Chasing Redemption (Book 2 of Chasing Series)

twenty | world colliding

Deja vu settles in. 

I can smell Xavier cooking from the kitchen. Bacon settles under my nose and my mouth begins to water. 

I roll over onto my side. It's barely eight-thirty in the morning. 

Another voice joins Xavier as I patter down the hallway, wrapping my arms around myself. 

Sof is sitting on the stool, picking at a piece of bacon. She talks softly to Xavier as he places two more places on her plate.

"Morning," I yawn. 

Sof jumps, spinning around to face me. "Oh! Morning."

I eye her sceptically, taking a seat beside her. "You're being suspicious." 

"Am I?" she frowns, shoving an entire piece of bacon into her mouth. 

"Yes," I deadpan, turning to face Xavier. 

He shrugs, turning back to the stove. 

"Okay, now you're both just being weird." 

"Fine. We may have been talking about the fact I walked in on Xavier exiting your room this morning," she says, raising her eyebrows. 

"Oh. Cool," I say dumbly.

I can feel my face heating up, despite everything being innocent between us. We'd kissed, sure. But nothing else would happen. 

"So, are you guys fu—"

"Sof," Xavier snaps, glaring at her. "You've said enough."

"Nothing is going on," I implore. "Nothing."

"Didn't realise nothing meant coming out of someone else's room half dressed."

Xavier mumbles something incoherent under his breath as Sof stifles a laugh, giving me a side-eyed glance. She loves stirring the pot. 

"What time are you leaving us so we can have a girl's day?" Sof says, perching her hand against her chin.

"When I'm ready, you ungrateful shit—"

"Okayyy," I cut in, reaching for a piece of bacon. "Enough sibling love for today."

Rain begins to patter against the roof, sliding down the glass-panelled windows. I watch the world outside as it begins to pour, blurring my vision beyond Xavier's car. 

"We should watch a movie," Sof suggests. "A chick flick."

"Count me out," Xavier grumbles. 

"Who said you were ever counted in?" she retorts.

"I just cooked you breakfast," he growls.

"Well, you can't exactly take it back now, can you? Unless you want to deep dive into my stomach and—"

"What is going on?" I sigh, standing from the stool. "Why are you fighting like this today? Like you're tense with each other. Has something happened?"

"No," Sof shakes her head. "It's just...today."

Today.

I'd forgotten, for a moment, that today is exactly one year since we lost Casey. Since I felt his heart beat slowing in my arms. How he was blinking one moment and then the next he wasn't. 

"Rhea," Sof says softly, bringing me from my thoughts. 

"Hmm?"

"Did you ever watch his favourite movie with him?" she asks.