"Charlotte," Chase calls after me and I don't stop. "Are you going to really act like this?"

I stop.

"Like what?"

"This." he gestures towards me. "You always run away."

"You call this running away, Chase are you insane? For once I am not running away. You did this Chase."

He gives me a look as if I lost my mind. "I did this? Charlotte, you lie every chance you get!"

"You are a real fucking ball of sunshine." I start walking. I need to get back to my apartment before I burst with anger. He wants to bring up lying like both haven't done that. I enter the apartment leaving the door open for Chase. We are going to hash everything out right here right now. I grab a bottle of water chugging it down. My emotions are all over the place and nothing and I mean nothing, but getting everything off my chest will help me calm down.

"Are you happy?"

"Happy?" I scoff. "You think I wanted to go and there acting like a crazy person? No, I wanted answers not only from you but from the guys."

"Answers? Really? So enlighten me on what answers did you get?" he walks into the kitchen.

"That the guys are not assholes like you. You bitched at Austin the entire plane ride because I got into an altercation with Juju and her friends. I am glad that Austin took me there because if it was up to you I would never be able to be in the same vicinity as her. You lied to me that day."

He slams his hand on the countertop. "Are you seriously bringing this up again?"

"Yes, Chase I am! You said it was some chick flick--do you think I am stupid?"

Our eyes connect and we are sharing one common emotion at the moment...anger. I can't back down now. Chase might be taller than me and a bit intimidating. However, I am very passionate and won't stop until I get the truth.

"I told you I didn't sleep with her. I never cheated on you." he takes a step closer and I take one back. We need distance.

"Then why not tell the truth, Chase? Why not just tell me what really happened that night. Huh? Did you think I wouldn't believe you? By not speaking up when it happened, that made me question you." I take a deep breath.

"Nothing happened. I swear. It was all some little-twisted joke to get back at Everett, here look at the messages she sent E." he sticks his hand out trying to give me the phone. I shake my head no. "Just look at it," he says with more bass in his voice.

"I don't need to see it." I place one hand on my hip and the other on the countertop.

"So you wanna keep thinking I slept with her?"

"No, I know you didn't sleep with her. I already saw those messages."

"What? How?"

"The night before we had brunch with your parents. Miguel stopped by to convince me to cook dinner for you guys. However, we talked instead and ate pizza. You see Miguel is your left-hand man but he is my right."

He looks at me confused. "So you knew all this time?"

"Yes, and I would rather have heard it from you instead of him. Chase my feelings are on the line just like yours. You keep things hidden or somewhat tell me the truth and I am a natural nosey person. So, of course, I am going to go behind your back to find the truth. You cant even be man enough to tell me yourself." I don't want to take jabs at his manliness, but there is no other way to put it. Chase and I are very much alike and then different in so many ways.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Chase," I have to take another deep breath. "You should have told me. I don't think you deserve to know that I already knew. So, if your next question is why did I go to the campus and fight her...she needed to be taught a lesson. One, don't ever try to turn my guys against one another and two my man is off limits. Anything else?"

"Come here," he reaches out for me and I take another step back, telling him to stop it. Raven always told me never let a guy think he got off scot-free after causing such a ruckus. Because that is exactly what Chase must be thinking right now.

"And another thing. That agreement paper your family wants my dad to sign is outrageous. Limiting and monitoring when he can see Autumn. Are you guys insane? My dad is such a good person, he would never--"

"Charles, I know. Austin told me what happened. I reached out to Jasper and told him everything. Your dad doesn't need a piece of paper to see his granddaughter. I am sorry about all of this. You're right I should have told you about Juju and about Lily. I want to keep you away from all the drama, but by doing so I am only hurting us in the process. I finally got you and all I keep doing is pushing you away. I don't like when we fight I don't like when we take turns in this blame game."

"You have to let me in Chase. We were supposed to get married and you couldn't let me in."

"Not supposed to--we are going to get married." He pulls out the ring placing it on the countertop and I pick it up, it is beautiful just like I remembered it to be.

He isn't playing fair.

"It doesn't work that way, Chase. You broke up with me without hearing me out or hearing anything for that matter. The space between us just keeps getting deeper and more lies and secrets will only fill that up until we hate each other. I love you so much, but what you did shows that when times are tough you will walk away."

"No, I won't. I am here to stay." he runs his fingers through his hair. "What are you saying? You don't want to get back together?"

I clear my throat. "Not right now."

"So what you are going to walk out of my life?" his voice cracks and he looks away.

"Never. I can never walk out of your life. We will always be connected in more ways than one. I just need time to think about this and just think. I will never be too far from you."

Whew, this actually feels like a break up that we won't recover from.

He opens and closes his mouth. I watch as his mouth twists and he screws up his face. Oh, God, he is about to cry. Oh no no no. I can't look. I hear a soft sob before he says he needs to go.

"Chase," I run after him. "Stay the night--well morning."

He finally looks me in the face and I am questioning everything. I know there is still so much he isn't telling me and I know I should be patient, but I feel like his secrets are only going to hurt us more. I want to keep what we have and not destroy it.

"I cant," he says, reaching for the doorknob.

"Please, I don't want us to leave everything like this."

"Cupcake," he clears his throat. "We are fine. You're fine and I am fine. We're fine." he repeats, but I don't let him go. "Charlotte, let me go."

"No, not like this."

"I am fine," he whispers.

"You're not," I whisper back.

He loosens my grip on him. His teary-eyed face looks down at me. "I am fine."

"You're crying." I bite down on my bottom lip.

He shakes his head no. "Something just flew in my eyes. I just gotta go, Charles." he opens the door and stops. Tristan and Darren are outside the door and looks like two deer caught in headlights. Chase doesn't say anything and walks past them.

"Chase." Tristan runs after him.

"Charlotte," Darren looks torn between me and Chase.

"Go after him, he needs you guys more than me at the moment." I wipe my face. "I will be fine, promise." he pulls me in for a quick hug and a kiss to the forehead before taking off down the hallway. I close the door and drag myself to the bedroom.

A loud boom sound comes from outside my window and it begins to rain. I look at the engagement ring once more. What am I doing? What am I going to do? I ask myself over and over until I fall asleep. I don't know why but I feel like this is the end for Chase and me.