Strong by Jennifer Rivard Yarrington Page B

going back in a wheelchair!”
    “ So, you didn't finish school your junior year?” I ask.
    “ My dad home-schooled me. It wasn't his fault, but he seemed so angry about the accident that he kind of went overboard trying to help me get better. He brought me to physical therapy five days a week, kept me educated, and somehow found time to teach classes at the university and coach his teams at the high school.”
    I can think of nothing to say, but I feel immensely grateful that Chase is sitting right next to me, telling me his story. I'm so proud of him for working so hard to recover. It reveals a lot about who he is.  I look up and express all that is in my heart with another kiss.
    We sit together quietly for a long time.
    “ What helped you to keep going? It's one thing to decide to work hard. It's another to decide every single day for four years. I mean, how did you keep such a positive attitude?” I ask.
    “ God,” Chase answers simply. “I mean, all my life, I believed that God was real. But after the accident, it was very strange. It was as if, all of a sudden, I just knew He was close to me and that He was helping me, giving me strength that I didn't know I had. I can't explain it. I've never experienced anything like that before. I realized that instead of just knowing about God, I was starting know Him . Personally . You know?”
    I nod, although I haven't had the experience with God that Chase is describing.
    “My friend Scarlett had a big impact on me, too,” he continues.
    I listen intently.
    “We've been friends since we were five years old. She moved in three houses down from my family.
    She was tough. She used to push me so high on the swings that I would start crying because I was scared. She would tell me to suck it up and be a man!” 
    I bite my lip to stifle a giggle. 
    “ I can't believe I just told you that. You are not allowed to use that piece of information against me,” he demands with a smirk.
    His face turns serious again. “Scarlett is a Christian. If I thought she was tough when were little, she was an absolute drill sergeant after my accident. She never let me get discouraged. She gave me a lot of pep talks, and she even came to therapy with me once in a while.”
    “She sounds like a great friend,” I comment.
    “ My dad used to push me hard, too, but Scarlett was more gentle about it, I guess. Well, as gentle as a drill sergeant can be.” He finishes that thought with his gorgeous smile.
    He tells me softly, “She used to tell me this Scripture verse and make me repeat it when I got discouraged: B ut those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. It's Isaiah 40:31. It didn't matter how many times I heard it or said it or read it, it always gave me the hope I needed to keep going. But I think the most important thing is that Scarlett prayed for me.”
    It slowly dawns on me. The something different that I see in Chase is his faith. I knew he went to church, but he seems to have an inner strength that I haven't encountered before.
    I want to know more, but I'm still digesting everything he has just told me.
    Before I rest my head on his shoulder, I give him one more kiss. 
    I really want this kiss to say, “I love you,” even though I know I can't possibly be in love with Chase Nichols.
    Yet.

Chapter 6
     
    I wake up with light streaming onto my face from an unfamiliar window.  I had fallen asleep with Chase's arms wrapped around me. I know that nothing more happened but my family doesn't know that. I scramble up to find my phone.
    Fell asleep on the couch at Chase's. Be home soon.
    I hope my mom believes the quick text I just sent. She should – it's true . I hope she knows me better than to think I would have done anything else with Chase.
    I wake Chase with a quick kiss and yelp, “I have to go!” He stretches and looks at the clock, “Yeah, you do!”