Changes

Chapter 20 – Chase’s story pt 3

She remembers, Chase thought as he smiled up at Jae as she rattled off information about him and how they met. This was wonderful, he thought! He ran up the stairs and hugged her then brought her down so that she could have food.

Chase stood at the stove and marveled about how much better Jae looked now that she remember some things, she was just glowing. He knew she was watching him while he put together the food and dished out plates for them to eat. Once he set the plates down and sat himself, he was going to start telling Jae about himself but she surprised him first.

“Chase, who was the blonde,” Jae asked him from across the table.
“Blonde,” He asked back.
“Yea, remember I came over and dropped your neice off, we were supposed to go shopping that day.”
“Oh, that was Monica.”
“Monica?”
“An old friend, she doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Oh, an old friend.”
“Yea. . . You remember that”
“Yes and the argument we had that evening, I was lying.”
“Excuse me?”
“You said the reason I gave you was wrong, you were right”
“Wow,”
“What?”
“You weren’t this blunt about things before”
“Is that a bad thing”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Oh, well . . . Okay.”
“So, what was the reason why”
“What. . . Oh, well I was jealous. I saw her and thought I could never compare with that and decided to just leave it all alone and do my changing on my own”
“There was no reason to be jealous, none at all. When I came back from out of town, she was here and made dinner. She thought there would be more, I just couldn’t, I was already liking you too much to be with another woman, I passed out on the couch and in the morning I woke up with her, she tried something, I got up and went to shower. That’s when you came over”
“Oh, thanks for explaining it to me. I like you too, I think. I still haven’t figured that part out yet, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”

Chase couldn’t believe that she remembered all of that, he was hoping some of it wouldn’t come out at least not right now, but it felt good to tell the truth and get it out, he thought. There was still a lot more that he had to tell her but he had some other things to do. He wanted to leave for a while and see if he could get some things done that he hadn’t been able to work on while at the hospital with Jae. He told her he would bring some food home for lunch and took off.

He went over to his own apartment, showered and changed, grabbed his basket of clothes and took off toward the cleaners. He then stopped by his sisters for a few minutes and then stopped at the Chicken Palace and picked up a bucket of chicken. He swung back by the cleaners to pick up some of his clothes and then headed back home.

He got back to the apartment building and went to his place to drop off his clothes first before going back to Jae’s. He knocked once then let himself in. There was a man there, and Jae looked irritated. Chase had to check himself so that he didn’t just walk right up to the guy and deck him right there on the spot. Who did this guy think he was??? This guy had no right to be here with his Jae, yep, he thought, she was his and no one else’s. Chase took a deep breath as he came to terms with what that meant, he was jealous and he was most definitely in love with Jordan. God, he thought as he walked up to Jae and put his arm around her shoulders facing the guy with her.

“Who are you” Chase snapped as he wrapped an arm around Jae’s shoulders.
“I’m surprised you don’t remember me, Walker. Robert Owens.” Robert said as he held out his hand as if he was an old friend.
“Owens, huh? Nope, it does not ring a bell, but I have figured something out. You’re the Robert that broke Jae’s heart and for that alone you deserve this.” Chase said as he threw a punch. Jae gasped as Robert went down. God, that felt good, Chase thought as he stared down at Robert. Chase wished that he wouldn’t of gone down so easily so he could hit him again.

“Chase, who was he?” Jae asked.
“An old boyfriend who destroyed you for a while” Chase said as he dragged Robert into the hall way and closed and locked the door.
“Oh, how did he destroy me”
“Told you lies about yourself, made you feel inadequate”
“Oh, well that’s mean, I’m glad you hit him.”
“Why the hell did you let him in Jae. How could you do that, he was a stranger and you let him into the house” Chase yelled as he stared at her.
“I . . . I. . . thought”
“That was a stupid thing to do Jae, he could have been a robber or murderer.”
“I’m sorry I thought he was you!”
“I would of just walked in!”
“I thought maybe your arms were full and couldn’t get the door, I had no idea.”
“Think Jae, dammit! It is common sense to just look out of the peephole to see who it is. What the hell did he want anyways?”
“Money, apparently from you, Mr. Walker.”
“Dammit, I didn’t want you. . . “
“Me to what, what was he talking about, he said you were a business tycoon and had money.”
“I told you I came from money.”
“No, he made it sound different, that you were more than just wealthy from your parents.”
“I . . . I have to go out of town, Jae. I got a call from my parents my dad isn’t doing very well. I don’t know how long I will be gone.”
“Oh. . . Okay, well I hope everything works out well for you.” Jae said as she turned to go up the stairs.
“I’m coming back Jae, I promise.”
“Yea, bring me a souvenir, Chase.” Jae said back as she hobbled up the steps. This was too much she needed a nap and time to think.

Chase sighed as he watched Jae go up the steps. He wanted to call her back and tell her the truth, but he just wasn’t ready to do that. He needed more time to think, more time to just be, more time to come to grips with how he felt about her. He was coming back he silently promised her again as he headed to the door.

He went back to his apartment and packed up a bag, then took off toward his own house which was just about finished. He checked out the progress and knew he only had about a month before he could finally move into his dream home. He decided to stay there for the night and then go to his parents in the morning to talk with them about everything that had been going on.

The next morning, Chase got up early and took off to his parent’s home. Once he got there he went straight to his old rooms and showered and changed then went down to the dining room to talk to his mom and dad.
“Chase, why didn’t you tell us you were here?” His mom, Renee, announced.
“I needed to shower and change first, plus I knew you and dad would be out on your walk when I got here.” Chase replied as he took a seat at the dinner table.
“Well, how is your lady friend” C.K, his dad, asked.
“She’s good, on the mend, she’s starting to remember more and more, which is a good thing.”
“Sounds like it, so tell us, what is she like” Renee asked.
“She’s . . . amazing. I have never met a stronger woman than her, besides you mom, but this is different. She has an amazing heart always ready to forgive and move on to better things. She works hard at everything she does. She doesn’t see herself as beautiful, but she is. She has amazing blue eyes. She’s just an amazing person.”
“You should bring her home so we can meet her”
“Yea, I just don’t know, she still doesn’t know who I am.”
“Chase Kingston Walker, you need to tell that young woman who you are, you love her”
“What . . . mom, how . . .”
“Did you hear yourself when you talked about her, you love her and you’re scared. She doesn’t seem like she would be Jessica”
“No, Jae would never be like that, it’s just that I’m not sure what it is. There’s just something I’m not sure about.”
“Your own judgment” C.K. announced, “You’re scared of your own judgment because of that snotty money hungry bitch”
“C.K!” Renee exclaimed.
“What, it’s true, he thought she was the one and found out his judgment was wrong and now he isn’t sure if he should trust himself. I think you can, you know what you’re looking for and what you want. If this Jae has it then go for it, just don’t make a mistake, she’s obviously a smart girl”
“She is, dad, but I don’t know, maybe you’re right mom that I am scared, it’s a big step. I barely know her. I mean we met like 2 months ago but over half of that she was in the hospital and didn’t know who the hell she was.”
“Sometimes it’s like that, sometimes it just hits you when you never see it coming, you can’t expect love to be simple, and it never is.” Renee told him.
“It was with Jessica”
“Maybe it was, but you also realized you didn’t love her, you love the illusion of her, this is different, Jae has never been something she is not, and she has never lied to you about whom she is or where she came from. Am I right?”
“Yea,”
“So, there you have it, you need to talk to her and figure everything out.”
“I have a lot of things to do though, mom, so it might be a while.”
“Better not be too long or she wont is here no more”
“I know, mom”

Chase stayed the whole day and then took off up to Kansas City to work out some problems in an office there. After that he went back home, he took the stairs on the way up rather than taking the elevator. He needed the exercise and the time. He got up to the 3rd floor and then went straight to his own apartment; he glanced at the door of Jae’s apartment and wondered what she was doing. He had no clue what she thought, he had tried calling once or twice but she never answered and he didn’t want to leave her a message. So he just hung up then would call later. It wasn’t right but he didn’t want to talk to a machine, he wanted to talk to her. Even though, he did call sometimes just to hear her voice on the recording. Lord, he had it bad.

He stayed home for 2 days then headed back to the local office and started to restructure everything. He got so caught up in work it was a while before he focused back on his own personal life and by then a month had passed. He decided now was the time to go and talk to Jae, he should of done it long ago but he got so involved with what he was doing. He came home later than he had planned from work and knocked on her door, but instead of Jae, there was some blonde woman standing on the other side.
“Where’s Jae,” Chase snapped.
“Jae, oh, you mean the old owner, she moved back home. She said that she needed a break or something like that, I’m subleasing the apartment until her contract is done.” She said.
“Where did she go?”
“Um . . . her dads I think.”
“Thanks” Chase said as he raced down the stairs.

Chase got into his car and started his journey to Jae’s dad’s house. He broke the law, speeding like all hell to get there. But once he got there he found out that her dad was not home. Where the hell could everyone be??? If he wasn’t home then she definitely either wasn’t home or just was not answering the door. Chase sighed as he got back into his car and drove to his parent’s house. He slammed the door as he walked in, not knowing that his parents had guests. He walked into the parlor and stopped short, there on the couch was Jessica. He looked at his mom and she gave him a weird look as she got up to join him.
“We didn’t invite her, she came with the Reynolds, apparently she is marrying there son” Renee told him.
“Good lord,” Chase said, looking sadly at the couples in the room. He didn’t even care at this point that Jessica was here, that she was going to ruin someone else’s life, he had too many other things to worry about. Jae was gone, he didn’t know what to do or what would happen next. He needed to find her to tell her that he loved her, but . . . he just didn’t know where to start.
“What’s wrong Chase. I know there is something wrong you look defeated.” Renee asked as she turned him around and walked back into the hallway.
“Jae . . . she’s gone. She moved out of her apartment and no one is at her dads. Mom, I don’t know what to do. I went over there to talk to her but there was some blonde living there, she’s just gone. I don’t know where she is.”
“Oh, dear. She’s fine. She came and visited us a week ago. She’s okay just unsure of what she wants to do. I think you need a real vacation.”
“Mom, I want to find Jae.”
“You need a vacation, why don’t you go out to the beach house and relax for a few days and then when you’re back you can find her, I’ll help you get in touch with her”
“Mom. . .”
“Chase, just go, relax, no work, nothing.”
“Ok, ok, I’ll go out to the beach house.”
“Good, you better get started before it gets too late to drive to the airport.”
“Mom, I’ll be there by like 8 p.m. tomorrow if I leave now”
“I know, have a good time, dear”

Chase smiled slightly as he walked back out the front door to his car to go out to the airport. He always kept clothes there so he didn’t have to travel with much and even if he needed something there were stores in the area for him to get anything.

Renee stood at the doorway as she stared after her son. He was so much in love with that girl but it took him forever to come to grips with it. She hoped that things would work out for them, because she was afraid that if it didn’t she might lose her son too. She had never seen him this frantic over a woman, or anyone for that matter. He usually went through life being happy and not having a care in the world. She watched him climb into his car and smiled sadly when she thought of how she really was still losing her baby boy, he was going to get married and have a family of his own. At least, he would be happy. Jae, was a wonderful woman, and Renee couldn’t have picked a better adversary for her son. She would keep him sane when work was too much, help him through the troubles, and help him create the best future ever.

Chase arrived about 9 the next night at the beach house and let himself in; he noticed a car in the driveway but did not recognize it. His neighbors were here this time of year so someone must have just parked in the wrong drive, he thought as he walked up the steps to the master suite. He looked through his clothes and decided he was all set, except one thing, the whole house smelt like a female. Vanilla scent, he thought as he heard steps on the porch. Jae always smelled like vanilla, he thought as he walked through the room. She seemed to follow him everywhere, haunting him. He slowly made his way down the steps and saw the shadow of a girl walk into the house and toward the steps.

Just as she passed him, he wrapped an arm around her waist and clapped a hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t scream.
“Who the hell are you and what are you doing here,” Chase snapped. He did not need this right now, an intruder!