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Lost in his eyes, her chin quivered. “I’m not exactly sure.”
The light beaming down from atop the bar’s back door revealed the concern in his expression. “You’re leaving your friends and family, Harper. This isn’t going to be easy. Did you honestly think it would be?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged, swiping away another fallen tear that she refused to stop. “I guess things are just sinking in or something. It’s like you have a plan and have all these ideas, and then you don’t really think about how things are going to affect you, you know.”
Chase tilted his head to the side, his knuckles sliding over her cheek. “You moved to Denver before. Wasn’t it equally as hard then?”
She became lost in that touch and how right it felt. “I didn’t have the friendships that I have now,” she explained.
His eyebrows squished together. “Did your friends suddenly vanish? I remember you having close friends in high school.”
Her body heat began to rise, building beads of sweat along her back. She couldn’t really tell if that was from Chase’s touch or her anxiety. “I did have a few super-close friends, but they all moved away to go to school when I did, and they never came back. When I moved to Denver, I was excited to leave Brody. I think that part might have overshadowed the fact that I was leaving the people I knew.”
Chase gave an understanding smile, his eye contact steady. “Because you were so desperate to gain your freedom?”
“Exactly.” She nodded, spilling another tear from her eye. “I needed to be me for a little while without him.” During that time, she found herself. She discovered her passion and got the first feel of her purpose, and she’d been chasing that same sensation ever since.
Chase’s posture was still until he brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “That time was good for you, just as Vegas will be good for you. You’ve wanted this dream for a really long time. Owning a restaurant in Vegas, that’s a big deal, Harper. You deserve that. You’ve worked hard for it.”
She nodded. “I couldn’t agree with you more. I have wanted this for a really long time. Just before I finished school, it was all I thought about. I had these huge, exciting plans. I could finally do something with the money my parents left me. I thought I had it all figured out.”
He stroked her cheek again. “Then why the tears, beautiful?”
“Precisely. Why am I sitting here crying? It’s like something inside of me suddenly feels very broken, and I have no idea why.”
Chase went still. “You’re not changing your mind about Vegas, right?”
She laughed softly at the concern on his face. “Don’t worry. Vegas is still the dream.” She understood Chase’s hang-up. Maybe she even loved him for it. He thought of her dreams above all else, just as Brody did. Though that’s what both Chase and Brody did not realize. She had lost enough in her life to realize she alone was responsible for herself, and neither of them really had any say in what she did, even if they liked to believe they did. But all the same, there was an emptiness in her chest that she could not ignore. “It’s why my sitting here and crying like a baby is confusing. I want to go Vegas. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. There is this huge opportunity just waiting for me. I’m getting the second chance I wanted after I had to leave the TV show. And yet . . .” She turned away in a sad attempt to gather her thoughts.
“This is going to be hard, Harper,” Chase said gently, tucking a finger under her chin and drawing her gaze back to his soft eyes. “Your friends are here, as well as Brody. But just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not good for you. River Rock will always be here. Your friends will be here. You can always come home to visit, or we can come visit you.”
His mention of we wasn’t lost on her. She stayed focused on what she was feeling without adding his thoughts into the mix. Something was unsteady . . . unsure . . . and she kept reaching for the truth that seemed so far away. “I know you’re right.” She drew in a huge deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Ugh. I guess I didn’t think this was going to be so hard.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “You thought you were just going to pick up and leave and never look back?”
She gave a firm nod. “Precisely.”
Chase harrumphed, staring at her like her eyeballs had fallen out of her head.
“What’s that look for?” she asked.
He hesitated, then slid his fingers over the long strands of her hair, tucking them behind her ear. “That doesn’t sound like the Harper I know. You’re warm and full of light. I can’t ever imagine you walking away from your home without feeling something about that.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Her mind only seemed to cloud further. All this talking wasn’t going to do her any good, only make things harder. “You’re right—this should be hard.” She forced a smile, trying to get past all this, and rose. “Feeling emotional is normal, right?”
Chase nodded and stood with her. “I think anyone would be having a hard time with this.”
“Ugh. Thanks for the chat. Let’s get back to the party.” She gave her hands a shake, shielding the emotions from Chase. She needed to think. On her terms. Because while what he said made sense, the anxiety still lingered.
Before she could step through the door, Chase snagged her hand, pulling her back to him. “Do you honestly think I would fall for that?”
“Fall for what?” She blinked.
“You can’t hide from m
e, beautiful.” Chase cupped his hands on her face, holding her close. Intimately. “You can’t be that upset then suddenly be fine.” His lips dropped to hers, and his kiss took her away from there. “Stay real with me, all right?” he whispered against her mouth. “Let me be here for you.”
She reopened her eyes. “Okay. I’ll try.”
