Chasing Sunsets

31

Chase surprised me, like he usually does. He didn't bring his camera back to his face and continue to take his pictures.

He dropped his camera completely, allowing it to swing against the straps that were secured around his neck, preventing it from freefalling and breaking once it hit the ground. He kept the same concerned look on his face as he walked towards me, until he was only inches away. He lowered himself onto the ground, slowly enough that I wondered what he was doing, but quickly enough that it was done before I could question it.

I only looked towards him instead, the question of why he wasn't taking pictures like he should have been in my eyes. He simply patted the grass beside him, telling me without any words that he wanted me to join him.

I didn't hesitate, practically collapsing off my feet in one swift motion as I fell to the ground beside him. Once I was there, my eyes followed an invisible line to where his hand was resting on the green ground, so close to my leg that we were almost touching.

"Is, uh, that how you feel?" Chase asked me, his voice hesitant. I pulled my eyes from his hand, wondering if I was as crazy as I felt for measuring the distance between us. Distance, that didn't seem important to him in the slightest.

I raised my eyebrows at his question, not understanding what he was expecting for an answer.

"What?" I asked him, tilting my head.

"Anger?" Chase's voice was a bit nervous, like he wasn't sure if he should be asking me what he was asking me.

"Like, am I angry right now?" I queried, noting that we were simply asking each other questions that neither of us were really answering.

"Right now, or..." Chase paused as he eyed me again, "in general I guess. After, you know, what happened at the school."

"Ah," I sighed out, as I stretched my feet out from the way they had curled under my body. I must have underestimated the distance between Chase's hand and my body, because my leg brushed against it as I moved, Chase's fingers brushing against my upper thigh.

"Oh, shit, Indie," Chase muttered as he pulled his hand away like my body was fire and his fingers were burnt. "My bad, that was an accident, I, uh, didn't..."

"Chase," I said, interrupting his rambling once again. "It's fine."

"Okay," he said, and I noticed this time his eyes were the ones that traced the invisible line that measured the distance between us. He only traced it for a second, before his eyes found mine again. "Anyways, we were talking about you being angry."

I sighed, the conservation we were just having popping back into my head. "Am I angry? I mean... I guess, sometimes. Evan made me angry. Do you think I went too far?"

"No," Chase said instantly, and I felt relieved. "He deserved it."

"He really did," I agreed.

"It's just, uh, I guess I've noticed you don't like to make scenes at school, usually. You don't really force yourself to be the center of attention, it kind of..."

"Just happens to me," I finished his sentence for him, knowing exactly what he was going to say.

I've always noticed it, it was hard not to. Bella, Isla and I weren't usually loud, or obnoxious. We didn't demand the spotlight, sometimes it just found us.

"Yeah," Chase nodded. "So, I just wanted to make sure this wasn't..."

"A breakdown?" I interrupted him again, causing him to tilt his head as he observed me. "Maybe it was, I guess. I don't know."