Let Love Loose

One Week Two Days Earlier

“Ella, Cruella Noella,” Frank giggly sings finishing up his rendition of ‘Cruella De Vil’ as I pout in his lap.

“Babe, cheer up I’m sorry, don’t be so cranky?” he smiles kissing my neck.

“You’re being mean,” I whine.

“Aw,” he kisses my neck more and I close my eyes.

He winds his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him.

I blush and press my lips against his skin. We share a couple more kisses and then there’s a creak of a door opening and Chase’s voice.

“Oh,” Chase exclaims.

Chase’s eyes are staring at my bare legs and thighs, Frank notices.

“Dude what the fuck? Get out! You don’t know how to knock? What you starin’ at?”

Frank reaches for anything and sends a pillow flying, Chase slams the door and the pillow bounces off the closed door falling to the ground.

That kills the mood so I silently get dressed while Frank huffs and grumbles to himself in a jealous fit. I’ve learned to ignore it if he doesn’t bring it up because he blows up about everything, he’s never mad at me just whoever he thinks is challenging him.

“I guess I’ll see what he wants,” Frank huffs.

I reach under the sweater and pull my locket out twisting it between my fingers.

Frank looks at me, “you said you were hungry earlier, I’ve got some chili in the fridge,” then he leaves the room.

After crawling around on the floor and finding my socks I go to the kitchen and quietly dump chili from the cold pot into a bowl and pop the bowl into the microwave. Frank and Chase are going back and forth, Frank sounds annoyed dismisses the conversation and looks at me saying he’s going to find something for us to watch on Netflix. I nod to acknowledge him then he leaves closing the room door and I turn back to the microwave. I stare at my bowl as the microwave buzzes for another minute. Then I feel something touch my back and I jump and spin around to see Chase standing behind me looking like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Uh, hey El.”

“H-hey,” I reply straightening my clothes to make sure everything’s covered.

He stands there awkwardly rocking back and forth. “What’s up?”

“Uh, just waiting for my chili.”

I turn towards the microwave more, Chase nods I can see from the corner of my eye.

“Sorry about earlier, that’s twice now.”

I hide behind my braids, “yeah. . .”

“You look really good in red by the way."

I’m wearing Frank’s red knit sweater with the stray string. Instead of replying or waiting for the beep on the microwave I press the button and the door flies open. I pull my sweater sleeves over my hands and pick up the burning hot bowl. When I turn around Chase is standing too close to me and it wigs me out.

“Chase, what are you doing?”

“N- nothin’ you need help, here let me get you a plate to put it on."

The burning starts to be too much but I decline anyway.

“I’m fine Chase, I’m just going to the room.”

He looks at me with these eyes that look like he’s under a spell. I scamper away and into the room setting the bowl on the bedside table and cuddling up close to Frank.

“You get any chili?”

“Yeah, it’s too hot to eat right now.”

I think about how weird Chase is being and start to bring it up.

“What did Chase want?”

Frank shakes his head clicking the selections on Netflix, “just to let me know that Nick’s coming by later.”

“Oh,” is all I say.

“Why, what’s up?”

I shake my head, “nothin’.”

He clicks a movie and starts reading the description.

I bring it up again. “Uh, do you think he’s been acting a little weird?”

Frank looks at me with furrowed eyebrows, “Chase? No, what do you mean?”

I’m about to bring up what just happened in the kitchen but decide against it, maybe I’m blowing it out of proportion, I don’t want Frank freaking out especially if nothing’s going on.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just being weird, I’m kinda sleepy.”

Frank reaches and turns the lamp off and pulls me close resting his chin on the top of my head.

“I’ll find a wild life series to watch, I like falling asleep to those.”

I smile a small one and sigh relaxing in his arms.