It's Always Been You

chapter five

Riley

Four years ago

Second year is already testing me.

I flew through my first year at university with no problems, and I even met some girls who have quickly become my best friends. I've never had that before. I was always the quiet one in school, I hung around in a group but I never considered any of them to be my best and closest friends.

I'm glad I met Evie and Loren as I live alone and sometimes I get a little lonely. My parents were kind enough to put a huge amount of savings into my education fund so that I didn't have to live in shared uni accommodation.

Currently sat at my kitchen table, with papers and empty coffee cups scattered everywhere, I'm trying to work on an assignment that is due in tomorrow and I'm nowhere near close to finishing it. My brain isn't functioning properly and I can't even tell you what time is it, I've been sat here that long.

Suddenly I hear my phone vibrating somewhere under the mountain of papers infront of me. Successfully locating my phone, I slide the answer button and I'm met with his deep but calming voice.

"Hey Riles, how's it going?"

"Hi. I'm ok."

"No your not. What's wrong?"

"Chase it's nothing honestly, I'm kind of in the middle of something here and-"

"Ok you need to calm down. Stressing out over this assignment isn't going to help."

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, taking in Chase's advice to not have a breakdown right now.

I've been seeing Chase not just as my brothers friend but my friend too since I started at the same uni as him last year. He took nearly two years out after dealing with everything that happened with his Mom, before pursing his dreams of becoming an architect.

He is currently in his third year here at Hillside Beckett University. His course has some similiar aspects to mine with me wanting to become an interior designer. It's like they go hand in hand together. Once he found out from my brothers last year that I would be attending HBU, Chase has spoken to me a lot more than I was actually expecting.

Even though I've known him as my brothers best friend for practically forever, we've barely had a conversation with just the two us. We didn't have a need to speak apart from when our families got together for an occasion.

I mean what kind of guy wants to hang out with their best friends little sister anyway. But now I'm nineteen and Chase just turned twenty three we have a little more in common. One main thing being our career choices.

"Look, I'll come over and help you brainstorm so you don't go insane ok?"

"No Chase, you don't have to. I'm going to finish up now and call it a day."

"I'll be there in ten."

I sigh throwing my phone onto the table. He never listens to me.

This won't be the first time Chase has come over to my apartment. He has arrived a few times before when he wanted some quiet time away from his shared dorm, so I offered my place to him.

He brought me dinner a couple of times too after I got so wrapped up in studying for a project I had earlier this year, that I almost didn't eat for an entire day. I didn't think anything of it until I literally fainted as I let Chase in the door.

He does this sometimes, just randomly calls me checking in, not that I find it annoying but my brothers probably put him up to it.

As I start tidying up my mess of a kitchen, the front door opens and in walks Chase with his hair slightly damp from the shower he clearly just had, his bag slouched over his shoulder and a brown takeaway bag in his hands.