MOLLY

She panicked.

The next morning Molly found herself sitting in her bed for hours, wondering what had happened the night before. She was feeling lightheaded and happy from the drinks they had at the bars, but the buzz wasn't enough to clear her mind entirely. She knew what she was doing, she knew what was happening, and she knew she didn't want to do it.

The second she told Luke she wanted to stop, he did. Other than his shirt, no other clothes were shed that night. Molly, pure and innocent as she was, did not want her first time to be like that. She wanted to be in love.

And she knew she didn't love Luke. Of course she had this great crush on him, but she knew she couldn't call it love. They had never experienced each other in a more than friendly setting, so Molly was definitely not the one to jump the gun when throwing around the word love.

Fortunately, Luke understood. He was generous and quickly dressed his torso as Molly apologized thoroughly. But he was okay, and he wanted to make sure she was okay, too. He told her that he would never do anything with her that she was not comfortable with. He kissed her goodbye, and she was able to at least fall asleep with that lingering on her lips.

But this morning, she just thought about what had happened the previous night. She thought about the immense amount of emotion she felt with him, tangled up in him, alcohol buzzing through her head and blood. She was happy. She liked being in his arms; she liked having her lips on his. It felt right to her.

She wanted to talk to Chase about it more than anything. She always got frustrated having to walk all the way over to town and get him off the job to get him to talk. She wished he were available more often during the day; she just really loved talking to him.

She suddenly didn't care anymore. She couldn't move from her bed, she was just too in shock and was feeling a wave of sickness. She couldn't tell if it was because of what happened last night with Luke or just from the alcohol, or even just her own mind playing games, but she found zero desire to leave her bed. She reached over and grabbed the phone on the nightstand, and started dialing the number for the Brass Bar.

It rang a few times, and then Hayden picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Hayden, it's Molly. I was—"

"Hey Molly!"

She breathed a smile. "Hi. I was wondering if I could possibly speak to Chase? I know he's working but—"

"Yeah of course! Hopefully Yolanda won't rip my head off but it shouldn't be a problem. Hold on."

She snickered to herself. She heard shuffling on the other end, some voices speaking in the background, and then some more shuffling. Finally, Molly heard Chase's voice.

"Um, Molly?"

"Look I know it's like not even ten in the morning but do you think you can make me a plate of spaghetti and bring it over? I know you're working but are you busy? I just really need to talk."

"Is everything okay? Are you sick, hurt?" he asked nervously.

"Maybe a little sick. It could be in my head but… I'm sorry, is there any way you could get off work and just hang out with me for a bit here?"

"Yeah, I'll ask Yolanda now. Hold on."

Molly waited patiently yet again, her eyes searching the room. It didn't take very long that she heard his voice on the other line again.

"She said it's fine. I'll make you some spaghetti and I'll bring it over. I'll be there soon. Hang tight, okay?"

She broke a grin. "Thanks. I'll unlock the door for you. You're the best."

He laughed. "Yeah, I know. See you in a few."

With that, he hung up. Molly sluggishly made her way out of the bed and walked over to the front door to unlock it for the chef. She immediately fell right back into the covers, as the bed consumed her and she absorbed it. She cradled herself in the comforters, thinking back to yesterday, falling in and out of a strange tiredness.

It didn't even take him more than twenty minutes to arrive. Molly looked up to hear the door opening and closing, to then find Chase making his way through the floor holding a container filled with the requested food. She couldn't help but crack a smile at him, as she rolled herself over and sat herself up to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately, placing the spaghetti to the side and feeling her forehead. "Hm, you're not warm…"

"Luke kissed me."

Chase now perked an eyebrow at her, now making himself comfortable on the bed. He was leaned back against the wall, as Molly was sitting up, now crisscross and bundled up in the comforter. It took him a few minutes to say anything, but she watched the contours in his face change and his eyes go from wide to soft yet again.

"Wow, um…how'd you take that?"

She smirked slightly. "Obviously well," she breathed. "But I think he wanted to have sex with me."

"What?" Chase nearly jumped in his spot, concern evident in his face. "You didn't…did you?"

"No!" she was quick to defend. "No. Of course not. I've told you before that I want to do it with someone that I love for the first time. You know that."

"Yeah, I know." Chase snickered. "Sometimes I forget that you're still a virgin."

She glared at him now, but her lips still curved to a smile. "Is something wrong with that?"

He immediately realized the position he put himself in. His eyes widened for the second time and he said quickly, "No! Absolutely nothing wrong with that! I…I admire it a lot, actually. Sometimes I wish I 'd waited for someone I really cared about. Or loved."

She began to playfully kick him while her feet were still under the covers. A playful smile crossed her lips as she said, "You still need to tell me whom you did it with! I'm so curious!"

"Ha, that'll be the day. I'm taking that one to the grave."

"I won't let you. You'll spill one of these days."

He chuckled. "We'll see."

She stuck her tongue out at her best friend. She always enjoyed Chase's company. She reached over and grabbed her tray of spaghetti, accompanied with a plastic fork, as she began scooping it into her mouth. Delicious as always, she knew, so she hummed in delight.

"Amazing, of course," she looked at him, sauce dripping from the corners of her mouth.

Chase snatched a napkin and quickly swiped it clean. He smiled at her sincerely and said, "Always gotta make it the best for my best customer."

She threw him a cheesy smile, and finished her dish. Chase took a few here in there, sharing some simple conversation in between. It was very easy for the two of them to be comfortable with each other. While Chase could throw a cold demeanor most of the time, Molly noticed how easily Chase had warmed up to her. She loved it. She loved knowing that he wasn't afraid to show his emotions, to be kind and gentle with her when he needed to be. It took some time, of course, but all of a sudden it just became what their friendship was in that moment. Their playful antics and easy relationship made Molly feel whole inside. She was grateful for Chase, and couldn't imagine Castanet without him. Especially when he took off work to share a plate of spaghetti with her at ten in the morning.

Suddenly, he sighed. Molly looked up. "Alright, tell me more about the Luke thing. Where is this going?"

Molly couldn't help but giggle childishly. "I'm not too sure myself," she admitted. "I have a feeling we're going to see each other soon. I mean, he was really, really good about not continuing further when I didn't want to. He seemed really embarrassed that he even tried to, y'know? He's a genuine guy."

Molly loved that she was able to share her love life with someone. Granted, she didn't feel comfortable sharing her secret encounters with Luke with anyone else. Plus, she didn't think anybody else knew about it, either. She only told Chase about these things because for some reason, she just found him to be the best ear. He knew how men worked and he sincerely listened. He didn't make any crude jokes; he genuinely took everything Molly had to offer and gave back whatever she needed to hear in return. He was the best friend she needed.

"You really need someone like that," Chase finally said. "Someone genuine. How does it feel, finally putting yourself out there in the dating world?"

Molly shrugged. "Really strange. I mean it just kind of happened. But still strange."

Chase nodded. "Understandably so. I mean, you've had like what, one? Two boyfriends in your life?"

Molly gave him a firm kick to the thigh. "Shut up."

"It's not a bad thing!" Chase retaliated yet again. He then mumbled, "But I'm just saying."

"Well then who have you dated, hm?" Molly crossed her arms and threw the chef a glare. "And if you tell me this person, is it the same person you lost your virginity to?"

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, this is the most you're going to know about this. I've dated one girl here on Castanet. It didn't work out too great, we only dated for about a season and then it ended. And no, it's not the same girl I lost my virginity to."

"Oh shit," Molly's eyes widened like saucers.

"No judgments!" he pointed a finger at her. "Okay?"

She nodded her head frantically. She just wanted to know.

He exhaled. "Alright." A few seconds had passed and he was staring down in his lap, before he finally came clean and said, "I dated Renee."

Molly, excitement surging through her, began throwing her arms down on the bed. He started laughing at her obvious enthusiasm. In a squeaky voice, Molly squealed, "No way!"

"It didn't work out though so don't get excited!" Chase tried to calm her down. She settled. "Well obviously it didn't work out. She's with Toby now."

"How did this happen?!"

He shrugged, and then sighed. "Well, we grew up living right next to each other. And Flute Fields is so far from everything else—far from town, far from the mines, and then your huge plot of land that was barren forever really separated us. So we got to know each other pretty easily seeing one another so often back in our neck of the woods. And then we tried dating, but it just didn't work out between us. She's meant to be with Toby."

Molly, still overwhelmed, dug her fingers through her brown locks. "I still can't believe it…!"

He puffed a laugh. "Yeah, I know. Hard to believe."

Molly tried to imagine the idea of Chase and Renee being a couple. It seemed like it could work; yet, it didn't entirely shock her that it failed. He could be so cold and she was so gentle. While Molly didn't know how it ended—it obviously occurred before she moved in—she could definitely understand why. Molly couldn't help, however, feeling a strange tingle in her stomach as she thought of the idea of Chase being romantically involved. Confused and afraid, she shoved the feeling aside.

"So!" the farmer started, using her newfound energy to jump out of bed. "You're off work, I'm feeling better, let's do something today!"

Chase glared at the girl in front of him, laughing but also very perplexed. "Okay, like what?"

She shrugged. "Anything. But first, you're going to help me handle my farm. Because…. I haven't exactly done that yet."

"Molly!"

"C'mon, slowpoke!" she squeaked, reaching over for his hands and tugging with all of her might to get him to his feet. "You said you'd hang out with me so you have to help me too!"

"Um, I said I'd bring you spaghetti and talk. I didn't agree to this all day thing."

She glared up at him, noticing his curly, strawberry blonde locks falling in front of his amethyst orbs. She threw him a puppy dog look, batting her eyes sadly, and said, "You don't want to hang out with me?"

She's done this to him before. And each time, he reacted the same exact way. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and he threw his entire head back, and groaned loudly. After he picked it back up, he looked down at her and said, "Alright. Let's go."

Elated, she squeaked, and dragged him outside to the fields.

Somehow, later that day, Molly and Chase found themselves in Town Hall chatting it up with Gill. Molly and Gill were never entirely close, but she knew that he was with Chase so she always gave him the benefit of the doubt. She was never one to judge based off of initial attitude anymore, due to the fact that a wonderful friendship formed out of she and Chase when he was originally sarcastic and rude. So the three of them hung out behind the desk while Gill was on the job, waiting for the potential that someone might walk through the doors and need something. But usually, this late in the day, no one was found stepping through needing any assistance.

"He does it all the time," Gill growled at the two of them, finishing his story.

"What does he even say?" Molly wondered, trying to bite back a smile. She couldn't help it though; this was just too much.

He rolled his eyes. "Just yesterday he walked in claiming he wanted to buy a vacation house. Because he was 'banging Luna.' I mean, it's ridiculous. He's ridiculous." He gripped the bridge of his nose firmly and mumbled, "I swear, if I could throw every imbecile off this island, I would."

"Wait," Chase said, quickly glancing over at me, and then back at the frustrated blonde in front of them. "Luke and Luna aren't…actually, are they?"

"I highly doubt it," Gill responded coldly. "Luna isn't an idiot. She wouldn't get herself involved with a guy like him: arrogant, hyper, and just overall obnoxious. He's revolting. She's too intelligent for someone so self-centered."

Gill said Luke's name as if it were rubbish, and Molly noted that. She cringed a little bit, hearing the way he spoke of Luke. She looked nervously over to Chase, who just threw her sad and concerned eyes, then accompanied by a settling grin. She felt warmer.

She knew Gill mainly said those things because of his obvious crush on Luna. And she may even like him back, however, Luna is too high and mighty to admit feelings of any sort so she certainly wouldn't do anything. Plus, she was always a fan of a good cat and mouse game—that was for sure. Chase and Molly talked about it all the time whenever Gill's name came into conversation. So of course she was going to tug Gill around before they maybe started dating, but in the mean time, this was where they were.

As if on cue, Anissa and Jin walked through the doors of the Town Hall. While they were all a little surprised to even see anyone come through at this time, Molly couldn't help but feel a wave of relief come over her. She needed out of this conversation for sure. While hearing Luke's ridiculous antics to bother Gill were surely entertaining and very, very Luke, she couldn't listen to Gill's obvious disgust over the carpenter that she not only has feelings for, but also just recently made out with. It was taunting and even a bit humiliating. Even though he didn't realize what he was doing, Molly couldn't help but feel like an idiot.

"Oh! Hello everyone!" Anissa smiled sweetly to the three of us. Gill had already risen from his seat to attend to the two customers.

Molly, excited to see Anissa, waved back cheerily. She got up from her seat and made her way over towards the couple to talk to them. "Hi Anissa!" She then turned her attention to her boyfriend, Jin, whom she wasn't as familiar with. She saw more of him ever since they recently started dating, however, other than that, their only interactions were in the clinic. "Hey, Jin!"

"Good afternoon Molly," Jin smiled kindly to her. "Taking care of yourself?"

"Of course," she replied just as genuine. "What are you two doing here today?"

"Molly." She glanced over to see Gill glaring at her. "Do you mind letting me do my job?"

Taken aback, Molly threw her hands up defensively and grumbled, "Well then!" before turning around and making her way back over to sit beside Chase.

"Hey," he nudged her in a whisper, as the other three talked not too far away. Molly's attention was on the chef now, her ears perked and her eyes wide. "I'm really sorry about Gill."

"It's fine," she lied with a tight heart. "Luke can get on people's nerves. It is what it is."

"You looked hurt. You look hurt," Chase said worriedly. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm good," she nodded a few times, trying not to think about it. "Really."

Chase just threw her a smile, obviously trying to cheer her up. His efforts were certainly noted, because Molly couldn't help but smile back at him. She let out a sigh and clasped her hands together, intertwining her own fingers.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about, okay?" Chase continued, her eyes then looking into his. His warm smiled reappeared, and he said softer, "Just do whatever makes you happy, and forget the rest."

That bizarre feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. With a grin and a squeeze of her hands, she tried to push the feeling past her yet again. But this time, it lingered just a bit longer than it had before. She tried not to think anything of it, because granted, she didn't even know what it meant.

A/N: Sorry, this chapter was a bit of a filler. I just wanted to show more of Chase's and Molly's relationship, because I think they deserved a closer look on their friendship. More drama (as well as different perspectives) to come soon! Love y'all!