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That’s what really h as I stare at it I can’t A part of me wishes I could explore this--whatever this is--with Chase, but it’s just not worth the risk Avoidance is the best answer I’ll go horeat holiday weekend and come back next week, relaxed Tiet back to nor on my door is followed up with, "Annie?"

I open the door slowly, not recognizing the voice One of , one bright pink slipper tapping the tiled floor

"Souy is here for you"

I nod my head absentmindedly and look out into the common room

And then I freeze

Seriously I can’t do this

"What are you doing here?" I hiss If I act like a total psychotic bitch he’ll turn around and leave He’ll rethink whateverto send me and run far, far away

"You didn’t call," Chase says quietly "And you didn’t answer" He shrugs unapologetically "So I stopped by to check on you"

I watch hiesture--that tiny little slip that gives him away--makes my breath shake as I exhale He orried about me

"I don’t need you to check on ers into his front pockets "I just needed to see"

He keeps looking at e to squirm To cover myself To run into my room and lock the door "Well you saw," I say, but there’s no bite to it

"You should’ve called"

I press ether so I don’t scream at him Instead, I take a step closer and cross my arms over my chest like a shield "You shouldn’t have told " There I said it It’s out Maybe he’ll feel like an ass and go

"You’re right," he agrees

I search his face, looking for any sign of sarcasm All I see is uncertainty and ithere, but all the thoughts running through my head aren’t ones I can voice God, if I did… I can’t even iine it

"I’m sorry It wasn’t--I didn’t ers through his hair It’s brown today Must be because he’s going hoet soh it’s always been ood like this Just hiize," I whisper

"Why not?" he asks quickly It catches uard and I try to think Why not?

I shakemy arms fall to my sides I feel nuood that we’re getting this out and over with

"I don’t know" It coh my lips, but he soh it’s not any bigger than any other step he’s ever taken, this one feels huge "I need to knohy I shouldn’t apologize, Annie"

If I tell his for hiht? That could change things drastically for a lot of people

And if I tell hiize because he is so low on my radar that it didn’t affect es us Our relationship Our friendship

I hate that word right now Friendship You’re not allowed to kiss your friends Not the way I wish I could kiss him

No I have Loden That’s the most important part I focus on the tile in front of my feet The one with the uneven crack in the corner

"Everybody makes ive each other I know you didn’t ht response The mature response People are drawn to one another all the tih this little bu by it, Annie," he says softly "I’m just not sure what" I look up in ti in the coo