Author's Note: Chapter Six! Two Chapter One Night! Awesome...going to sleep like a baby now! Shout out to my bestie! Love you my PIC. As Always Read/Enoy/Review!

Chapter Six: Five Word Question To Change Your Life

" Love. Love is everything. Even when you think you don't need it, you do."-Anonymous.

Third Weekend in May

I'm going crazy. Completely insane. I let out a disgruntled groan as I toss yet another dress aside. It shouldn't be this hard. Not to pick out a simple outfit to meet Chase's mother.

Chase's mother.

The thought terrifies me.

From everything I've heard of Emily Porter, the matriarch of the Porter family, she's not someone to mess with. A fierce business woman is even fiercer when it comes to her boys, and I have to meet her, and I'm praying to God that I don't screw it up.

" Hey, wow. Did the closet explode?" Chase asks from the doorway and I whirl around at him, a pink sundress in my hands and I point the hanging frock at him accusingly.

" This is your fault, all of your fault. You just sprung this, this brunch on me, and with your mother. Didn't give me a fighting chance in hell to plan, to be sure that I'm ready, and what in the world do you find so funny?" I demand when he laughs, shoulders shaking.

" Your just so adorable when you get flustered."

" Oh well I'm so glad that you think me being on the brink of insanity is so appealing, will you think so when you have to commit me?" I ask turning back to the closet.

" Ahh, baby," he says wrapping his arms around me from behind, pressing his lips to the top of my head, " Its going to be okay. My mom is going to love you."

" Easy for you to say," I mutter, tossing the dress in my hands onto the bed.

" Hey, look at me," he says turning me around to look in his eyes, " Relax. I promise you, my mom will love you. Now take a deep breath, pick one of your pretty dresses and get ready."

" How are you so sure she's going to love me?" I ask as he heads towards the bedroom door, and he turns flashing his dimples and dazzling smile.

" Because I love you."

XXX

" A mansion?" I stammer, staring at the rambling mansion behind wrought iron gates. Perfectly manicured lawn with beautiful rose bushes lining the drive way.

" Its home," Chase says taking my hand in his, squeezing lightly.

" Why didn't you tell me?"

" Does it change anything?"

" Well no, but still, would have been nice to know," I murmur, my heart beating erratically as Chase pulls in beside Mark's car. I knew that Chase's family was well off. I just didn't realize they were mansion living well off.

" Look, the fact that my family has money has been a sore spot for me for most of my life. People tend to gravitate towards money," he says and I nod my head fully understanding.

" I know, but you have to know that it doesn't matter to me. At all," I say and he smiles brushing a finger over my cheek.

" I know it doesn't. You ready?" he asks and with a shrug of my shoulder I push the car door open.

" Chase, is that you darling?" A velvety voice calls out echoing through the large entrance hall and I smile shrugging out of the thin pale green cardigan sweater I paired with my matching pale green flowy sundress.

" Yes Mom, one moment," Chase calls out hanging my cardigan in a small closet just off the entrance hall, before turning to take my clutch bag from me, " Remember just breathe and be yourself."

" All right," I manage weakly and I take his hand and follow closely behind him.

There's so much to take in, and my fingers inch to run my over the cherry wood banister of the winding staircase, but I don't. I fix a smile to my face, which becomes genuine when I see Mark, Tate, and Carson sitting on plush leather couches.

" Brae!" Tate calls excitedly, bouncing across the room gathering me in a tight hug.

" Hi, I've missed you. How's school going?" I ask, and before he can launch into what I'm sure will be an entertaining story the soft sound of someone clearing their throat stops him.

" Mom, I'd like you to meet Brae, Brae my mother Emily Porter," Chase says and I'm struck momentarily voiceless as I take Emily's appearance in.

She has perfect porcelain skin, beautiful and perfect make up and I'd swear she wasn't any older than fifty thought I know better. Her shiny blonde hair in a neat French twist accentuates breathtaking bone structure, and I realize that she's staring at me with Chase's eyes.

" It's a pleasure to meet you," I say thanking my lucky stars that my voice remains level, " Chase has told me so much about you, but he didn't tell me what a beautiful home you have."

" Thank you," Emily says taking my hand firmly in hers, her eyes appraising me, " I wish I could say the same."

" Mother," Chase sighs and my heart drops into my stomach as I realize that all ready I've done something wrong.

" Well it's the truth," she says waving at us to sit down.

" Mom, please," Chase pleads and she smiles adoringly at him.

" Brunch will be served very shortly, why don't you boys go out to the terrace and set the table, while I give Braelyn the ground tour."

" I think I'll stay," Chase says and I feel some relief but it quickly disappears.

" Don't be difficult Chase Anthony, I wont bite the girl, go help your brothers," Emily insists and with a look of apprehension on his face Chase gets to his feet and bends to brush a kiss to my cheek.

" Mother, please be nice."

" Always, now go."

Suddenly I'm thrust into an awkward silence and I feel my cheeks heat up under Emily's gaze.

" Shall we?" she asks and I nod my head before stealing a glance at the clock and inwardly groan.

Has it really only been ten minutes?

XXX

I walk beside Emily in silence, hands clasped together, and before I know it she leads me into what I'm guessing is the study.

" Please, take a seat," Emily says and I do as I'm told and sit in one of the high backed chairs.

" So, tell me, is it the money that has you living with my son? Hoping to get his ring on your finger and hands on his trust fund?" she asks, and I'm dumbfounded by her bluntness that all I can do at first is blink owlishly at her.

" Excuse me?" I manage and she lets out a cool laugh.

" I believe you heard me. I know your type, pretty face, not much brains, think you can draw Chase in with a willing body, but it wont happen."

" I'm sorry, I don't think I'm following. I just found out the extent of Chase's fortune," I say feeling suddenly backed into a corner, but she waves me off with cynical laughter and a wave of a perfectly manicured hand.

" Please, I've heard that story as well. What I haven't heard is whatever sad story you used on my son to pull him in," she says, " Let me guess, some sob story. Poor family, had to work hard for what little you had? Parents are drug addicts in the valley?"

Finally everything clicks, and anger at her accusations hits me hard.

" My parents died, when I was eighteen, drunk driver. Yes, I worked hard for everything I have, but my parents weren't poor, quiet the contrary actually. My mother was a music professor, and my father a doctor, just like Chase. I do well on my own, and I love your son, and I don't need a willing body to pull your son in. He pursued me, not the other way around, and I love him. Very much," I say furious that this woman is making me cry, " But I can see that my presence here is not wanted. If you'll excuse me."

XXX

I manage to get to the end of the long hall before I completely break, tears rolling so quickly down my face that I can barely see causing me to run head long into someone.

" I, I'm sorry," I stammer but strong arms circle my wrists.

" Brae?" Mark's voice breaks through my haze of heart ache.

" I, I have to go," I choke out.

" What happened?"

" I have to go. Please, tell Chase I'm sorry," I call rushing past him.

" Brae, wait!"

XXX

" Brae, Braelyn!" Chase's voice echoes behind me as I stand staring at the wrought iron gates keeping me in this hell.

" I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I stammer turning around quickly, " Why am I apologizing. You left me ALONE with her! Left me alone to be attacked and accused and backed into a corner! You haven't told her a thing about me, at all! Are you ashamed of me?"

" What? Are you crazy?" he demands and I shake my head throwing my hands up to stop him from touching me.

" What else am I supposed to think? We've been together for nearly four months and living together for almost a month and she doesn't know anything about me!" I scream, wiping at my streaming eyes furiously, " Do you know what she had the nerve to ask me? If my parents were drug addicts in the Valley! You didn't even tell her my parents were dead. I want to go home. Now."

" Brae, please, we'll go talk to her right now," he says but I shake my head furiously.

" No. I want to go home, please just take me home," I beg, doubling over as the pain of this entire fiasco punches through me.

" I'll take her, Chase, I'll take her, I'm sure you'll want to stay and talk to Mom," Mark offers and I let him lead me away, an arm wrapped sympathetically around me.

XXX

I didn't even have to tell Mark to take me to Evy's rather than the house Chase and I share, and I rush through the door and into the arms of my waiting best friend.

" Oh, Evy," I cry as she sits me on the couch, " She hates me. For no reason. This is horrible. I don't understand. I didn't do anything wrong."

" Shh, shh. She's just a crotchety old bitch," Evy says, " Sorry Mark."

" No don't apologize, I agree," he laughs and I almost do to, only I cant. It still hurts. So I leave Evy and Mark to sit together and find comfort and peace in my " room."

I fell into an exhausted sleep from crying, and I wake confused for just a second as to why I'm laying in my old room alone, rather than in my new room with Chase. Then I remember, and shudder at the memory of being trapped in the study with Emily being verbally attacked.

I shuffle into the living room and into an all new kind of absurdity.

Evangeline's POV

" So, these are the colors you've settled on for the wedding?" Mark asks me and I smile and nod as he holds up the swatches of cloth in my chosen colors for my Autumn wedding, " Very pretty."

" Thank you," I say and before I can jump headlong into wedding talk with him my phone rings a familiar tone and I answer it quickly.

" Hi baby," I say holding a hand up to Mark, smiling at Brae who curls onto the couch next to him, her head laying on his shoulder.

" Hello love, how goes the wedding plans?" Jared asks and I smile fiddling with my hair.

" Better. Though we still need to talk about your tux," I say, pacing the hall.

" I told you, powder blue ruffles."

" No."

" Yes."

" No."

" Yes."

" Absolutely not."

" Absolutely yes."

" Jared Joseph Leto," I demand storming back into the living room, " You will not wear a powder blue ruffled tuxedo to our wedding!"

" Why not?"

" It will clash for one, and for two this isn't the seventies."

" Come on, babe, it would be awesome."

" No."

" Does it really matter, I'd marry you naked."

" Mmm, now you might have something there," I muse and his laughter tells me that he's ready to listen to reason and get serious about his small part of planning the happiest day of our lives.

Braelyn's POV

I smile and wave into the sunshine as Mark drives away and I stare at the front door of the house I share with Chase. I hadn't intentionally spent the night away from him, but I think it did me some good to get some space and refocus myself.

Before I can slide the key into the door I hear someone behind me, and I turn and nearly let out a stream of curse words when I see that its Emily.

" Braelyn," Emily says and I sigh heavily turning back around to unlock the door.

" Wont you come in?" I ask as politely as I can and she walks past me and I have to wonder who I must have pissed off to still be stuck in this hell.

" Did you take this picture?" Emily asks standing in front of a large framed photo of Chase in black and white, smiling his gorgeous smile.

" Yes," I say and I watch her face as it softens.

" I owe you an apology," she says turning towards me and I stare at her, wondering if this is going to be sincere or an empty apology, " Come sit with me please."

I sit next to her on the couch and she folds her hands demurely in her lap.

" I'm very protective of my sons. I have to be. When you come from money, well, I'm sure you understand," she says and I nod my head, " However, my protectiveness over my son in no way excuses my treatment of you yesterday. Chase and I had a long talk yesterday. You'll have to understand that I was quiet caught off guard when Chase asked to bring you home for brunch when I had just heard of you in passing. So initially I expected that you were just another nameless girl that he was spending time with. I didn't realize the, seriousness of your relationship."

" I understand where your coming from Emily, I do, but I need you to know, to understand that Chase having money doesn't change anything. Doesn't make me love him or want him in my life any more or less," I say and she pats my hand gently.

" I understand that now," she says smiling at me, and I can tell its genuine, by the way it lights up her eyes, just as a genuine smile on Chase's face lights up his, " As I said, Chase and I had a long talk. I will never be able to apologize enough for what I said of your parents. I know now that they were amazing people."

" They really were," I murmur and she purses her lips like she's unsure what to say next.

" I would like nothing more than to have a fresh start with you," she says and I nod my head smiling at her.

" I'd like that."

XXX

With music playing in my ears I work through my chemistry notes and nearly jump out of my skin when a hand brushes over my shoulder.

" Oh my God! Chase," I say pausing my music before looking up at him.

" I'm sorry. You didn't hear me when I called your name," Chase says and I stretch up to press a kiss to his lips.

" That's okay, how was your day?" I ask, and his low sigh tells me it was a rough one, " That bad huh?"

" Yeah. Do you want to take a walk with me?" he asks and I look at the time finding that its almost ten o'clock at night and I nod my head.

" Sure, I could use some fresh air," I say, and I take his hand letting him lead the way.

" So Emily cam by this morning," I say as Chase and I walk hand in hand and his answering 'hmm' tells me to continue, " She apologized, and I think she meant everything she said."

" She did. One thing about my mom, she wont apologize unless she means it," Chase says as he lowers himself onto the grass of our favorite park. He pulls me down with him so that I'm sitting between his legs my back pressed to his chest, and he links our hands together over my upraised knee's.

" Well that's good to know," I say sighing happily as I lay my head against his shoulder.

" She likes you."

" Are you kidding me?"

" No. I could tell yesterday when I went to speak with her. She was impressed that you stood up for yourself. One thing she cant stand is a woman who doesn't speak her mind, and everything I told her just made her think more of you."

" Hmm," I murmur, staring into the dimly lit secluded area we sit in.

" I have something for you," he murmurs and I smile, eyes closed and I feel his hand cover mine, something sliding over my finger, and I open my eyes.

I stare down at my left hand, startled by the ring that shimmers at me. A beautiful heart shaped diamond ring sits in a classic diamond pave setting, and my breath catches in my throat.

" Braelyn, will you marry me?"