Page 44 of What They Say

*Sorry I got weird at the end tonight. I had a really good time. Thank you for coming over.*

She stared at the message for a long time...then deleted it.

Not tonight.

She wasn’t ready to explain why she’d panicked. Not when she was still trying to figure it out herself.

Instead, she opened her notebook to a fresh page and started writing, the words coming fast and a little angry at herself.

Girl with walls built high and deep

Scared of the boy who makes her want to leap

One mention of his world and she starts to run

When all she really wants is to stay and see what they’ve begun

She closed the notebook and turned off the light.

Tomorrow.

Maybe tomorrow she’d be brave enough to tell him the truth.

That she was falling for him.

She was falling for him, and that was terrifying.

Chapter Fourteen

Chase

Chase stood at the edge of the stage during sound check in Michigan, guitar slung in his typical low stance, watching the crew tweak lights and monitors. The club was bigger than he’d expected. It was a real stage, with a decent front-of-house setup, and a crowd that would actually fill the room. This was the kind of gig they’d been working towards.

He should’ve been excited.

Instead, his mind kept drifting back to Kath’s couch. The way her lyrics and his melody had started weaving together like they belonged. The spark in her eyes when they got something right. Then the sudden shift—the way she’d gone quiet and distant the moment Bonnie’s name came up.

He’d replayed that moment a dozen times. Had he pushed too hard? Mentioned the band too casually? Or was it something deeper—her seeing how different their worlds were and pulling back before it could get real?

“Chase, you with us?” Vic’s voice pulled him back.

“Yeah. Sorry.” He adjusted his strap and stepped up to the mic for a quick vocal check with Benny. The notes came out steady, but his head wasn’t fully in it.

After sound check, while the others grabbed food backstage, Chase found a quiet corner and pulled out his phone. He opened his messages with Kath. The last one he’d sent—thanking her for the session—still sat without a response.

He typed slowly, deleting and rewriting twice before settling on something simple.

*Hey. Just finished sound check in Michigan. Been thinking about that song we started. Hope you’re doing okay. No pressure, but I’d love to pick it up again whenever you want.*

He hit Send before he could overthink it.

Benny wandered over a few minutes later, handing him a bottle of water. “You’ve been quiet since we got here. Still thinking about the bike girl?”

Chase nodded, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Yeah. She’s about all I seem to think about these days.”

Benny leaned against the wall beside him. “I’m glad you’ve got that going on. Just don’t twist yourself into a pretzel for her, unless you know she’s worth it.”

“She is,” Chase said without hesitation. “I really like her, Benny. Not just the music thing. Her. The way she rides that bike like it’s freedom. The way she writes lyrics that hit me right in the chest. I don’t want to rush her, but I also don’t want her thinking I’m okay with walking away.”