Howdy howdy, my lovelies! Can y'all believe we're on chapter 50? Absolutely insane, thank y'all for sticking with this for so long even through those rough early chapters. Please enjoy the last chapter of the year! ~Shaymie

Chase

Coming to Symphony Farm early in the morning always turned into a mistake.

He'd either end up taking care of Molly when she was high off her ass, being mocked by Angela for visiting so early in the first place, or his newest dilemma: being unable to stop thinking about how Molly definitely didn't sleep with a bra on. Such a stupid thing to get hung up on, especially when he knew it was perfectly normal. But it's different when it's her and she's standing in front of him with the top couple buttons of her shirt unbuttoned and not a damn clue what she's doing to him. It's almost unfair, the effect she had on him. She had a way of sneaking into his thoughts at the worst of times.

"Chase?" she murmured, tilting her head in that irritatingly adorable way of hers. The motion caused her bangs to fall into her face. "What brings you here so early?"

"I..." This is going to sound so stupid... She has important shit to do and I'm here just because I can't stand the thought of her fucking someone else. "I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out later."

She blinked up at him in silence and he worried for a moment that she would see right through him with those stupidly pretty eyes. God, how in the hell could brown eyes look so nice? They were warm and bright, like pools of honey, and he's never met anyone as expressive as her. He could become an expert in reading her if he let himself stare longer. That would just give Angela more ammunition and the last thing he wanted was her finding ways to be even more annoying and tease him. Didn't she have her own life? Why was she so worried about Molly's? She said that none of Molly's business was her own but she was always sticking her nose in it.

"You came all this way so early in the morning to ask me that?" she giggled. Her laugh sounded like bells, and he took a moment to wonder when the hell he turned into such a sap. Even with Lillie he'd never been this corny. He could see Angela just over her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow and gave him the smuggest smile known to man. Unlike Molly, she could see right through him, perfectly pin down all the emotions he's been trying to hide. He's spent weeks trying to deny what he felt for Molly. Convinced himself it was just some fleeting infatuation for the new girl that would go away after a while.

Instead these damn feelings have only gotten stronger. Not even finally getting laid fixed it or got rid of it. He just had to man up and admit that he maybe, probably... definitely liked her. A terrifying thought after the disaster of dating Lillie. He swore to himself he'd never date anyone again. It wasn't worth all the drama. It was easier just hooking up with random chicks. They wouldn't get attached and he wouldn't get stupidly jealous. But now look where he is. Falling head over heels for Molly and envious of the fact that she had some kind of agreement with Selena: dance lessons in exchange for sex. Selena loved to brag about it during the rare times the two of them were alone at the bar. He's started coming in later to prep just so he didn't have to hear it.

"I wanted to ask before you made plans with anyone."You mean Selena, you jealous asshole, that voice in his head supplied, rather unhelpfully.

"There's this neat little invention called a phone. Maybe you should try using it," Angela piped up from behind her sister, walking up and draping an arm over her shoulder. Now he really had to watch himself and make sure he didn't stare at Molly's tits. He could swear they've gotten bigger since she's moved here. It made sense since she's been gaining weight but it wasn't something he had ever considered happening. They weren't as big as Angela's but they still looked like they'd be a nice handful—

No. Nope. He's not doing this. Not with Molly of all people.

"It's fine, Angie. I'm bad at answering texts anyway." Molly smiled at Chase, the innocent look on her face making him feel even worse for perving on her. She deserved better than that. "I'm free later. Did you have anything particular in mind?"

He held back a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure what he'd have done if she turned him down, especially in front of Angela. It took every bit of willpower in him to not blush when he realized he had to invite Molly out while her sister was looking at him with an expectant look in her eyes. He should have just waited to do this when Molly came over later. It's not like Selena was going to show up to steal her away. He doubted she ever woke up before noon. No, he was just stupidly impatient and jealous and wanted the pride of calling first dibs.

"The weather is supposed to be nice today and I was wondering if you were interested in having a picnic." Molly's eyes lit up excitedly. She took a step forward, letting Angela's arm fall from her shoulder. Again Chase's gaze fell where it shouldn't. Angela noticed this time, her eyes darkening with a fury only an older sibling could have, and stared daggers into his soul. Shit. He'd be lucky to not end up compost by tomorrow. Molly was blissfully unaware of her sister's murderous gaze behind her and gave him a warm smile.

"I didn't think you were the picnicking type! Maybe I'm finally rubbing off on you!" Fucking hell, her phrasing. Maybe the problem was him always finding some way to corrupt the innocent things she'd say. Is he really that desperate? So pathetic. He hoped she didn't notice the way his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

"You're a bad influence, Freckles. Next thing you know, I'll be bringing cookies to church and feeding stray cats."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!"

"I don't mean to interrupt but we have things to do. You know, like eating breakfast and watering the crops? You two can talk later." Angela ruffled her sister's already-frizzy hair with a grin. Molly blushed. It felt almost criminal, her looking the way she did even with no make-up and a full head of bedhead. She'd bring a weaker man to his knees with little effort. As it was, Chase found it impossible not to be dazzled by her. She was a beautiful oxymoron of a person: shy yet stubborn, clumsy but graceful.

Goddess, she really turned him into a sappy loser.

Somehow he managed to leave with his dignity after confirming the... what the hell should he call this? It's not a date. It's just two friends hanging out having a picnic. A picnic. Goddess, how stupid can he be? Like he wasn't already having a tough time convincing people that they weren't dating. Anissa and Ruth would sometimes give each other a look when they saw Molly coming over, and even Craig had given him a gruff warning to "treat that girl right." Kasey's kids were totally convinced the two of them were dating and told Taylor, which led to the little brat making kissy faces at the sight of them together. Unsurprisingly, Molly never noticed any of it.

How the hell was someone so dense and unaware of her own surroundings?

Of all the people he had to fall for, it just had to be the ditz, didn't it? The spacey airhead with two left feet and a level of trust in humanity Chase hasn't seen in a long time. No fucking wonder her siblings were so protective of her. She's a dopey idiot. Not that he'd ever say that to her face, or anyone's face. He's already on Angela's shit list for staring at Molly like he was some horny teenager. He still hasn't seen much of Kasey but he was still scared of the guy. What did he do back in the city? He was built as hell!

The walk home felt like nothing at all with the way his thoughts were rushing through his head. He tied his hair back (he should really cut it at some point) and went straight to the kitchen. Why the hell did he invite her on a picnic, of all things? Even after all this time he didn't know what foods she liked. She ate anything he cooked for her without complaint. The one thing he was sure she really liked was Grandpa's ravioli. Would that be appropriate to bring to a picnic? If he went too fancy with it then people really would think it was a date. He shouldn't have promised her a fucking picnic when he didn't have a single thing planned. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint her.

His brow furrowed as he rummaged through the kitchen. Sandwiches were easy. People brought sandwiches to these things, right? Maybe a salad on the side? She's been able to eat more lately so maybe he should include some snacks. She said that she's also bringing something but refused to say what it is because she wanted it to be a surprise. It was probably going to be some sort of bread if what Angela said was true and Molly really has been cooped up just because she's been baking. He still saw her in the mornings so it's not like he hasn't been speaking to her. He just didn't get to see her at night anymore.

Stupid pretty girl with her stupid smile and pretty eyes... When did he start caring about someone else so much? He was perfectly fine living his solitary life before she moved here. Why did she have to be so stubborn and insist on talking to him?

Why did he keep going to the beach after realizing she was waiting for him almost every night?

He could have kept his distance, but he didn't. He could have told her to leave him alone the first night she came to the bar, but he didn't. The blame was on both of them (but mostly him for developing these stupid feelings in the first place). He was a weak, weak man if one woman could break him down like this. He didn't want to admit it because it felt like accepting defeat. It was like losing a part of himself and he wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Raeger's gonna have a fucking field day when he hears about this...

Chase groaned at that thought as he gathered a few Tupperware containers. His brother always made fun of his lack of relationship experience. He's had sex with plenty of women but Lillie's the only one he's ever actually dated. She was the only one with patience to deal with him and even then, she was always trying to change him. She thought he was "too crude" and always apologized for him when he said things people might not like. He refused to filter himself for other people's comfort and she worried too much about what others thought of her (and him, by extension). They should have known it wouldn't work out but they still gave it half a year before calling it quits. Between her hating his brutal honesty and the way he'd get jealous when she got the slightest bit of attention from other guys, it's a goddamn miracle they lasted that long.

If he wasn't careful, his jealousy could ruin things with Molly. Even though he knew there was no chance in hell of them ever getting together, he still wanted to be friends with her. They put too much work into their friendship to throw it away because of his stupid envy. He had to find something else to think about by the time she showed up later. Knowing her, she'd get upset at seeing him in a bad mood and think that she did something wrong. It's not her fault he's a pathetic mess. So much for playing it cool. He would have been better off denying his feelings longer.

Molly reminded him a lot of Lillie. Maybe he had a thing for sweet little brunettes who were way out of his league. What did Lillie ever see in him anyway? Maurice knew from the start that he wasn't any good for Lillie. He always seemed two seconds away from strangling him when he saw him with his daughter. Chase had to wonder why Angela was so insistent on him accepting his feelings. He couldn't tell if she actually wanted him to get with Molly or not considering she's threatened to kill him if he ever hurt her.

And Kasey's supposed to somehow be worse...

"Sorry I'm late," Molly blushed, tucking a bit of curly hair behind her ear. He wished it was a bit colder so he had something to blame his red cheeks on. She looked cute. Pretty, even. Her caramel curls were tied back in a high ponytail, accented with a big white bow. He's not an expert in make-up or anything but he could tell that she had done something different with it. Her eyelashes look fuller than usual and her cheeks seemed extra rosy. She giggled nervously—goddess, that sound was precious—and held up the half loaf of bread in her hands. "Pretzel's normally really good about not messing with stuff but he really wanted this. He wouldn't stop trying to get at it."

...Why did he get the feeling that the cat somehow found out about their not-date and tried to sabotage it?

Having Selena as a rival for Molly's attention was bad enough. How the hell is he going to compete with a cat? Why would he want to compete with the cat? It's a fucking cat!

"You're actually right on time. I just finished setting everything up."

Molly's pretty honey eyes went over the spread curiously. He might have gone a bit overboard with the food. Did they really need three different types of sandwiches? Definitely not. But he was an indecisive bastard and rather than waste time debating what to make, he made every option. It's not like it really mattered. She wasn't picky. She still had some reservations about eating in front of people but he never stayed long enough to watch her eat, anyway. He had to make sure he didn't stare at her during this picnic and make her uncomfortable.

Though that might prove a bit difficult.

Her outfit... there's no way Angela didn't have something to do with it. The sweater was no big deal, really. She wore sweaters all the time, but none that bared her shoulders like that... Who knew that even her shoulders had freckles? He might have seen them at the Summer Festival but he wasn't paying attention then. He didn't want to pay attention. Now the only thing he could do was pay attention. His gaze dropped lower, to the beige checkered skirt she was wearing. It was shorter and tighter than anything else she's ever worn, showing off her surprisingly thick thighs. His mouth suddenly felt dry. How was he going to get through this? It'll be a miracle if she doesn't notice his awkward glances.

"You really came prepared!" She smiled, taking a seat across from him on the blanket. Thank goodness she was wearing tights under the skirt. She set her bread down next to the salad. "I can't wait to try everything. Your cooking is incredible."

"I could say the same to you." He grabbed a paper plate and started piling up a bit of everything. She blinked curiously, her cheeks steadily growing pink when she realized what he said. She can't keep doing this to him. Every little thing she does flusters him, like she's the first girl he's ever spoken to. Staying aloof would have been better for his heart and his sanity. He handed her the plate of food and prayed to every god he knew of that she wouldn't call him out on his weird behavior because he didn't have a clue what he'd say.

Just play it cool...

For once he was hoping she'd stay home tonight instead of going to the bar. He needed some time to pull himself together and not think about her. Is this what Angela wanted, Molly occupying every inch of Chase's thoughts? He had to get over this eventually, right? If not the crush, then at the very least, the intensity of these feelings had to die down at some point. It's just overwhelming because he's never genuinely liked someone like this before. He'll get over this and then he can go back to being cool and collected around Molly. Hopefully.

"I don't think anything I make will ever be as good as what you can cook up," she said quietly, accepting the plate he handed her. She bit her bottom lip and sighed. "...Did I ever tell you that I dropped out of culinary school? My dad even called in every favor he could to get me in without all the recommendations I would have needed. I just couldn't handle it."

"I never would have thought you were the type to drop out of school."

"Dad told me it was fine if I didn't like it, but he wanted me to at least try. He's smarter than I was. He wanted me to have a back-up. Even if I didn't have the accident, ballet wouldn't have been a forever thing." She took a bite of food and sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn't bring the mood down—"

"What do you mean, 'not a forever thing?' I thought you were perfectly fine before the accident." He thought back to the videos he'd seen of her performing. Was she injured in some way that he never noticed? She never walked with a limp or looked like she was in pain. There's no way her father would let her perform if she was hurt. From what he's heard, he was a pretty great dad.

"Ballet puts a lot of stress on the body. Most people retire at 30, maybe 35, but I've heard of someone who kept performing well into her 60s. I was always really careful but sometimes I'd push myself too hard and have to take it easy for a while. I would have been lucky if I lasted ten more years." Molly gave a soft chuckle and scratched her cheek. He stared at her in shock. She's so casual about this.

Ten more years.

It's not that much in the long run, but it's still a decade of her potential career that was stolen from her. How the hell wasn't she pissed by that? She said she was upset by it. It's hard to tell with her, though. How could someone who wore her heart on her sleeve be so damn good at hiding all her negative feelings? There were days when he could read her like a book and days when it was impossible to tell what was on her mind. He could never tell what he was getting with her.

"One good thing about what happened is that I got to move here. Everyone in town is... um... very precious to me." Molly blushed as the words left her mouth.

Even me? he wanted to ask, but he bit his tongue. He didn't want to sound desperate. She definitely just saw him as a friend. A good friend, sure, but just a friend. Hoping for anything more than that would be ridiculous.

"What made you decide to move here of all places?" Chase chose instead to ask the question that's been on his mind ever since the sisters moved here. They could have moved anywhere in the world and they chose Castanet. It's not exactly people's first choice... or their second. He's surprised it's such a popular tourist spot.

"I wanted a change. I couldn't go anywhere without being recognized as that girl that hit her head. There were some months where I rarely even left the house... I know it really worried Angie and Kasey..." Molly picked at the blanket and paused for a moment, a small frown on her face. He wouldn't have asked about it if he knew it would be such a heavy topic. This wasn't how he wanted their dat—er, picnic to go. They're on a picnic as friends. Nothing more. It's infuriating how much he had to remind himself of that. "Angie dragged me out to the mall on one of her days off. She said she was tired of us moping about things we couldn't change. I saw a flier advertising the farm when we were walking out of a movie and it felt like some kind of sign."

That... wasn't what he expected.

"I can't believe those shitty fliers actually worked."

"Angie thought it was a scam at first and Kasey thought I had lost my mind. But everything worked out in the end so it's fine." What would she have done if it hadn't all worked out? How was she so willing to take such a risk on everything when he knew how much she worried about things going wrong? Would he ever understand her? Sometimes she made him feel like he was going insane but oddly enough, in a good way. He couldn't deny that it was interesting. She was like a difficult puzzle he wanted to solve. Molly nibbled on a sandwich and looked over at him with a sunny smile on her face. Good to know he hasn't completely brought down the mood.

Her eyes are saying something different... Mirrors to the soul and all that. She didn't have a clue what she'd have done.

"I'm glad it worked out. Things wouldn't be the same without you here." He felt an urge to reach out and grab her hand but held himself back. He's not touchy like her other friends were. Maya and Renee had no problem hugging her. He would sometimes see her holding hands with Candace on the rare days she managed to get her to leave the tailor's. And Ash... Well, they used to date so could he really call the guy just one of Molly's friends? They're exes who got along really well. He wondered why they even broke up in the first place. Was it because she moved here or did something else happen?

Did the reason they broke up even matter? It's not like he stood a chance against that... tall pretty boy. If Ash and Molly couldn't stay together then there's no way she'd even look at him any different. He didn't have charm or a nice smile or even the wit to come up with a cute nickname for her. He had the chance for one and he chose Freckles. Freckles. And somehow that stuck. Somehow she grew attached to the dumb nickname and didn't want to abandon it.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity for the rest of the da—picnic, he chose to enjoy it. There was something magical about the way Molly's eyes lit up every time she tried something new. He always loved seeing people enjoying his food. It made his hard work feel like it was worth it. Especially since it's her, and her smile was just... so damn beautiful. That's the one thing he's never tried to deny. He's lucky she's so clueless because the amount of times he's stopped in the middle of something because of how pretty she looks is embarrassing. He could tell Angela wanted to call him on it every time. Most of the time she got distracted by Luke. He's never seen a pair of people so disgustingly in love with each other.

Does Angela think that'll happen to him? Even at his most infatuated with Lillie, he never acted like a bumbling idiot the way Luke did. He'd hold doors open for her and kiss her, but he didn't worship the ground she walked on. You know, like a normal person. He can't be sappy and romantic the way he knew girls expected. Showering people in affection isn't really his thing. And he knew that Molly was the type of girl to fall head over heels for a guy that would spoil her. Hell, he wanted that for her. He'd be able to handle seeing her with someone else if he knew they were treating her right.

They happened to reach for a piece of cinnamon bread at the same time. Her hand rested on top of his for just a few seconds before she pulled back, but those seconds felt like an eternity that sent his heart racing. How could just a single touch leave him wanting more? Her skin was so soft... He could just imagine what the fat of her thighs would feel like under his fingers. It took everything he had to not stare as she let her hands rest in her lap, on top of that teasingly short skirt...

Fuck...

"Whoops... Sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" Molly giggled, cheeks flushing an absolutely adorable shade of pink. "You can grab one first. I want to know what you think."

Her anxiously fiddling with her fingers wasn't helping him keep his eyes somewhere appropriate. He didn't look in her direction as he grabbed a slice of the bread and took a bite. He could feel Molly's honey eyes on him the entire time. It was frustrating, to say the least. Him, flustered, simply because a pretty girl was looking at him.

He's so screwed.