Free Beautiful Dreamer by Lacey Thorn

Lauren vowed as she stood.
    “I’ll be fine,” Chase tried to assure him.
    Finally, he nodded. “I’ll get your coat then walk you two down.”
    Lauren nudged Chase’s shoulder and smiled when Chase turned to her. “Can’t believe you thought about calling things off with him,” she whispered.
    Chase agreed. She had no intention of ever giving Phillip up. She loved him, hoped to get married one day and have children with him. Maybe, he’d want the same thing, eventually.
    He came back with his coat already on, hers tossed over his arm. He bundled her into it then handed her a scarf, gloves and hat. She felt like a child until he dropped a kiss on her lips that warmed her more than any of the other things he’d given her.
    He ushered them out the door, pulling it closed behind them and tugging on his gloves as they headed out. A cold blast of air hit them, and Chase was grateful he’d been so thoughtful with her winter gear. He walked them to Lauren’s car and held the passenger door open for her while Lauren went around to the driver’s side.
    “Be careful. Anything makes you feel uneasy, you call me,” he warned her again.
    “I will. Try not to worry about me,” she urged, knowing it was a fruitless request even when she made it.
    “I love you,” he whispered and bent down to drop another kiss on her lips.
    “I love you,” she murmured when he pulled away.
    “I’ll see you when I get home,” he promised, but he stayed on the sidewalk and watched as Lauren put the car in gear and pulled away.
    “That man has it bad,” Lauren said.
    “We both do,” Chase agreed, only moving her gaze from the window when Lauren turned the corner and Phillip wasn’t visible anymore.
    They were both silent on the drive out of town. The cemetery where Jocelyn had been laid to rest was just outside Chicago, in the suburb they’d all grown up in. Jocelyn had lived there, and Lauren still did. Both of them had chosen to commute into the city, while Chase lived there with Phillip. Jocelyn had been talking about moving in with Seth. Chase wished her friend could have done that.
    “How’re your parents?” she asked to fill the silence.
    “Okay,” Lauren mumbled then shook her head. “That’s a lie. Mom’s a mess. Dad’s trying to be strong for all of us, but I’ve overheard him crying in his office.”
    Chase nodded, not sure what to say.
    “I’m moving back home,” Lauren added after a few minutes. “Just for a little bit. My lease is up, and I think they need me there.”
    “What about you?” Chase asked.
    “I need it, too,” Lauren confessed.
    “I’m not sure what I would have done if Phillip hadn’t taken me back,” Chase admitted. “There’s no way I’d want to be alone right now. I’m guessing I was staying with Jocelyn,” she said, and Lauren nodded. “I figured. She wouldn’t have allowed me to go anywhere else. Eventually, I’ll have to see what I left there, take it back home.”
    “I’ve been packing things up at the house. I’ve got your stuff all gathered and boxed up for you,” Lauren said.
    “Thank you. I should have been there helping you.”
    “You’ve been recovering. Mentally and emotionally as well as physically, I bet. No one blames you for that.”
    Chase nodded. It was good to hear, especially when she still had moments where she felt guilty.
    “Seeing you and Phillip together was nice,” Lauren said, tossing Chase a brief glance, a soft smile on her face. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
    “We love each other. He said I ended things because I was afraid of being with a cop,” Chase said. “I don’t understand that.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, I do, but I don’t. If that makes any sense.”
    “Perfect,” Lauren said with a laugh.
    “I worry about him constantly. I think it comes with the package of dating a police officer. Part of me will always be terrified of that knock on the door to let me know he’s hurt or—God