Page 2 of The Love Chase

Fat chance of that! I was considering staying at Meridel Community College so I could be closer to you, I snapped in my head. Of course, he would see this situation in such a simple way. His heart wasn’t the one breaking over the thought of being separated for an indefinable amount of time.

I shrugged again, all the words I wanted to say—and couldn’t—stalling my tongue.

“Come on, Em, be happy for me,” he pleaded, brushing my arm with his fingers, having no idea what his touch did to me.

His green eyes softened as he looked at me, but that spark that I was always looking for was missing. The one that would tell me I wasn’t the only one in love with my best friend. The one that I hoped remained hidden in my own for fear of ruining our friendship.

See me, Liam.

I took a bracing breath, trying my best to be the supportive friend he wanted, and put my best attempt at a smile on my face. “I’m happy for you. When do you leave?”

Liam winced then, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt like he always did when he was anxious. His next words nearly stopped my heart.

“The end of the week.”

For a moment, my vision went from vivid summer colors to black and white, every ounce of light and color fading to darkness.

“Two days?” I whispered, unable to summon more sound than that.

For the past two decades, we had literally seen each other every single day. We had been inseparable since we were five years old.

And now I only had two days left with him?

The downside to being friends for so long was Liam could easily tell my moods and what was going through my head. All except for my feelings for him, of course.

Which was why he took my hand—again, purely platonically—and held it in both of his massive ones.

“Don’t worry, Em. The distance won’t change anything, no matter how many miles away I am. We’ll talk so much that you won’t even notice I’m gone. It’s you and me, forever.”

The words almost sent me to my knees. It was a phrase that he and I had said to each other ever since we were kids. His family situation was…difficult, and mine was full of heartbreak, and so we always were each other’s safe place. It had always felt like Liam and me against the world.

It’s you and me, forever.

But what if forever wasn’t as long as we thought? What if forever actually had an end?

He pressed a peck to the back of my hand before letting it go, leaving it hanging like a dead weight at my side, before continuing across the farm.

My heart hurt as I watched him walk on without me, unable to get my feet to budge from the dirt.

Liam Walker. My best friend.

The love of my life.

See me, Liam.

Liam

Two Years Later

Apetite redhead stood staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows with her back to me. Expensive leather furniture filled the room, an enormous wooden desk taking up nearly half the space. The air was ice cold, trying to fight against the summer California heat, yet I was still sweating beneath my clothes.

“You’ve done quite the number on your reputation, Mr. Walker.”

Goosebumps pebbled on my arms at my manager’s tone. She was usually incredibly calm and level-headed, sort of robotic if I was being honest, not showing much in the way of emotion. But today Bridget was tense like a mama cow giving birth, her shoulders up to her ears, and anger flashed in her eyes like I’d never seen before. My palms were clammy under her intense gaze as she turned to face me. I couldn’t think of anything to say in response—because, let’s be honest, she was right, and this was all my fault—so I sat there, somehow maintaining eye contact even as she stared me down.

Err, glared me down.

“What? Nothing to say for yourself?” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. Her auburn hair was in a pristine bun on the top of her head, her makeup subtle yet flawless. I used to think she was attractive—until I saw how ruthless she was as a manager.

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