"So you thought that you would announce to the whole English class that we were sleeping together?" I asked, "Did you want to mark your territory?"

"I did not want to be the joke of the school, Ella." He raised his voice slightly as he spoke "Everyone knew that I liked you and you were looking at someone else."

"So you think insulting me was the way to go about it?" I questioned.

"I don't know." He shrugged "I was just mad."

I tilted my head as I pointed out "Before Stone, it was not like we were really together."

Chase focused on something else in the faraway distance like he could not meet my eye as he uttered "You were the only person to care. All of my friends did not. You were the only ever there for me when my mom up and left. Sometimes, I just wanted to push you away because you were the only person that I wanted to be there."

That all sounded way too familiar. It hit far too close to home.

He spoke again "It keeps replaying in my head the thought that if I stayed with you and if I drove you home that night then you would not have got hurt. You would have been okay and I—"

Cutting him off, I shook my head "It was not your fault, Chase."

"I am sorry." He said and his expression was completely apologetic.

"I am sorry, too."

"You are my only true friend, Ella." His lip moved up in a small sheepish smile when he mumbled quietly "I need your friendship."

"I would like to be your friend." I replied before I smiled "What is it you do with your other friends? Fist-bump?"

Laughing, he made a fist and met me halfway as I bumped mine onto his.

"If anyone asks you what happened to my face then it was at football practise." He laughed as he told me "Also I don't want people knowing I was in the hospital for it."

"Says the guy who I had to take to the emergency room because he roundhouse kicked a beer bottle barefooted."

He looked around after our laughter died out and whatever he had seen behind us made his eyes widened.

I already knew who to expect by the small flick of fear that ran over Chase's face.

Even from afar, I could feel how tense he was. How murderous his dark eyes were. How clenched his sharp jaw was. How tightly his hands were balled into fists.

His stance screamed dominance and deadliness. I imagined it was what a volcano would look like before destroying a town and everything in its path.

"Go to him." Chase whispered "My face is too handsome to be smashed. Again."

I stood up and walked towards him. I stopped right in front of him and peered upwards while speaking quietly "Lurch."

His eyes softened instantaneously.