I actually wrote this before I finished the last chapter.

Riley's outfit: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=206533063

EPILOGUE: COMING CLEAN

Riley had dozed off halfway into the trip, so she was startled to wake up and discover they'd already traveled through both Pennsylvania and Ohio. "We even stopped for gas," Chase added with a grin. "Someone was very tired."

"Someone was very busy yesterday," Riley retorted, "packing." She smiled as she took in the view from the car. Indiana was quite a beautiful state. "So, just this one, and then Illinois," Riley said.

"Yeah," Chase said. "I can't wait to see my folks."

"Anything I should be worried about?" Riley asked.

"Of course not, my parents already love you," Chase said, laughing. "I might have gone a little overboard in terms of gushing, though."

"Oh, good, I hope you didn't tell them anything bad about me," Riley sighed.

"They let me come back out to New York because I had to fix things with you, I think they can tell how much I love you," Chase remarked.

"Do they know I'm not eighteen yet?" Riley asked. "What are the rules of underage relationships in Illinois?"

Chase sighed. "Let's just say they're not as lenient as the laws in New York. It's basically illegal for any adult to have a sexual relationship with a minor."

"You seem to know that off the top of your head," Riley said carefully. Was this the moment she would find out Chase's secret? Did it have something to do with an underage relationship?

"My parents told me when I told them how old you were, Riley."

"Your reaction seems to lean towards a certain encounter with that law, and not with me," Riley prodded.

"Riley, I really don't want to talk about it."

"Fine," Riley said. "You don't have to if you don't want to." I just don't want there to be any secrets between us.

The car ride was tense after that, but Riley didn't push the topic of conversation. If Chase didn't want to let her in, it was obviously an extremely personal matter, and she respected him enough not to ask for more details. He would tell her when he was ready.

"I have to tell you something, Riley, and I really hope you don't want me to turn around and get back to New York when I'm finished, but I'll understand if that's what you want me to do," Chase said finally.

"Don't be ridiculous," Riley said, smiling lightly. "I'll make you drive me straight to the airport." Her smile faded. "But you can tell me anything, and I promise I will keep my mind as open as it can be."

"Okay." Chase took a deep breath. "After Sasha and I broke up, for good, it was probably halfway through senior year. I knew it wasn't going to last, because she was staying in-state and I was going to NYU. I met another girl, a couple weeks later. And I'm pretty sure it was love at first sight, Riley." He met her gaze in the overhead mirror. "I know it was love at first sight," he corrected. "At least, it was on my part."

Riley didn't say anything, she wasn't sure what to.

"You were right in saying that it sounded like I had my own run-in with the Illinois relationship law," Chase said. "The girl was four years older than me. She was graduated university, or at least close to doing so. But I didn't know at the time. I was just a stupid kid, and we were fooling around, and I thought she was only a year older, so I didn't think the age difference mattered."

"What was her name?" Riley asked softly.

"Sophie," Chase said. "Anyways, a couple of months later, I found out from one of my buddies that Sophie was actually graduating from university in two months, that she'd lied to me about how old she was, and I was so scared we were going to get arrested. Then, she showed up at my parents' place claiming she was pregnant."

Riley's eyes shot open. "What? You have a kid and you didn't tell me?"

"Calm down," Chase said immediately, "I'll explain everything, I promise."

"Okay, so what happened?" Riley asked.

"Well, my parents flipped out, because they had no idea I was even seeing her, and I almost got kicked out of the place, which was fine because I was moving out anyways," Chase said. "But I wasn't convinced that she was pregnant, because we'd never actually had sex. Unless she'd jumped me while I was black-out drunk."

"Gross," Riley said, wrinkling her nose.

"Anyways," Chase said, "I told her there was no way she could be pregnant, unless she'd been with another guy. So when she showed me the sonogram, and keep in mind, I'm like, seventeen, I kind of flipped out."

"My parents were freaking out because I was underage, and they thought she was some kind of homewrecker, and I was so in love with Sophie that I wasn't really looking at the situation objectively." Chase's eyes were on the road, he didn't even make an attempt to look at Riley. "I was kind of hoping the two of us could move to New York, since she'd be graduated and then we could raise the child together."

"So you did have a child."

"I might have," Chase said quietly. "I'll never know, because Sophie was killed in a car wreck two weeks before my graduation. The baby obviously didn't survive either."

"Oh, Chase, I'm so sorry," Riley admitted. "That's awful."

"She was on her way to the hospital to do the DNA testing," Chase admitted. "She got t-boned by a tractor trailer. Witnesses said they saw the car fly fifty metres before it crashed off of the highway into some trees."

Riley's eyes popped open. "I remember reading about that crash," she gasped. "I had no idea she was your girlfriend. Mostly because I didn't know you."

"So now you know," Chase said somberly.

"Chase, I'm so sorry," Riley repeated. "Are you okay?"

"A part of me always wondered what my life would be like if I did have a child," Chase admitted. "You know, could I be a good father?"

"But if you lost your pregnant girlfriend, why did you sleep with so many girls in college? Weren't you worried the same thing would happen?" Riley asked nervously, hoping she hadn't overstepped.

Chase shrugged. "After Sophie died, I convinced myself that love wasn't a good thing. Love ended in tragedy. My parents didn't love me, my girlfriend died, and that's why I tried so hard to keep everyone at arm's length. Until I met you."

"What changed with me?" Riley asked.

"You awoke something in me, Mini," Chase said. "Something I hadn't felt since before Sophie's death. I felt like there was a legitimate chance with you, that maybe, I could finally heal some of the old wounds that were still lingering."

"Do you visit her grave?" Riley asked softly.

Chase nodded. "Every year on the anniversary of her death."

"That's why you go back to Chicago so soon after school ends," Riley realized.

Chase nodded again. "Yeah. Thankfully, I didn't have to come back to New York until the day after I visited her."

"Do you still love her?" Riley asked.

"I think a part of me always will," Chase admitted. "Are you okay with that?"

"I mean, I can obviously see how important she was to you. She was carrying, well, I think anyways, your future child. That isn't so easy to get over, and like you said, for you, it was love at first sight. Obviously, things didn't end well, but I don't think it'll be a problem." Riley squeezed Chase's hand. "Are you sure you love me, though?"

"Of course I do," Chase said confidently. "Riley, things have worked out with us for a reason."

"Let what we had make you ready for something. Life knows what it's doing," Riley murmured. All those years ago, it'd been what Angela had said to Shawn upon her return to New York.

"What?" Chase asked.

"Nothing. Just something I heard someone tell someone else a long time ago," Riley said. "Now, focus on the road and let me focus on figuring out how to not freak your parents out."

"Riley, they will love you, okay?" Chase asked, smiling. "But I'm glad you're so worried. It shows you care."

"Shut up," Riley groaned, turning back to face the window. But she was smiling nonetheless. It was shaping up to be a very good summer. No secrets, no surprises, and hopefully, no stress and drama.

The sequel will be up soon!

Lauren.