Page 73 of Chase

“I’m asking you, Layla. Tell me.” His voice has softened now.

“I think Chase is cheating on me with Aubrey.” I say, tears now running down my face.

“There is no way in hell he would do that to you, Layla.” He sounds like he believes it.

“I saw him kiss her, Kade! I went to his office, and..”

“That fucking bastard.” Kade says lividly, interrupting me. He kisses my head and says, “Go to Nikki’s. I’m gonna talk to Chase.”

I nod, jump in my car, and get the hell out of dodge.

Chapter Thirty

Chase

“Babe, we never spoke about kids. Losing the baby was really tough on me, and yes I said that I didn’t want to ever go through the possibility of that again. But...”

But I would love to have kids with Layla, I would love to build a family with her, marry her. I would take that chance for her. I would do anything for her. Before I can tell her that, she cuts me off.

“Okay.” She whispers. I can hear in the voice that she is crying, barely holding it together.

“Okay? Fuck it breaks my heart to hear you cry. I’m leaving now. No running baby.” I say desperately, already standing up grabbing my briefcase, ready to leave.

“I saw you today,” she tells me and the hurt in the voice, Fuck, It’s breaking me.

Please, oh fuck, let her not have seen that. Aubrey had shown up unannounced and attempted to seduce me.

When that failed she had jumped on me and kissed me. I pushed her away and told her to leave.

But apparently not soon enough.

“I saw you fucking kissing her, Chase. I came to your office! I can’t believe I trusted you! How stupid am I?” She’s yelling now, the hurt giving way to anger. Her anger is easier to take. “If you wanted her, you should have just told me, Chase, not string me a long like this!”

“Listen to me Layla, fucking listen to me a moment!” I’m freaking the fuck out.

“I guess I wasn’t the only woman you have slept with without a condom after all,” she says flatly, randomly.

She thinks I’m a liar, but I haven’t lied to her once.

Evaded, yes.

Dodged, maybe.

But never have I lied to her.

She hangs up. I’ve fucked up, big time. She never said she won’t run, like she always does when I say that line.

Fuck.

She’s going to run.

I run to my car and jump in, almost speeding all the way home. I hope she’s there. If she’s not I will fucking track her down. Aubrey, fuck! Why can’t she just let me be happy? It hurts to think about the child I lost, that’s why I didn’t tell Layla. I didn’t tell her that I didn’t allow Aubrey to fuck anyone else either, because I knew she would take it the wrong way. It wasn’t that I was possessive, per say, with Aubrey, but I was not going to allow what I had at that time considered mine, to just fuck around. I told Aubrey the rules, she agreed. Hell, she would have done anything to be able to claim me as her man. I’m pretty sure she used me more than I used her.

When I found out she was pregnant, I was not pleased. Only because I was pretty sure she did it to trap me. She said she was on the pill, but I still used a condom each time. One time though, the condom broke, and she became pregnant. Clearly, she wasn’t on the pill after all. But it was my child and I would love him or her regardless. Just when I was getting used to the idea of being a father, she lost the baby. I was devastated. But that is all in the past, and Layla is my future. I was with Aubrey yesterday, but only because we went to Lilly’s gravestone. I always get depressed on those days, and I know it was fucked up of me to shut Layla out like that. But I’m going to fix this; I’m going to explain everything to her.

I pull into the house, Layla’s car is gone.

I run into the house, into her room.

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