Marked

Chapter Seventeen: Scarlett

I woke up early in the morning. Chase was still sleeping. I got up and brushed my hair, straightened it and got dressed in jean shorts and a Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt. I walked through the bedroom—checked momentarily on Chase—to the living room, the early morning sun had just started to shine through the window.

I started a pot of coffee and set aside creamer and sugar. I took out a pan—our only pan—and a spatula. I grabbed two eggs from the fridge and started to stove. I put the pan on the stove and cracked the two eggs in the pan. Stirring the eggs with my spatula, I hummed a tune.

I heard the sound of bare feet slap against bare wood. I turned to see Chase, leaning against the bar, shirtless. "Good morning Scar," He had a big smile slapped on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked, moving around the eggs.

"I'm happy that you're alive."

"Alive?" I couldn't tell whether he was joking or not.

"Alive. That's all. I'm just happy that you're alive and well and perfectly sane." He gave a wry smile.

I decided to dismiss it. "Okay." I moved the eggs around one more, making sure they were done. After I saw that they all were cooked, I divided the eggs onto two plates. I handed one plate and fork to Chase. "Breakfast?"

He flashed a smile. "Thank you." Chase sat down at the bar and dug into his eggs. I just stood, leaning on the counter, holding my plate in my hands, watching Chase. He looked up. "What's wrong?"

I tried to dismiss the thought but I couldn't get over his answer. "Why are you so happy I'm alive? It's not like you think about this every morning."

Chase looked down at his food, pushing the eggs around his plate. "Um..." He looked increasingly nervous and worried. "I just had this dream last night..."

I leaned on the bar across from him. "What happened?"

"You jumped off of a bridge into water. I tried to save you... but... I..." Chase looked mad. He slammed his fist on the counter. "I got really scared. I thought that you were as good as dead. When I woke up and you were alive... it was a relief."

I swallowed hard. "I didn't..." I couldn't find words to describe how I felt. Sad? Worried? Scared? How do you tell someone you love how you feel without finding words to describe your own emotions?

You don't.

I walked around the bar to Chase's side and hugged him. Small. Light.

"I just don't want to see anything like that happen to you. It's one thing if you die from natural causes or—hell, even murder, but suicide? I don't think I could handle that." Chase said after I let go of him.

"Well..." I began. "I would like to say that I'm perfectly sane but with these crazy nightmares... I don't know." I gave a shrug and began eating my food.

"How reassuring."

I shrugged. "I'm sorry. What are we going to do today? Anything?"

Chase shrugged. "I really want to get out of this town."

"Agreed." I sighed, setting my plate in the sink. "But seriously, what do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

I sighed. "I don't know either. I guess we could just laze around the house all day. Isn't that what Saturdays are meant for?" I smiled.

Chase put his plate in the sink and grabbed my hands, gazing into my white eyes. "We should go out. But, I won't go near any bridges."