It Started with a Crush by Piper James

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chase

“What’s wrong, Dad?”

“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong, bud,” I said, meeting Daniel’s eyes in the rearview mirror as we drove home from the store.

It was Sunday morning, and we’d had a good shopping trip, picking up groceries, a few books, and a new pair of shoes for him. I’d been humming along with the radio absentmindedly, thinking of Sage when he asked the question.

“You’re sad,” he said. “I can tell.”

I briefly considered trying to convince him nothing was wrong, but I didn’t want to lie to him. Plus, as intuitive as he was, he’d never buy it, and my false reassurances would end up hurting his feelings. So I opted to stick as close to the truth as I comfortably could.

“You’re right. I am a little sad, buddy.”

“About what?”

“Well,” I said, thinking quickly, “I had a good friend who decided they didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

“Did you do something mean?” he asked. “You could apologize.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, bud,” I said, clearing my throat of the emotion clogging it.

His innocent sincerity was heartwarming. Hell, I probably couldn’t have gotten better advice from a licensed therapist. And while I did have something to apologize for—that crack I made, thanking Sage for the good time—she’d broken things off before I’d said it. She was done with me.

“Was it Miss Barlow? Was she your girlfriend?” Daniel asked, and I nearly ran us off the road as I jerked around to look at him.

Returning to my senses, I faced forward and straightened the truck out. Taking a deep breath, I asked, “Why would you ask that?”

“She always looks at you like the people on T.V. look at each other before they kiss and get married,” he said. “And you look at her like that, too.”

Fuck. Daniel was too perceptive, by far. Or Sage and I were shit at hiding our attraction to each other. Either way, we’d failed miserably at keeping our secret from my son.

“Like I said, it’s complicated,” I hedged, neither confirming nor denying his assumption.

“Well, if she’s your girlfriend, and you hurt her feelings, you should apologize.” His eyes lit up, and he leaned forward. “I know! Tell her she’s pretty as a peach and kiss her cheek. It’s okay for adults to do that, right?”

“With permission, of course,” I said, unable to curb my smile.

“Do it, Dad. She’s really nice. And pretty. And she likes you. I know she does.”

“It’s not that simple, Daniel,” I said. “And it’s important that you not tell anyone about this, okay?”

“Why not?”

“Because,” I said, “Miss Barlow is your teacher, and if people knew we were…friends, she could get into trouble. You don’t want that, do you?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I won’t say anything. I promise.”

“Good boy. Now, how about some ice cream?”

“Before lunch?”

“Yep. Let’s do it,” I said, making the turn to head toward the ice cream shop.

* * *

“So,Daniel knows about Sage and me,” I announced to Noah and Ethan after I tucked him into bed that night.

“What? How?” Noah asked.

“Kid figured it out, himself,” I said, slumping down onto the couch with a sigh.

“Damn,” Ethan said, shaking his head. “That kid’s too smart for his own good.”

“Got that right,” I said. “He said I seemed sad. Do I seem sad?”

“Bro, you’ve been walking around here like someone kicked your puppy for days,” Noah said with a bark of laughter.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked, looking from him to Ethan.

“We figured you’d come to us when you’re ready to talk. Are you? Do you want to tell us what happened?”

“She broke things off with me,” I said, leaning my head back and closing my eyes. “She got that whole situation with the girl’s parents resolved, then decided our fling wasn’t worth the trouble.”

“She used the word ‘fling?’” Noah asked.

“Yep. She said it was going to end soon anyway, since we’re moving back to California, and it was fun while it lasted.”

“Did you tell her we’re not leaving?” Ethan asked.

“No.”

“What? Why not? What did you say?”

I groaned, squeezing my eyes tighter as I rubbed at the pain blooming in my temples. I didn’t want to tell them what I said. I still couldn’t believe I’d said it.

“Chase?” Ethan prodded, and I opened my eyes, but still refused to meet either of their gazes.

“I said ‘Thanks for the good time,’ and left,” I mumbled.

“Fuu-uuck,” Noah said.

“Chase,” Ethan chided.

“I know, alright?” I said defensively. “I got my feelings hurt when she played our relationship off like it was no big deal. Because to me, it was a big fucking deal.”

Those last three words were spoken slowly and deliberately. Ethan and Noah let them hang in the air for a few beats without speaking, then Noah leaned forward, propping his elbow on his knees.

“You should just tell her you love her, man.”

“I never said that,” I said, my body twitching with discomfort.

“You didn’t have to,” he said, then looked at Ethan. “Back me up here, bro.”

“He’s right,” Ethan said, ignoring my narrow-eyed, accusatory expression. “Sorry, but it’s pretty obvious.”

My body deflated. “I made that realization for myself after I left her apartment. But I’d already fucked everything up by saying what I did. By not fighting for us. And now, I don’t know what to do.”

“You could pull Daniel out and change schools,” Noah offered. “That would get rid of your biggest roadblock.”

I was already shaking my head before he finished speaking. “I already thought of that and decided against it. Daniel has settled in and has made friends. And he loves having Sage as his teacher. No matter how I feel about her, I can’t pull him out and make him start all over, again.”

“You’re just going to have to wait it out, then,” Ethan said. “Only seven months until the end of the school year.”

Seven months sounded like an eternity. Hell, the last four days had felt like purgatory, each day dragging on interminably with no contact between Sage and me. Shit, I didn’t know why I was even surprised Daniel picked up on it.

I was walking around like someone kicked my puppy.

And even if I did find a way to make it through the next seven months without her, I had no guarantee she’d wait for me. I’d been an ass, and there was a very real likelihood that Sage had written me off.

Fuck. I was so screwed.

And I had no idea how to dig myself out of the mess I’d made.