The Replacement Girlfriend

Chapter 50

A/N.: Sorrry for the massive wait guys. I've just gone back to school and I am SWAMPED like you would not believe. This chapter also gave me a huge headache bc I wasn't sure how to do the introductions without it being overwhelming so I ended up not doing half of them (yet). That said, this chapter couldn't contain all the things I wanted to add, but it was either this chapter today, or you weren't going to get an update for at least another week as I have exams and assignments lined up one after the other this week. (Yes. I did mention I JUST went back to school. It is bloody murder!) But this way, we get some of the boring stuff out of the way and who's excited for Krislynn to see Chase's (and Jace's) baby photos next chapter? =P

P.S: Thanks a bunches to all of you who were worried about my root canal btw. (<3) If you were wondering how it went... well... Apparently, one of my canals is a "ribbon" shape meaning my dentist couldn't pull it all out??? So she referred me to a root canal "specialist" which is BESIDES me bc I have no idea why anyone could be so enthusiatic about teeth that they'd want to do root canals everyday. =__= Then again, it's not like they're the ones sitting in the fancy chair so I guess they don't really care.

50. Way To Make A First Impression

            The moment Krislynn hopped off the plane in Nebraska Thursday morning, her body started to convulse with anticipation. Her eyes were alert and her mind intoxicated with caffeine, which only added to the hammering of her heart against her chest. However intense though, her state was hardly worth mentioning compared to Chase’s.

            Krislynn could tell from the way he carried himself, tired and meek compared to the usual arrogant atmosphere his presence seemed to leak. Apparently the last time he had seen his mom was over three years ago, and not a word had he spoken to her besides the phone call last week and the occasional letters or gifts he sent during birthdays and specific holidays – never with any return address.

            He had still yet to mention the reason for his peculiar behaviour, but seeing that he wasn’t ready to share, Krislynn didn’t want to seem invasive so she kept her curiosity more or less to herself.

            After grabbing their bags and hiring a taxi driver, the two of them started on the long drive to Sweet Home Ranch, which was situated two hours away from the nearest airport, transporting them from near civilization to the edge of nowhere. Unsurprisingly, Krislynn fell asleep after the first forty minutes of watching patchworks of crops outside her window, but Chase fought his exhaustion, revisiting his memories with the scenery in his head.

            He couldn’t remember the last time he visited Sweet Home. Initially, the ranch belonged to his great aunt and he remembered summers of stacking up hay and riding on horses during his childhood and adolescent years, but the memories were vague, and he could scarcely remember all the details of the cheerful woman that once ran the place.

            When she died Chase hadn’t heard about it, and it was only after his parents decided to quit their busy social life in New York and take over the otherwise deserted ranch, did he find out the particular details here and there. By then he was already a struggling so-called artist and being so inhabited by his own life, never had the chance to go back and visit the ranch that was such an evident part of his childhood. Now the fields of corn seemed to wave at him as the autumn breeze touched their tall stalks back and forth.

            A low squirm alerted him and he promptly brought his attention back to the sleeping girl beside him. She was still asleep, her head leaning against the window with her hands clutching onto her upper arms. Judging that she was cold, Chase took off his jacket, only gathering Krislynn into his arms so that she had something softer to lean on once he covered her with the material.