“Maggie, what’s wrong?” Chase kneeled beside her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so… I don’t know.” Maggie sniffled. “Are you okay? Is your mom okay? What happened?”
Chase moved to sit beside her with his back against the bed. He took a deep inhale and then let it out, “My mom told me… my dad isn’t dead.”
Maggie’s head snapped up, “What?”
Chase rubbed his temples, “I guess my dad met someone else in Alaska. She couldn’t bear to tell us that he abandoned us, so she lied and told us he passed away.”
“Oh wow… Are you okay? So, wait, was that him? At Valley View Lodge?”
“I don’t know for sure…my mom went in to check, but he wasn’t there. They said he works tomorrow. The thing that got me was when you said he called you Cinderella. No one else besides our family knows about that.”
Maggie waited for him to continue.
“When we were growing up, my dad’s mom, Grandma Lettie, lived with us.” Chase smiled thinking of the memory. “Cam and I used to hang out in her room all the time. We just liked being around her. She was always cracking jokes. She was full of joy. Anyway, she had this VHS of Cinderella that we would watch on her tiny 13-inch TV. She loved that movie and eventually we did too. We would pretend that Prince Charming was actually a knight and that we would have to fight the evil stepmom and step sisters to save Cinderella. My dad would come in and help us. My mom would pretend to be Cinderella and Grandma Lettie was the wicked stepmother.” Chase chuckled thinking of the way his grandma wielded her cane as a sword.
Chase wiped his face with his hands and stared down at the floor, letting the memories wash over him.
“Chase… I don’t know what to say… That’s a lot to process.” Maggie reached out and put her hand on his thigh. Chase felt his emotions catching up to him and simply nodded to keep the tears at bay. There was no way he was gonna let Maggie see him getting upset.
After a moment, he rallied—suddenly remembering that Maggie seemed upset when he walked in, “What’s going on with you, though?” He covered her hand with his and interlocked their fingers.
“I don’t know… I’m a mess…” Maggie pulled her hand away and stared down at her clasped fingers.
Chase twisted to see her face better. He pushed her always-loose strand of hair behind her ear. Maggie gave him a sad smile. He kept his hand under her chin. “Maggie, you’re the best person I’ve ever met. If you’re a mess, then a lot more people need to be a mess. You’re honest and brave and caring… and so beautiful.”
He lifted her chin so he could peer into her misty, brown eyes. It felt like fireworks were exploding in his chest. Longing and fear were battling for control of his heart. Maggie blinked and a single tear slid down her cheek. He leaned in to kiss it away. He wanted to absorb all her pain and self doubt. She flinched slightly as his lips caressed her cheek. Chase heard her sigh and then she turned, meeting his mouth with hers.
Chase melted into her, deepening the kiss. Internal chains were being broken, and deep held fears were being shot down out of the sky. He hoped she felt the same euphoria because he had never experienced anything like it before.
“Chase…” Maggie put her hands on his shoulders and half-heartedly pushed him away. “I can’t…” She closed her eyes and put her head down. Chase reached for her, but she shot up, grabbed her backpack, and ran out the door.
Chapter 36
Maggie
Maggieheldbacktearsas she rushed down the stairs and out the front door. She could hear Chase calling her name, but refused to let herself look back. When she made it to her rental car, she threw her bag in, turned on the ignition, and drove down the driveway.
She touched her lips. They still tingled from the sensation of Chase kissing her.Why am I running away?Then it hit her.My feelings for Chase might be… real. And it was supposed to be fake. I’m used to faking it. All I’ve ever done is pretend to be happy while doing what other people think I should. How can I trust myself? I think I like Chase, but what if I’m wrong? What if I just like him because he’s the opposite of everything my mom would want for me?
Maggie chewed on her lip, trying to untangle all her thoughts and emotions. It felt impossible. A short prayer is all she could muster.Lord, help.
Maggie turned on the radio and a country station played “Austin” by Blake Shelton. She thought about how much Chase’s voice was pure in the same way and how sad it would be to never see him again. Then, images of Delilah and Banjo popped into her mind. Sobs rolled out.I never said good-bye.Norah, Jade, and Cam… they’re all so sweet. I’m glad Chase has such a good family. Thank you Lord for letting me meet all of them.
When Maggie finally got to the airport, she curled up on a row of chairs. After a fitful night of sleep, she snagged a seat on an 8 am flight back to Los Angeles. Leaning against the window, she looked out at the bustling tarmac. Finally, she was suspended in the air, observing the beautiful landscape.Good-bye Alabama… bye Chase.She closed her eyes and crashed, exhausted from the weekend full of joy and heartache.
On Wednesday, Maggie sat across from Ada in the Urban Wear LA office preparing to tell her the news.
“Maggie, what’s up?” Ada asked impatiently as she swayed in her roller desk chair.
“Ada… I wanted to let you know…” Maggie stopped, sucked in as much air as possible and blew it out. Her shoulders slumped and she rubbed her hands together. “Ada, I’m so sorry… but Friday will be my last day. I know I’m supposed to give two weeks’ notice but my lease is up. I can’t afford to stay in LA.”
Ada looked casually at her neon pink acrylic nails. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
“I feel really bad for leaving you hanging. I know that’s what everybody does.”
Ada shrugged. “Two days' notice is actually a lot in LA.” Then, she peered up at Maggie and flashed a small grin. “I know I give you a hard time about being so friendly, but I think I might miss it.”
