Page 90 of Saving the Halfback

“No one. I just wanted to come over and say thank you, for helping me on the field. It was a lot to take in at first.”

He let out an airy laugh. “Still change the subject whenever you don’t want to talk about something. I guess some things didn’t change.”

I frowned. “You’re one to talk. What do you mean, living is temporary?”

“It has nothing to do with you.” Chase, always one to go on the offensive, always the one to feel like he was in a battle, raised his voice slightly. “Damn, Bailey, not everything is about you. It hasn’t been for years.”

I rolled my eyes and stood up, seeing this conversation was going nowhere. “Yeah, well, my being scared of some random guy coming at me, yelling, had nothing to do with you.”

Chase got up. The once short kid who was waiting for his growth spurt, so he could be taller than me, now towered over me. “I’m not some random guy to you,” he growled.

Refusing to let him see how hurt I had been, I didn’t back down from his anger this time. I met him head-on. Something about Chase always sparked life inside of me, and I was ready to burn. “No? Then who are you to me? Because, according to you, nothing in your life has been about me for years.”

“The conversation was between my father and me.” He took a step forward, and out of habit, I retreated, preserving my personal space.

“Why are you scared of me?”

“I’m not! Why is living temporary?”

“My life here is,” he snapped. “I’m getting kicked out, happy? Tell your pals and have a good laugh. So glad you were able to get the group back together.”

I glared at him. “I tried with you.”

“Who are you scared of?” He took another step forward, and I took another step back.

“No one!” I yelled.

“So, it is me.” Another step forward, another step back.

“No!”

“It’s your boyfriend.” Another step forward…my back touched the trunk of a tree.

All bravado left me in one exhale. “What?” My voice dropped.

“Your ex.”

“How…” Lachlan didn’t. He wouldn’t have. But he’d told Nolan, right? That didn’t bother me, but why would he tell Chase? Betrayal settled in my chest.

Chase leaned down close and whispered, “That was supposed to be my kiss.”

He must’ve seen the confusion in my eyes. “What?”

“Twenty-four hours, Bails. We sat right here, behind this tree, hiding from Lachlan. I told you if we had twenty-four hours left, I would kiss you. And then you promised me your first kiss.” He moved his hands, holding my hips.

“We were kids. It was a game—if we had twenty-four hours left to live. There’s no apocalypse.” I became breathless as one of his hands slowly slid up my body, settling on the back of my neck.

“My world ended when you left me. I’ve been living twenty-four hours for years now.” He leaned in close. “Are you afraid of me?”

I could stop him. I knew I could, but I didn’t want to. His chest brushed mine, my nipples hardening almost instantly under my sports bra. My breath came out in pants, and the only thought, the only feeling I could find within me, was how do I keep him from stopping? “No.”

“No, what?” His voice was low in my ear.

“No, I’m not afraid of you.”

“Then, prove it, Bails.”

So, I did just that. Chase met my lips with the same need, the same ferocity, our teeth nearly clashing together. His hands gripped my thighs, and mine grabbed his shoulders, bracing myself as he lifted me up. My back pressed into the tree trunk as he ground his pelvis up into mine. I gasped, my head falling back against the tree. Chase’s lips didn’t leave me as he sucked and kissed his way across my chin, down my throat, my fingers grasping in his hair.

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