The sad melody came to an abrupt, off-key halt as Chase's head snapped to the side. He stammered and pushed the stool he sat in away from the keyboard. His fear took Ellie by surprise.

"Ellie, I—I'm sorry, I didn't know you were up..."

She scoffed and turned to stomp away. This time, though, he followed her.

"Ellie, wait. Can you please just... Ellie, stop."

She planted her feet on the floor and he jogged in front of her, blocking her exit. A scowl brought on by the irritation of Chase's broken record apologies drew across her face.

Chase couldn't help it, but his height dwarfed her, leaving her to feel like a child.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was out of line last week."

Ellie glared up at Chase as he towered over her.

"Yeah, you were." She spun on her heels and walked back into the studio, but the room spun with her. She pushed past her lightheadedness and forced herself forward, hoping to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. Her attempt proved futile as Chase followed close behind.

When Ellie stepped through the door, she noticed a crystal glass on the rug. It was empty, save for a few drops of caramel-colored whiskey. The open bottle sat next to it.

Ellie crossed her arms and turned to Chase. Dizziness threatened to topple her, but she held her ground.

"Where are Joe and Tessa," she demanded, rather than asked.

"They had to leave for a few hours."

"So they asked you to babysit?"

Chase sighed and hung his head, clearly frustrated at her disbelief. Or maybe he was embarrassed.

"Look, I wasn't exactly Joe's first choice, either. He didn't want you to be alone."

Ellie used her scowl to tell Chase that she did not care; she would rather be alone. Chase leaned against the doorframe and looked at his feet. His toe tapped against the floor. The middle finger on his left hand made a repetitive snapping motion.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he said, looking past her. "You deserved better."

Ellie avoided his eyes. She paced the room, hoping he would get the hint. When her gaze fell to the keyboard, Chase's phantom melody filled the silence in her head. She often struggled to grasp the subtleties of what Joe and Chase did. From what she heard, one thing was clear: Chase was hurting.

"Robin left me."

Ellie straightened with a jolt and her forehead wrinkled. At first, she thought she misheard him, but one glance at his sullen expression told her everything she needed to know. "Joe doesn't know yet."

Chase dragged himself to a chair in the opposite corner and sank into it. Ellie's tense shoulders fell when she saw how he slouched, as if he could not keep himself upright. He leaned forward and picked up the whiskey glass. With his elbows on his knees, he swirled around the remaining liquid.

Ellie cocked a suspicious eyebrow. She thought he was going to pull out another excuse, but as she stared at him, she saw how worn down he was. He looked the same way she felt, like they'd both been kicked around a few too many times. Salt-and-pepper stubble grew along his jawline where he was normally clean-shaven. His tired eyes were filled with regret.

"Joe was right," he said. "Lizzie never had anything to do with this. I thought if I talked, I could convince myself that it wasn't my fault she was taken. I never meant to hurt you." Chase sniffled, causing Ellie to drop her guard. Her gaze softened. "I tried to get out of it after your mom died, but I already signed a contract. They threatened to sue us if we backed out. I should have let them. I know what I did was shitty, but I didn't sell or give anything beyond that interview. You have to believe me."

Ellie thought back to the day in the park when the photographers bombarded her with questions they should have known nothing about. She remembered having to relive Joe and Chase's blowup after seeing it published online. Chase was too proud to acknowledge when he was wrong. It pained Ellie to admit that as much as she wanted to blame him for her recent problems, he would never confess to anyone outside his family that anything was awry.

Chase never looked up. He held his head in his hand, sinking lower and lower. His shoulders shook with trembling breaths. Ellie stepped forward.

"You don't look at me," she said, keeping her voice strong. The gap between them closed so that this time, she stood over him. A soft cry escaped Chase's chest as he stifled sobs. "Look at me."

Chase sniffed and wiped a tear from his face, but his eyes stayed down. As he struggled to control his breathing, he reached for her hands. She hesitated, but allowed him to take them. His eyes trained on her wrists where seven years of handcuffs cutting into her skin left thin marks. His eyebrows knit together and his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words.

Shaking, he turned her hands over to reveal her inner wrists. His thumbs gently pressed against the scars he used to avoid. He finally looked back up at her, his eyes filled with water and his cheeks marked with tracks where tears had already fallen.

"I see you, Ellie."

The sight of how distraught Chase looked left Ellie taken aback. His face was flushed, the skin around his eyes red and puffy. She never imagined that Chase Holland, the epitome of strength and fortitude, could feel as low and broken as she did.

With her wrists still in his light grasp, Ellie sank to her knees. For the first time, they saw eye-to-eye.

Ellie did not know why she did what she did next. Maybe she felt sorry for Chase. Maybe it was because they finally came to an understanding. Either way, when she wrapped her arms around him, she knew it was the right thing to do. Chase froze momentarily before enveloping Ellie in the same embrace with which he held his daughters.

His shoulders shook under her through sobs and they both tightened their grasp. Ellie squeezed her eyelids together as a tear rolled down her cheek. She held Chase for a moment longer until his tense body relaxed. Pulling away, Ellie let out a cleansing sigh. Chase gripped her hands again to help her to her feet.

When Ellie stood up straight, she felt weightless, as if her legs could no longer support her. She stumbled and would have hit the floor if Chase had not caught her. He panicked, repeating her name with no reply.

Ellie held onto the side of her head until Chase stabilized her. Her sluggish voice almost slurred as she fought against lightheadedness.

"I'm fine. I think I... just..."

Before she could finish her sentence, her vision turned black and a ringing sensation engulfed the rest of her senses, even tingling her fingertips. Her head drooped as she collapsed backward into Chase's arms. Amidst the dizziness that scrambled her brain, she felt her body be lowered onto a chair.

Ellie's vision spotted as she caught glimpses of Chase mouthing words, but she could not hear him over the high-pitched ringing. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry and sticky.

"It's hot," she said, panting, though she barely heard herself speak. Chase composed himself even though he still looked a wreck. His words broke through the noise as Ellie's senses slowly returned.

"...haven't eaten in days... stay there." Chase left and hurried back a minute later with a sandwich and water. Ellie reached out a shaky hand and took what he offered. As soon as the first bite hit her stomach, she realized how ravenous she was.

After scarfing down the sandwich and water in record time, Ellie's vision straightened out again and the ringing subsided. She looked at Chase, who had nothing better to do than watch her eat.

"Did you make any more?" She asked. Chase let out a breath that sounded like a combination of laughter and relief. Pulling Ellie to her feet, he led her to the kitchen. His hand hovered at her back, ready to catch her in case she faltered again.

"My brother's gonna kill me," Chase said as they shuffled down the hallway. Confusion crossed Ellie's face and she looked up at him.

"Why? It's not your fault."

Chase raised his eyebrows and let out another half-laugh.

"Have you met him?"

A few moments later, Ellie sat at the kitchen island while Chase funneled sandwiches in her direction. His bloodshot eyes were fading back to their regular color, but his skin remained red and splotchy.

Golden sunlight streamed through the windows in soft beams, illuminating the tiny dust particles floating in the air. Neither Ellie nor Chase said a word to each other in comfortable silence as the blue sky outside prepared to transition to the yellowish glow of early sunset.

Ellie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at Chase with tired eyes. He met her gaze and lifted the corners of his mouth in a quick smile that reflected his exhaustion.

"Wishes are stupid," Ellie said, catching Chase off guard.

"What?"

"I made a stupid wish on my birthday. It didn't come true."

She crossed her arms. She did not believe that a wish would not come true if she revealed it before the universe granted it. She made plenty of wishes in the basement that she kept to herself and did not see come to fruition.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to secrecy. Maybe wishes worked differently in the outside world. Maybe one day her wish would come true. Maybe one day, everyone would be happy.

Ellie and Chase knew that one conversation would not magically heal their brokenness like a wish could. Acknowledging one another did not lessen their individual pain, but it was at least a start.

Luckily, Chase did not get a chance to push it about the wish. The front door opened and keys jingled as Joe and Tessa walked in. Chase and Ellie exchanged a look before he said, "Time to face the music."