Chasing Day Series: Chasing Day & Catching Day (6 page)

Innocence Lost

Chapter 8

December 1999

It was Christmas Eve and Daylen was ready to burst out of her skin. Chase was coming home. She hadn’t seen him since he’d left for college in August. He was a freshman at U of I, playing football on a full-ride scholarship, and generally enjoying his freedom far from home. He hadn’t come home for breaks at school, deciding to go to a new friend’s house or away at games. He always seemed super busy with classes and his hectic football schedule. He tried to make sure he called her at least once a week, but for Daylen, it wasn’t the same.

Life for her hadn’t changed much. She was now a senior in high school. She got straight A’s, focused on her cello, and hung out with Amy. She didn’t date because there were no boys that quite measured up to Chase.
Ha! Face it, no one is interested in you anyway.
Daylen thought to herself with an eye roll thrown in for good measure.

The only thing exciting that had happened to her recently was she had finally gotten her braces off. After so many years with them on, she couldn’t believe how smooth and slick her teeth felt. She caught herself constantly rubbing her tongue along the smooth surface. Daylen smiled at herself in the mirror in her bedroom. She supposed that the perfectly straight, pearly whites that smiled back at her was well worth the torture.

For the holidays, her mom had let her get micro-braids like her favorite R&B singer Brandy. Although her scalp was a little sore from the tiny braids, Daylen loved them. She slid her hands under the braids and lifted them up, piling them on top of her head. She turned right, then left and made kissy faces in the mirror, trying to affect a sexy air. She dropped the braids back down and shook her head. She knew she was as far from sexy as a person could get, with or without braids, though she hoped that Chase liked them.

She checked the rest of her ensemble and sighed. To hide her curvy body, Day wore baggy overalls, a black tank top, and a loose fitting black and pink flannel shirt over it. The shirt matched her pink Baby Spice inspired, platform sneakers. Most of the girls she knew and saw on TV wore tight-fitted cropped tanks with their overalls. But Daylen wasn’t confident enough to rock the look, so she made do with what she had.

Day was in the process of considering whether to put on makeup or not when she heard the doorbell ring.
Chase!
She ran for her bedroom door and flung it open. Her mom was coming out of the family room as Day clattered down the stairs.

“I got it!” She yelled to her mom, who smiled secretly at her.

Daylen skidded to a halt in front of the door, she smoothed down her braids, took a deep breath and jerked open the door. Chase stood on the other side, looking good enough to eat. It looked like he had grown another foot, since the last time she’d seen him. He towered over her, even with her average five foot five frame in three-inch platform shoes. He had to be at least six-three though she didn’t have long to ponder this because she was engulfed in a massive bear hug.

Chase tossed down his duffel bag and lifted her off of her feet, rocking her back and forth. Her legs dangled, sweeping from side to side. He wore some yummy smelling cologne and she breathed in deeply. After a while, he finally put her down on her feet. She had to steady herself since her knees had suddenly become conspicuously weak.

Not only was he taller, but he was broader too. She could tell, even under his fluffy down coat. He was slowly starting to lose the boyishness in his face, to be replaced with more manly features. His jaw had become squarer and his body thicker with muscles.
Being a quarterback does a body good.

His hair was cut short around the sides and back, and left longer on top. The blond tips were gelled into perfect messy spikes. Chase stepped further into the house and closed the door. When he took his coat off, underneath he was wearing a nice loose-fitting gray turtleneck sweater with a black stripe going across his wide chest. He paired it with dark-washed baggy jeans and some knock-off Timberlands.

Of all the things that had changed about him, two things remained the same. His pretty eyes that sparkled like amber. And his full pink lips that curved up on one side, in a sexy boyish grin.

“Lookin’ good, Pretty Day! I like the hair!” Chase complimented her. His now deep, baritone voice always startled her and sent vibrations through her soul.

Day’s round cheeks tinged with pink at the praise. “Thanks,” she said, smiling shyly.

“Ah…I see you’ve lost the train tracks.” Chase teased her about her lack of braces.

“Ha ha…real funny, Porcupine. Nice hair.” Daylen gave it right back.

“Aw man! You don’t like it?” Chase exclaimed, giving the top of his spikes a gentle pat.

“Yeah, I like it. It works for you.” Daylen grumbled, leading him into the kitchen. “Not much doesn’t,” she said under her breath.

“What was that?” Chase asked.

“Oh, nothing. You hungry?” Daylen asked, changing the subject. “We’re not having Christmas dinner till tomorrow, but my mom made some beef stew to hold us over.”

“Yes! I love your mom’s beef stew!” Chase said, rubbing his hands together.

“Thank you,” Pat said as she walked into the kitchen.

Daylen’s mom walked over to Chase and gave him a big hug. She pulled back and clasped his shoulders, looking up at him proudly.

“You’ve gotten so big, young man. What are they feeding you down there?” Pat grinned at him.

“The usual. Pizza, chicken strips, and other delicious unhealthy foods. I missed your cooking, though.” Chase admitted, rubbing his flat stomach.

“Well, we missed you around here, eating us outta house and home.” Pat pointed to the chair at the kitchen table where he normally sat.

“Aw shucks! Thanks, Mrs. D.” Chase said bashfully.

Daylen fixed him a bowl of stew and placed it in front of him. She poured him a glass of her mom’s famous fancy Kool-Aid punch, with cut fruit and a splash of Sprite. Before the two women could sit down to eat, Chase tore into the food like it was his last meal.

“Uh, Chase? Are you gonna wait for grace? Or have you been away so long that you’ve forgotten?” Pat scolded him playfully.

“Sorry,” Chase said around a mouthful of stew. Some dribbled down his chin and back into the bowl.

Daylen squeezed her lips together, but when his guilty eyes reached hers across the table, she burst out into a fit of giggles. Pat chuckled and handed him a paper towel. After he wiped his chin, Daylen’s mom said grace and they asked Chase about college as they ate.

Daylen found herself taking in every detail of Chase sitting across from her. She knew she probably wouldn’t see him again until summer, so she wanted to memorize the nineteen-year-old boy who was quickly becoming a man. On a couple of occasions, he caught her staring at him, and would hold her gaze for a couple of beats before she lowered her lashes shyly.

As they finished dinner, Chase helped Daylen clear the table and wash the dishes, as was their usual routine when he was over. He threw a towel over his shoulder and dried each dish as she passed them to him. Her mom left the kitchen to let them talk in private.

“So…are you seeing anyone?” Daylen asked hesitantly.

“No, not really. You?” Chase asked.

Daylen pulled a face that said,
are you kidding me?

“Hey!” He held up his hands. “It’s an honest question. You’re a beautiful girl. Smart. Talented. Why wouldn’t someone want to date you?” Chase said sweetly.

“Being a wallflower ain’t easy.” Daylen joked, trying to cover her delight at his compliments.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Pretty Day.” Chase took the last dish and dried it.

He rolled up the towel and snapped it at her round butt, making her jump about a foot off the floor.

“Ow! You’re such an
ass
!” She hissed the last word quietly so her mother wouldn’t hear.

“Yeah, I know,” Chase smirked.

“So…have you went home yet? Seen your parents?” Daylen broached the sensitive subject.

“No, not yet.” Chase sighed and leaned his hip against the counter. “I guess I wanted to see you first before I went over to face that shit show.”

“Yeah, I understand,” Daylen said sadly.

“I guess I should go get it over with.” Chase pushed away from the counter and handed her the towel.

“Well, come back if you wanna talk or something.” Daylen offered sympathetically.

“Alright. Thanks, Day.”

Chase pulled her in for a warm, comforting hug. Her face fit snugly in the middle of his warm chest. He pulled away resolutely, walked to the entryway, grabbed his coat and duffel bag, and looked at her one more time before he left out the front door.

Daylen prayed his dad would behave. It was the holidays after all.

Chase walked slowly over to his childhood home though the Daniels’ house felt more like home than his. He stopped for a moment and took in the winter wonderland his neighborhood made. All the houses were decorated with Christmas lights and colorful trees peeked out the picture windows. It looked like a Norman Rockwell painting. Except for his house, that was bare of any holiday adornments. His father, more than likely too drunk to climb a ladder to put up lights. And his mother too depressed to care.

Daylen’s house was his sanctuary. The one place he could go to feel loved. Thinking about her warmed his heart and put a smile on his face. When she’d opened the door earlier, she had taken his breath away. She was so damn beautiful, and the best part was that she had no idea. Her rosy cheeks, dark chocolate eyes, and pouty lips were features he’d dreamed about for the past four years. When he was with her, there wasn’t a moment that went by that he didn’t want to pull her into his arms and kiss those lips again.

Chase had dated throughout the years, but his feelings for Day kept him from taking any one girl seriously. He was even still a virgin, though not from a lack of girls trying or his raging hormones. Something about the devastated and disappointed look in Day’s eyes the night of their birthday party, when she’d thought he’d had sex with Whitney, stopped him from going all the way. Even after four years, her hurt expression still haunted him and he just couldn’t do it.

He was at a crossroads and he didn’t know which way to turn. Either he could actually date someone seriously and keep his friendship exactly that. Or he could risk it all and tell Daylen how he felt and they’d live happily ever after.
Yeah, right!
More than likely, he’d fuck it up and the one place, the one person that felt like home, would be snatched away from him.

He blew out a harsh breath and watched it turn white and float up into the night. His extremities were starting to freeze, standing out in the snow, deep in thought. Chase took a fortifying breath and headed to his house, crunching through the snow.

He unlocked the door and opened it as quietly as he could. Chase wanted to find his mother first before his dad started in on him. Unfortunately, his dad had the ears of a freaking bat.

“Who’s here?!” He shouted from the family room.

Chase dropped his chin to his chest and sighed. “It’s me, dad,” He called back as he walked towards where his parents were watching TV.

Ben McCoy looked up from his worn recliner chair when Chase walked into the room. The furious look on his dad’s face told of what was to come.

“Hey, mom. Hey, pop.” Chase shoved his hands in his pockets.

“So…the big hotshot college quarterback finally comes home to see his parents.” Ben mocked in a nasty voice.

“Dad, don’t start.”

“Ben, it’s Christmas.”

Both Chase and his mom said at the same time.

“Fuck that shit! He didn’t know our names during Thanksgiving. Hell, he didn’t even want us to drop him off at school when he left.” Ben railed.

“How could you, when you can’t even stop drinking long enough to get outta that damn chair.” Chase blurted out angrily.

“Look here, you fucking piece of shit! I oughta knock you into next year.” Ben shouted, getting up from the recliner.

“Ben, please!” Stephanie pleaded.

“
You
keep your mouth shut or I’ll shut it for you!” Ben pointed a warning finger at her.

“Go ahead, dad. I’m begging you.” Chase taunted, holding out his arms.

Chase saw a hint of fear in his father’s eyes, right before Ben bent forward and charged him like a linebacker. Ben’s head rammed Chase in the gut as and he fell back. The wind was knocked out of him and before he could orient himself, his dad was on top of him. Ben punched him in the face a few times before Chase could retaliate.

Ben was bigger, but not by much anymore. He was also out of shape from years of drinking and sitting on the couch. Once Chase could breathe again, he rolled over on top of Ben and his fists connected with the thin skin of the older man’s face. In his blind rage, he continued to throw punch after punch. His mom screamed, begged, and pleaded for him to stop, but he kept going.