Page 53 of Chase

I nod, “No running.”

“Fuck, Layla, the reason I keep shit from you is because I know you are looking for any damn excuse not to be with me. And I have the kind of past where you will find a lot of reasons. I hate looking into your gorgeous brown eyes and seeing the hurt and disappointment, it fucking kills me Layla.”

“I just want the truth, Chase.” He makes a small groaning noise. “We aren’t together right now anyway, you may as well just tell me,” I say, scoring a direct hit. I look at him, and notice a muscle ticking in his jaw, and I can feel the air in the room turning deadly. Maybe I should just shut up now.

“Aubrey and I, had an open relationship. Yes, officially I was with her, but I still slept with other women. Our entire relationship.”

My mouth hung open. I’m sure I looked like a gold fish.

“See, Layla! Fuck. That is not you and I. I have not even looked at another woman since I met you, and I will never cheat on you. I’m not sharing you. So don’t start with that bullshit right now, because baby, you and I are not and will never be anything like Aubrey and I. You mean so much more to me, Layla. I understand I’m a little bit rusty with this relationship stuff, but I’m trying here, baby. I’ve never had to chase a woman before, it’s frustrating as hell. But I know you are worth it, so I’m never going to give you up. I’m never going to stop wanting you.”

I had no idea what to say. So I just looked out the window in silence.

“Say something, Layla” he begs.

“Let’s just go home, Chase.”

He sighs unhappily. “Okay, baby.”

He reaches over and puts his hand on my thigh, not in a sexual way, but to comfort me. Still, I don’t want his comfort right now. I push his hand off and he mutters an angry “fuck!” He thumps his hand on the steering wheel.

We are silent for the rest of the drive.

As we pull up into the driveway, there is a car parked there that I remember seeing at the party. Some fancy, expensive Mercedes. Chase sees it, and his eyes widen.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” He is suddenly livid.

“What? Whose car is that?”

He’s puts the car in reverse and is about to pull out when the door opens and Aubrey steps out. I remember that hair. Long, white blond, although not thick like mine. I’m pretty sure its extensions. I take my first good look at her, she has a nice figure, although less curvy than me. Her face however looks pinched, and bitter.

“What the hell is she doing here? And what, you were going to drive off and dump me somewhere, then come back to deal with her?” He puts the car into park and closes his eyes. He opens them, then turns to look at me.

“I don’t know what she’s doing here, but I don’t want you fucking upset, Layla.”

“Too late, Chase. Let’s go, I’m dying to see what she has to say,” I say sarcastically.

He stares longingly out the window, then sighs and opens the car door. He walks over and opens the door for me, entwining my hand with his. I don’t pull away or say anything. We present a united front. We walk up to her; she takes in our joint hands and sneers.

“New play thing Chase?” She coos.

I take a step forward, but Chase grips my hand tighter.

“What do you want, Aubrey? And if you say anything about Layla, you will regret it.”

She pouts dramatically. “Can we talk? Alone?”

“Come inside. Anything you need to say to me, you can say in front of Layla.”

I hear her scoff. Bitch.

We all sit awkwardly in the lounge room. Chase pulls me onto his lap.

“What, Aubrey? Layla and I have plans.” He rumbles. We don’t actually, but I’m glad he wants to get rid of her.

She glances at me, irritated, then looks back to Chase. She’s wearing a very low cut top and short denim shorts, I’m pretty sure she came here with seduction in mind.

“I’m just wondering why we can’t be friends anymore? I mean, I know the last time we slept together was only a couple weeks before you considered yourself ‘off the market’, but....” She smiles evilly. This woman is the devil incarnate. I think back to the morning I heard Chase kick a woman harshly out of his bed, that woman wasn’t Aubrey. He is such a.... Argh! I’m going to kill someone right now.

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