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Chapter 25-

Cameron sat for a long while after Chase had made his exit from their home. It scared her that he had left without resolving their argument. Usually Chase was the one that wanted to discuss things like this and work them out, but this time she had really hurt him.

Even when she wasn't sobbing and crying anymore, the tears still managed to find their way down her face, until her cheeks and eyes were burning from the saltiness. Stripping out of her pyjamas she climbed into the shower, and turned the water on as hot as she could stand without it burning her skin. It felt good.

She leaned forward and let the water fall on her face, as she closed her eyes. She felt the hot water beat off her skin, and mix with her tears so that she wasn't even sure if she was crying anymore.

When she finally turned off the water and got out of the shower, her body was numb from the hot water. She really didn't mind though. It was better than feeling the heavy whole in her chest that reminded her of what she had hid, and how she had hurt Chase.

She knew she should leave him alone to calm down, but as she moved the dresser to pull out one of Chase's shirts to sleep in, she noticed that he had left his wedding ring on it. She picked it and starred at it laying in the palm of her hand. She chewed her bottom lip in contemplation, not really sure if he had left it as an accident.

She placed the ring back down and headed to the phone to call Chase's cell phone. She wasn't surprised when he didn't answer.

When Chase left the apartment he wasn't sure where he intended on going. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and headed down the street, with no end goal in sight. He just needed to walk it off. However, at this point with the way he was feeling, even if he walked across the country he wasn't sure if he could possibly feel better about what had just transpired in his bedroom.

He knew the way he had left the conversation had scared Allison. Before I do or say something I will regret, he had said. Although it was true, and he had meant it, he hadn't intended it to sound so much like a threat. He would never raise a hand to her, but sometimes words can be just as bad. The truth of the matter was that he was terrified himself, of himself, and what he would do if he lost the only woman he ever loved, and what he might have to do to be able to keep her. Was he always going to have to make sacrifices to keep their relationship at ease? Or maybe it simply wasn't something that was meant to be fixed.

A while later Chase stopped walking and looked around him. He was tired but he didn't want to go home, and deal with Allison yet, and he didn't want to go to work where people might inquire as to his presence. He spotted a bar, but hesitated before going into it. He hated to drink alone. It reminded him too much of his mother. Although he was usually fine as a social drinker, he tried especially hard not to drink when he was upset. He had always promised himself that alcohol was not a substitute for feeling emotions. This night however, he decided that he needed a drink. He deserved one after all that had happened. Didn't he?

He walked in and sat down at the bar. There were a few other people scattered throughout the bar, despite the late hour, or rather early hour. In the back corner there was a group of girls, being quite loud, downing shots.

"What can I get you?" the bartended asked.

"Whatever's on tap, surprise me," Chase mumbled without looking up.

The bartender grunted and filled his glass placing it in front of him. Chase felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out, not at all surprised to see the word 'home' calling in. He debated answering it, just to let her know he was alright, but quickly decided against it. He felt that he had certainly earned the right to not take her call. When it stopped ringing, he opened the phone and turned it off, placing it back in his pocket.

"Excuse me?" Chase turned towards the voice.

Standing in front of him was one of the girls that he assumed was from the party in the back of the bar. She was tall and slim, with brown wavy hair falling just below her shoulders.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if I could have your phone number."

"My... number?" Chase asked surprised, not quite feeling flattered but rather confused.

"Yes, if you could just write it on my hand, right here," she said point with her pen.

"I don't..."

"Look," she whispered trying not to move her lips. "I'm here for my friend's bachelorette party, and I have to get a random guys phone number. If you don't give me yours, I'm going to have to ask Baldy McPotBelly, over there."

Chase grinned for the first time, since his ordeal at home happened. He took her pen, and wrote his cell number on her hand, changing the last digit, just for safe measure.

"Thank you so much!" she said leaning in to kiss his cheek. He was surprised, but just as she pulled away from the kiss she whispered, "Please don't let on that I told you why I needed it." Even more surprising to him was the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood, at the warmness of her breath.

Chase winked at her, and she calmly turned back to her friends.

"Single and Australian!" she called to her friends holding up her hand to show the number.

"I'm not..." single, Chase began to say, but as he raised his hand to show his wedding band, he realized that his finger was bare. Usually he was proud to wear it, as it was a symbol of his wonderful, gorgeous wife, but tonight, he had left the ring on the dresser at home. He lowered his hand and turned back towards the bar in his seat, not really caring that he wasn't wearing it.

You know the drill!