Chapter 2

Chase sat on his bed, his mind racing with thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about Sadie. Her soft skin, her sweet smile, and the way she looked at him. He was hooked. On edge, he checked his phone for the hundredth time, hoping for a message or call from her but getting nothing. It was as if she disappeared into thin air. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tried to calm his nerves. His heart pounded in his chest, and his palms were sweaty as he stared at the screen. Why wouldn't she respond? Did he do something wrong? Was it because she was hanging out what happened? He sighed heavily and stood up, deciding to take a shower to clear his mind. The cool water hitting his skin felt refreshing as he washed away the worries of the day. He stepped out of the shower, drying off with a towel before slipping into his pajamas. His room was quiet, only the sound of his breathing filling the space. He climbed into bed, pulling the sheets up to his chin as he stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were still jumbled as he drifted off to sleep.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, jolting him awake. His heart skipped a beat as he reached over to grab it. A text from Sadie! His fingers trembled as he unlocked the screen, eager to read what she had to say. "Hey Chase, sorry about earlier. I just needed some time alone. Let's talk tomorrow. -Sadie" Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough for him. He smiled to himself, falling back asleep with a sense of relief washing over him. The next day at school, Chase waited patiently in the cafeteria for Sade to arrive. He felt like he was on pins and needles, even more anxious than he had been the day before. When she finally walked in, his heart leaped into his throat. She sat down beside him, a small smile on her lips. "So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked, taking a bite of her apple. He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay after yesterday." He took a sip of his milk, the coolness sending a shiver down his spine. She looked at him, her eyes softening. "I'm fine. I just needed some time to process everything, you know?" She bit her bottom lip, looking down at her tray. "I've never felt this way about anyone before," she confessed quietly.

He smiled, reaching over to take her hand in his. "Good. Neither have I." Their fingers intertwined, a warmth spreading through him at their connection. They spent the rest of lunch talking about their pasts and futures, laughing at inside jokes only they understood. The bell rang, pulling them apart reluctantly. They had physics together; they walked side by side to their next class. He glanced at her, taking in her gentle sway as she walked beside him.

In his room, Chase tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He stared at the ceiling, thinking about Sadie and their conversation. He couldn't believe she felt the same way he did; it was both exhilarating and terrifying. He checked his phone again, hoping for a message from her, but it remained silent. Finally, exhaustion got the best of him, and he fell asleep. The next day, he was up early, showered and dressed. The scent of bacon and eggs wafted up the stairs, making his stomach rumble. He made his way downstairs, joining his family in the kitchen. His dad looked up, frowning. "Morning, Chase." Chase forced a smile. "Morning, Dad." He poured himself some cereal, noticing the tension in the air. Dad set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him, looking him dead in the eye. "We need to talk." His voice was low, serious. Chase's heart sank. He took a bite of his food, forgetting how good it tasted. "About Sadie," Chase swallowed, "I know this is moving fast, but I can't help it—"

"It's not about that." Douglas cut him off, shaking his head. "You can't go sneaking around and having sex, and on top of it we could have had a mission come up or someone could have used their bionics in the house. And no one would have known she was here. You know the consequences." His face was hard, unreadable. "She could have put all of us in danger or you could have gotten her pregnant. Do you understand?" Chase looked down, feeling guilty. He knew he messed up, but he didn't realize it would put her in danger. "I'm sorry, Dad." Douglas sighed. "You need to be more careful." He paused, "We're not like normal people, Chase. We have enemies who will stop at nothing to hurt us." He took a deep breath, "You need to be smarter than this. You're grounded for a month until you can start acting better." Chase nodded, understanding his dad's point. "I need you to leave your phone on the table, if I catch you doing anything than you doing school work then your grounding will be longer," He finished his food quickly and left his phone behind, leaving the table to avoid any further discussion.

Later that day, he found himself back in his room, the silence deafening. His mind raced with thoughts of Sadie and their encounter. He checked his computer secretly, but still nothing. He tried to focus on his math homework but his heart wasn't in it. The door opened, and his dad stepped inside, closing it gently. "Chase, I know you're upset, but this isn't the end of the world," his dad said quietly. He sat next to him on the bed, placing a hand on his shoulder. Chase exhaled slowly, looking at his dad. "I messed up." He admitted, "I never meant for her to get mixed up in this." Douglas sighed. "I know you didn't, son. But we need to be smarter about this." He looked out the window, deep in thought. "We'll work something out." Chase nodded, finally feeling relieved. He knew his dad would come through for him.

He felt the heard his email chime and his heart racing. It was a text from Sadie, Douglass got up and opened his computer…"Wait, Dad!" He opened it to an open message chat between Sadie and Chase, Chase jumped up off of the bed and was right behind Douglass. "Dad, I can explain..please" Douglass looks at Chase with a hard look, "I thought I told you that you were grounded." Chase looked at the computer and then at Douglass. "I… I.. um." Another chime of the computer went off and this time it was a picture of Sadie in a beautiful navy blue dress with her hair all curled and pinned up halfway. She has silver earrings with little diamonds and a diamond necklace as well, the one he bought for her. Sadie wrote underneath, "Are you still going to be my prince to the dance?" With a smiley face next to it. They both stare at the computer, but then Chase puts his head down and sits down on his bed. Douglass walks over, he sighs. "Get dressed, I'll drive you two to the dace and then back home but then after that you are grounded. DO you hear me?" Chase nods his head. Douglass gets up and walks out of the room.

Alone once again, Chase found himself drowning in a sea of thoughts about Sadie. He grabbed a pillow, hugging it tightly as he tried to ignore the emptiness around him. He could almost taste the fear and doubt settling in his mouth like bitter copper pennies. The sound of footsteps approaching filled his ears, and he looked up to see Bree leaning against the door frame. "Hey," she said softly, "you okay?" He managed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." Bree bit her lip, not buying it. "You're scared," she stated simply. Chase bit back the truth, nodding slowly. "Just worried about Catherine. You know how it is." Bree sighed and sat down next to him, rubbing his back gently. "Yeah, I do." Bree looked at her watch, "Oh shit, Its time for me to go get ready, you coming to the dance or are you grounded?" Chase looks up at her, "Dad said I can go but afterwards I am grounded." Bree nods and walks away. 

Outside, Adam and Leo were having a friendly sparring match, their punches and kicks echoing through the house. Daniel was on his laptop, deep in thought as usual. Chase missed them all so much that it hurt. They were all he had left in this world where everyone seemed to be against them - or at least their own family - but now Sadie was part of that world too. Panic started to rise within him like bile in his throat. Everyone was ready for the Dance, they all pilled into the car and went to get pick up Sadie. The evening was amazing. 

Later on, Chase laid down on his pillow-fluffed bed, staring up at the ceiling fan spinning lazily overhead. He couldn't sleep; all he could think about was Sadie's smiling face and how she had looked at him when he'd confessed his feelings. He missed her more than he had ever missed anyone before. A tear slid down his cheek as he remembered her soft laughter and gentle touch. The guilt ate at him like acid reflux, burning his insides as he wondered what he could have done differently. If only he wasn't bionic… As night fell outside, Chase's restlessness grew even stronger. Eventually, he stood up and paced across the room again, bouncing off the walls with nervous energy, unsure of what else to do. A cool breeze swept through the room, and he paused to take a deep breath, feeling the air conditioner's icy touch on his heated skin. He knew he couldn't let Sadie go easily; she was more than just a project, more than just a conquest. He had to fix this somehow, for both their sakes. Gathering his courage, he opened Adam's door and stepped inside. His big brother was lifting weights in the corner of the room; it wasn't hard for Chase to spot him even in the dim light. "Hey, Adam, I need your help with something," he said softly, entering the room. Adam lowered the weights he'd been holding, eyes narrowed in curiosity. "What up?"

Chase swallowed hard, taking a seat on the bed beside his brother. "It's about Sadie," he started, voice cracking slightly. "I think something is wrong" Adam set down the weights and turned fully towards Chase, concern written all over his face. "What do you mean?" "I've been trying to text her on the computer since we got home but shes not answering." Chase explained quickly, Adam stood up, towering over Chase with worry etched onto his features. "Chase, I think shes fine. But yo, you are taking it too far you need to calm down man.." He placed a reassuring hand on Chase's shoulder before exiting the room. Next, Chase headed to Bree's door, hoping she'd be in a better mood than before. He hesitated before knocking but heard her hummed reply to enter. She lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as if lost in thought. "Hey, Can I talk to you for a second?" She sat up, eyebrows furrowing as she looked at him. "Yeah, what's up?" Chase took a deep breath. "It's about Sadie. I think...i think something is wrong" Bree stood up, "Chase she is alright, its just been a long week give her some time."