Free Clockwiser by Elle Strauss

from the morning sun. I tilted my head and closed my eyes, letting the rays massage my face.
     
    “Mornin’, neighbor.”
     
    My eyes snapped open to see Chase Miller standing six feet away gazing at me.
     
    For some reason the sight of him made my heart race. He just startled me that was all.
     
    “Oh, hi,” I said, feigning nonchalance.
     
    The cuff of his t-shirt had pulled up and a black tattoo peaked out from underneath. Some kind of bird. Chase saw me gawking at it and wiped a hand to smooth out the cuff of his sleeve.
     
    “Quite the party you had here last night,” he said, distracting me. His mouth moved into a half grin that was somehow charming.
     
    I pushed a curl off of my face. “What do you mean?”
     
    His eyebrows danced. “Do you often have cops dropping in?”
     
    “No.” I hid the discomfiture I felt knowing he’d witnessed our police visitation. “Um, my brother’s missing.”
     
    Chase’s flirty grin (yes, flirty!), morphed into concern. “Really? What happened?”
     
    “Well,” I stalled not knowing what the official word was. “We don’t know. He may’ve just run off with his friends.”
     
    He tilted his head. “The rebellious type?”
     
    My eyes found their way to his and locked on. “You could say that.”
     
    Chase’s gaze never broke from mine and I couldn’t stop the shiver of nerves it caused. I forced my eyes closed.
     
    “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” he said.
     
    Sweet of him, but too bad there was nothing he could do. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
     
    Just then Nate pulled into the drive.
     
    “Uh, that’s my ride.” I stood and brushed dust off my butt. “I gotta go.”
     
    “Sure.” Chase said, stepping backwards toward his house. “See you around.”
     
    Chase was gone before I could introduce him to Nate, who must’ve seen us talking as he drove up. His eyes narrowed as he watched Chase disappear into his yard.
     
    “Who was that?” he said.
     
    “New neighbor. Just being friendly.”
     
    Nate stared at the Miller house like he wasn’t too crazy about the boy next door, but I took his arm and directed us toward the neighborhood park where we could talk in private.
     
    “I have to get Tim back ASAP,” I said. I didn’t have time to focus on anything else, especially distracting new neighbours. “His disappearance is ripping my parents up.”
     
    “Slow down.” Nate tugged on my arm. I hadn’t realized I’d started speed walking. “Let’s think this through.”
     
    I stopped and faced him. “You’re right. We need to think. Okay, I’m thinking. Think, think think, thinking.”
     
    He took both of my arms and forced me to stare into his beautiful, bright eyes. “Breathe, Casey, it’s going to be all right.”
     
    I just loved how he took charge. I suddenly wanted to kiss him.
     
    Kiss him! That could work. I grabbed his neck and laid a good one on him. At first he stiffened in surprise, but then he relaxed into it, wrapping his arms around my waist.
     
    I waited for the dizziness to start and held on to Nate tightly. He tried to pull back but I just kissed him harder.
     
    “Casey.” He pushed me off. “What’s going on?”
     
    My heart sank a little. “It didn’t work. It used to work.”
     
    “What?” His eyes widened in question. “Kissing me?”
     
    “Yes,” I said carefully. “Well, not only kissing you, just being near you.”
     
    A shadow flitted across his face. “Are you saying I don’t... affect you the same way anymore?”
     
    I frowned. “I guess not.”
     
    I glanced at him in time to see hurt fill his eyes. “No! You do affect me, I’m still affected, very, very affected, it’s just...”
     
    “My presence doesn’t shoot you off into the past anymore.”
     
    I reached for Nate’s arm. “I’m comfortable with you now, in a good way.” I smiled hoping for one in return. “It’d be really inconvenient if we tripped every time we kissed.