as she turned around only to wince when the smoke alarms went off, emitting a high pitched sound that had her wincing as she reached over to turn the stove off and move the pan giving off enough smoke to let her know that they were probably going to have to order pizza tonight.
She barely managed to move the pan off the burner when Chase pulled her back onto his lap. Rolling her eyes even as she couldn’t help but smile, she moved to stand back up only to find herself pulled more tightly onto his lap.
“I need to put the fan on, Chase,” she said, more than happy to pick up where they’d left off as she tried to climb off his lap only to wince when his hold became painful.
“Chase, I need to…” she started to say as she turned her head only to feel her heart break when she saw the terror on his face as he reached over and began pushing his wheelchair back, taking her with him.
Swallowing hard, Sloane tried to turn around on his lap so that she could comfort him only to end up gasping in pain as his hold somehow tightened even more. “Chase, you’re hurting me,” she managed to get out as he rolled them to the patio doors.
In seconds, he had the door shoved open and was rolling them out onto the patio as the sounds of the smoke alarm blaring followed them. His wheelchair barely finished rolling to a stop when she found herself shifted on his lap so that she was straddling him and
“You’re hurt,” Chase said, jaw clenched as he ran his trembling hands over her, searching for injuries.
“I’m fine, Chase,” she said, struggling to catch her breath now that he’d released her, but he wasn’t listening.
He kept searching, shoving her shirt out of his way, running his trembling hands over her arms, her neck, her chest, stomach, and legs and when he didn’t find anything, he searched again.
“I’m fine,” she promised him, cupping his face in her hands.
“No, you’re not!” he snapped, shaking his head stubbornly as he continued searching for injuries that weren’t there.
“Chase, look at me,” Sloane said, leaning forward so that he was looking at her. “I’m fine.”
“You’re hurt,” Chase bit out as he continued to check her.
“I’m not hurt, Chase,” she promised him only to wince when she heard the sounds of the security company speaking over the security panel, asking if everything was okay.
Sighing, she said, “I need to go answer that before they send the fire department,” as she moved to climb off his lap and
“No, it’s not safe!” he yelled, pulling her back onto his lap so that he could wrap his trembling arms around her.
“Chase, I”
“I can’t lose you, too,” he said as he buried his face against her shoulder. “I can’t lose you. I can’t lose you,” Chase mumbled over and over again, shaking his head as he held on tightly to her.
“You’re not going to lose me,” Sloane promised him as she wrapped her arms around him, wishing that she knew how to make this right for him.
*-*-*-*
He couldn’t believe he’d lost it like that.
He couldn’t…
He couldn’t…
“FUCK!” Chase roared as he grabbed hold of the patio chair next to him and sent it flying.
“I was going to ask how you were holding up, but I guess that works too,” Grey said as he joined him.
“Go away,” Chase bit out, in no fucking mood to deal with any more bullshit tonight.
“I’m afraid that I can’t do that,” Grey murmured as he picked up the patio chair and brought it closer.
“I’m not fucking kidding right now,” Chase said, struggling against the urge to put his fist through a fucking wall as he struggled to get the image of Sloane looking at him with pity out of his fucking head.
“I know you’re not,” Grey said, placing the chair next to Chase and sat down.
“Then, why are you here?” Chase snapped.
“Because Sloane’s terrified,” Grey said, making his stomach drop.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Chase said hollowly, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.
One minute, he was enjoying the way it felt to have Sloane in his arms and the next…
“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Chase snapped, clenching his hands into fists.
“Nothing’s wrong with you,” Grey said, shaking his head lazily.
“Are you fucking kidding me? I fucking hurt her!”
“No, you didn’t,” Grey said softly.
“What the fuck do you know about it?” Chase snapped, feeling sick to his