Chapter 9

"That was his sandwich, Nik. You just claimed it as yours." I explain and roll my eyes, "Look, everything for those two showcases are in those binders. Just follow what I've written down and the night should go smoothly." "What would I do without you Hayden?" She mumbles into the speaker and I laugh a little too hard. Eh, I don't care. "Burn your family's business to the ground?" I question lightly as she hums in agreement, "Please call me if anything in those binders don't make sense. We don't need another Alcott situation." "So I sold a four-hundred and fifty thousand dollar piece for four-hundred dollars. One time Hayden, it was one time. Anika relays into the phone like it was nothing, "And in my defence that damn comma looked like a period." "Be nice to Dexter, Anika." I remind her into phone and I hear her groan, "Call me after the showing." "Of course I will." She replies, "Bye Hayden." "Bye." I say and quickly hang up before she drags me into her usual thirty minute rants about literally nothing. Just as I hung up, the french doors connecting the porch and the living room open and Chase steps out with his phone pressed to his air. "Well if the Michaelsons want a a curling staircase we'll give them a fucking curling staircase." Chase grumbles into the phone and I press my back to the white wooden railing while I watch him in silence, "I looked at the plans and there's more than enough space to make it happen." His frowning eyes move from focusing on the porch floor to me and I notice them soften slightly. God damn. I glance away instantly, turn and rest my elbows on the railing while staring off at the ocean. "Fuck, I'll do the paperwork from here if you don't want to." Chase growls into the phone and not gonna lie, it was super attractive. "Sort it out, Harry." And with that, I watch out of the corner of my eye as he pockets his phone and runs a hand through his hear in frustration. "Work problems?" I smirk as I turn my head to glance at him to see him moving towards me. No wrong way Everett. Go back inside. Abort mission. Chase comes to a stop beside me and rests his elbows on the railings in a similiar manner to mine, "Yup. You too?" "Anika lost the binders for a couple important showings." I scoff as I glance back out at the setting sun dipping below the ocean's horizon, "She's also about to decapitate our newest intern so..." "I can't believe you still work for her." Chase snorts and I can't help but laugh too. "Even after the amount of pressure she puts you under, you still stay." "As psychotic as it sounds, I love the pressure." I admit as Chase turns to face me. I averted my gaze, too afraid to meet his. Instead I keep my eyes on the horizon, "It distracts me from school, from the nightmares, from life, from everyth—" "You still get nightmares?" Chase interrupts me and I swallow. "Did I say nightmares? Whoops, obviously I meant night....hares. Yup, nighthares are the complete opposite of nightmares so nothing to worry about." I grin awkwardly, now finally meeting Chase's hard, cold and calculating gaze. Chase folds his arms, "I told you to tell me if you were getting nightmares agai—" "Thanks for the concern big guy but I don't have to tell you shit." I scoff and instantly regret it the second the words leave my lips. Why why why why? "I have to deal with it on my own and so far so good." "But you don't have to deal with it on your own, Jones." Chase takes a step towards me and I take a step back. Please don't do this Everett. I can't go through this again. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do. You don't get to do that anymore." I narrow my eyes on him as I fold my arms, "How I deal with my trauma and bullshit is on my terms. You deal with your shadows, I'll deal with mine." "Fuck that Jones. You and I both know what you want and it's not this." Chase scoffs at me and the situation I had put us in. He was right, every argument we have about this, he is always right. And that's what scares me. "You never gave me a reason." I exclaim, "I don't fucking have to!" "Yes you do!" Chase growls back and now we were both shouting at each other. Great. It's truly impressive how our conversations always seem to go from 0 to a hundred real fucking quick. "It's not fucking fair, Jones. Any of it." "You're the one who wanted a break to go talk to your new girlfriend. Where's she huh? Broke her heart already?" I question, ashamed and extremely embarrassed that I was letting my jealousy and anger getting the better of me. "Of course you did and then you moved onto the next one." Chase swallows, hard. "Why? You jealous Jones?" "Oh fuck you Everett!" I shout just as the doors open and Noah comes sliding out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Noah slides between us, his white Nike crew socks were no match for the slick wood of the porch, "What the hell is going on out here? The neighbours can fucking hear you guys." "Everett's being an asshole like usual." I say as I glare up at him. I watch as Chase clenches his jaw incredibly sharp while glaring back at me. "I'm not fucking doing this again." Chase shakes his head before turning and storming down the porch steps and onto the sand. Noah and I watch him in silence before he disappears behind the trees of our neighbours garden. "Sooooo..." Noah starts awkwardly while slipping his hands into the pockets of his board shirts, "Is Elastigirl really that thick or is she just constantly using her powers. Ha. Am I right?"