CHAPTER 102
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Matt glanced at me before raising his newly poured drink. "Drinking?" He smirked before taking a sip.
"Do you always come here?" I asked, noticing that I ran into Matt almost every time I was at the bar.
"Yeah. Regular customer," he answered casually after taking a drink. "How about you? Still celebrating our win?" He chuckled.
I didn’t respond to his joke. I wasn’t in the mood. My mind was elsewhere.
That rooftop scene kept replaying in my head—Austin and Chase.
Matt is close with Chase. Maybe he knows something. Maybe he’s always known.
I set my glass down and looked at him seriously. "Do you know if there’s something going on between Chase and Austin?"
Matt looked a bit surprised by my question, but he shook it off quickly.
"What do you mean? They are just nobody."
I narrowed my eyes. He was lying. I could feel it. The way he avoided my gaze, the way he answered too quickly—it was obvious.
"I don't think so," I said, watching him closely. "You know something, don't you?"
He chuckled. "I seriously don't know what you're talking about. I don't know."
I scoffed. "You’re Chase’s best friend. It’s impossible that you don’t know."
He leaned back in his seat, taking another sip of his drink. "But that doesn’t mean I know everything." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why are you asking me anyway? Why don’t you ask Austin yourself? You’re his best friend too."
I was left speechless for a few seconds. "I need to know it from you. I need to confirm."
"Confirm what? That they have a relationship?" He let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "That’s impossible."
I clenched my fists. "I saw them… kissing. Now tell me how that’s impossible."
Matt’s expression shifted instantly. The amusement in his eyes disappeared, replaced by something else—something unreadable. He was silent for a moment, his fingers tightening around his glass.
"You… saw them?" he finally asked, his voice quieter now.
"Yeah. At the rooftop." My jaw tensed. "And now I want to know the truth."
He avoided my gaze. "Well, I don’t know about that," he shrugged, taking another sip of his drink. "Chase didn’t tell me anything."
I scoffed. "Whatever it is, tell Chase to stop his feelings for Austin."
Matt finally looked at me, his brows furrowing. "And who are you to say that? If they are in love, then let them."
"You don't understand. Just tell your friend." I said, standing up and leaving him behind in the VIP section.
I walked through the bar, the heavy beat of the music pulsing through my ears, but my thoughts were louder. Austin will be in a lot of trouble if his father finds out about his relationship with Chase.
I know how strict his father is. If he even gets a hint of this, things won’t end well for Austin—or Chase.
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**MATT's POV**
"You don't understand. Just tell your friend," Liam said before standing up and leaving me behind in the VIP section.
I shook my head, exhaling in frustration.
Anyway, I was lying to him. Of course, I knew about Chase and Austin, but it wasn’t my place to spill the tea. If Austin wanted to tell Liam, that was his decision, not mine.
But seriously, what was Liam’s problem? Why would he tell me to make Chase stop his feelings for Austin?
Damn. If they’re in love, then what the hell is wrong with that?
Shaking my head, I asked the bartender for another glass of whiskey and decided to just enjoy the rest of the night.
Liam could think whatever he wanted, but I wasn’t going to be the one to interfere in Chase’s life. If anything, I admired Chase for going after what he wanted. Love wasn’t something you could just turn off because someone told you to.
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**CHASE's POV**
**\[EARLIER\]**
"Austin?" I asked, concern evident in my voice when I saw him sway slightly as he stood up. For a second, I thought he was about to faint.
"I'm fine," he said quickly, brushing it off.
I frowned. "What happened?"
"Nothing. I'm fine. Let's head back. We have a long way to go," he muttered before turning away and walking ahead.
I wasn’t convinced. Something was definitely off. Without hesitation, I followed him.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked again, unable to hide my worry.
"I said I'm fine," he snapped, his voice slightly raised. But almost immediately, he sighed. "Sorry. I'm fine."
"Yeah, okay. No need to apologize," I said softly, but my eyes stayed on him, watching for any signs that he wasn’t actually fine.
We were walking back to the park where we had parked our bikes. Austin was ahead of me, unusually quiet. This wasn’t like him.
Something was definitely off.
I quickened my pace until I was walking beside him. The silence between us felt heavy, like there was something he was holding back.
"You know, you can tell me anything," I finally said, breaking the silence.
Austin kept his eyes forward. "I have nothing to say."
His voice was calm, but I wasn’t convinced. I studied his expression, trying to read what he wasn’t saying.
So I grabbed his hand, gently but firmly, making him turn to face me. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"
Austin’s eyes flickered with something—hesitation, maybe even worry—but he quickly masked it. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong," he said, pulling his hand away from my grip.
He turned to walk again, but I reached out, stopping him once more. Before I could say anything, the sky darkened, heavy clouds rolling in. The air shifted, cool and damp, carrying the unmistakable scent of rain.
It was going to pour.
And I wasn’t wrong, because before we could even take a step, the rain poured down immediately, soaking us within seconds. Austin let out a small curse under his breath, shielding his head with his hands as if that would help. I laughed, shaking my head as water dripped from my hair.
"We need to find shelter!" I shouted over the sound of the rain.
Austin turned to me, his face half-drenched, half-annoyed. "You think?!"
I chuckled despite the situation and grabbed his wrist, pulling him toward a nearby waiting shed. We ran through the downpour, our shoes splashing in puddles, until we finally made it under the small roof, breathless and dripping wet.
Austin sighed, running a hand through his soaked hair. "Great. Just great."
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