concerning dad.and a major problem on the business too. They fought, almost every night. And, of course they got tired." He continued, and I noticed his lips curved down. "At my young age I felt lost, and lonely. That's when I went out with my friends more often and started doing crazy stuffs, like drinking with the thought of escaping reality for a good hour or more." He lightly chuckled, but his eyes spoke otherwise.

"And dad? He made his office his own house. Really rough time for him which made him send me to my uncle Bob, which was his brother, for three years to look after me in a while. But they were quite the same, really. He works at night and, technically sleeps when the sun is up. I slinked when the darkness drops. Then, I had found a few guys who badly influenced me. On my sixteenth, my dad took me back but only for him to witness a different Chase."

"In five years I turned into some jerk. Really pained my dad's ass but, I had no one to watch over me those days of troubled... not my uncle, not my mom. Not even him." Chase sighed heavily and stood up. He walked towards his toy box and hooked a picture frame. Afterwards, he ambled back on the bed and sat down before handing it to me.

Family picture? I thought before I stared at it.

A little like ten year old Chase Grey was wearing a khaki long sleeved sweater with a white collar peeking out. A smile as sunshine shown on his face, exhibiting an innocent heart. At the back, were a happily dressed Mr. and Mrs. Grey, their arms were extendendly slithered around Chase's. I couldn't help myself on scrutinizing his mom. She looked stunning even with her simple golden yellow dress cut short under her knees while Mr. Grey wore a nice white suit. A whole perfect picture.

Suddenly my mind flashed back on the picture I had been treasuring. Our family picture.

It was a different setting. An unexpected, yet beautiful shot.

I had been chasing a butterfly at the park. Dad had arranged the tent while mom happily laughed at me as I leaped repeatedly, attempting to catch the butterfly. Dad took the camera stand and set it on a perfect angle where mom and I were. He wasn't aware, he clicked the timer as it beeped. Flashing three on the screen then descended to two.

In a rush, dad yelled at us to face the camera and in a millisecond, the light flashed.

Dad's face blocked a half part of the view with his silly expression. Mom was on a perfect place, grinning at the camera. While I, was just in time to catch the light, craning my neck to join in the picture.

I blinked once and refocused my eyes on the Grey's family picture on my hands.

"She's pretty." I uttered, still staring down on it.

Chase's POV

"She is." I smiled.

Nikki gazed downcast at the picture for quite long and I started wondering what she was thinking.

A/N: I know. I know. You must be thinking..'Why the hell is Chase's POV so short like my shorts on a hot summer?' I'm sorry guys but you see I had to. Lmao xD  Anyways, sorry it took looooong before I updated, but what matters is.. I UPDATED! HAHAHAHH XD

Okay, so please let me know what you think of this chapter! Clearly unedited. You might wanna help me point out some mistakes. Lmao xD Mwah! mwahh! Love y'all!!  See you on the next chapter, lovely humans!!!

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