I stared back at Chase in disbelief. There was no way he had just said those words to me. Several different emotions washed over me at the same time. I took a deep breath to try and regain control of myself. I really was utterly speechless.

             Chase was staring back at me anxiously. Clearly, he was waiting for a response to his confession; I didn't even know how to respond to it. We had been good friends since childhood, yes, just like Jasen, Rylan, and me. But there had never been a time when I at all considered if I'd had feelings for more than one of them. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a bench across from what looked like a park. I made my way over to it so I had a place to sit down and think for a second. Of course, Chase quickly followed behind me. We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. I believed he was most definitely waiting for me to reply first to him.

            Searching my heart for a bit, I tried to find out what was beyond what I felt so long for Jasen that I hadn't even brought myself to consider any alternatives. I always found Chase to be cute and sweet. He had a goofy side, but there was also a more mature side that came out of him at times when one would most need it. I had always been fond of him. But I could really say that it was anything more than sisterly love?

            "Ari..." Chase finally whispered, sounding heartbroken.

            I looked up and met his eyes finally. I could see they held a lot of love there, and it melted my heart. I smiled warmly at him. What I did next shocked him completely; I stretched my neck up until I was able to reach his lips — to kiss them. Once he got over his initial shock, he kissed me back with so much passion it took my breath away.

             We broke apart after a few minutes and Chase was still staring at me completely flabbergasted to the point I started to giggle.

            "Ariana, what?" Chase was at a loss for words.

             "Chasey. . ." I whispered, kindly. "I do like you overall, Chase. And I'd like to try this whole thing out because yes, you were right, I need to move on. But you also have to be patient with this process. I have love for you for sure. But it isn't romantic just yet."

            I had to be honest with him. I couldn't just sit here and tell him I'd shared his feelings for as long as he may have held them. But I understood him on the same level in the way I'd cared for Jasen for so long but held back on ever telling him.

             Chase lovingly took the sides of my face in his hands and stared deeply into my eyes.

             "Ari, baby," he began ever so sweetly. "I understand completely. You don't know happy it makes me you are even considering giving me a chance."

             "How long..." I trailed off, hoping he would be able to figure out what I was hinting at.

              "Honestly," Chase began, pressing his forehead against mine. "I have always liked you since the beginning of high school."

             I raised my eyebrow, surprised. "But you never said anything."

           "Because you have been in love with Jasen since kindergarten." Chase chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't think I'd have an opening until maybe you saw it was time to move on."

              The way he described the whole thing sounded pretty shitty on my part. The way he described the whole thing sounded pretty shitty on my part. Being so caught up in Jasen for so long, I didn't even really pay attention to anything else going on around me, and it made me feel saddened, especially when Jasen had never displayed feeling the same way about me.

            "I'm sorry..." I said quietly. It came out sounding like a question.

             "You don't even have to be," Chase breathed, pulling me into his arms and hugged me tightly. "I understand holding back. I just can't believe I don't have to anymore."

              I wrapped my arms around him, but something about this felt uneasy rather than comforting. I prayed silently that I was actually doing the right thing...

             Jasen's concert was underway, and it was going amazingly. I was backstage with the rest of the crew, friends, and family, really enjoying myself and feeling better than I had in a long time. Chase had his arm wrapped around me, wasting no time in displaying what we had become. I was against it at first, believing it too soon, but his excitement caused me to cave and let him show off slight PDA. Everyone had teased us or cheered when saw us walk in and Chase grab my hand. Clearly they already knew about his feelings. I had thought it was already moving too fast to let others know anything was official.

             Soon, Jasen had finished the concert and ran backstage. He looked so pumped. But then his eyes landed on me, and Chase and his eyes widened dramatically. Something flashed in them, but then it was gone. If I hadn't been staring at him, I would have missed it because he quickly covered it up. He quickly made his way over to Celestial and kissed her passionately. I turned away from them and looked up at Chase to see him looking so happily at me that it made me feel good inside. I leaned it against him and let him wrap his loving arms around me. But I had a curious feeling that we were being watched like hawks by someone. . .