Page 45 of How to Get Even

‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

‘Mm hmm,’ she replied, trying to see if Astrid was okay from where Bella had shoved her.

A single hand rose from the greenery with a thumb sticking up.

‘Bella?’

‘Yup,’ she said, the world tipping a little as she turned back to face Chase.

‘Are you drunk?’ Chase asked, clearly concerned.

‘No!’ Bella cried out in denial.

He barked out a laugh and finally her brain began to work. She needed to get him out of here immediately.

‘You’re a menace, Bella Carmichael,’ he declared.

‘No, I’m not,’ she replied hotly.

‘You should not be allowed out by yourself. Walking around New York pissed as a fart.’

Don’t make a scene, Bella.

We can’t take care of you both, sweetheart. It’ll be much easier this way.

But I’ll be good, Mummy. Really good. Please?

‘I am not a menace and I wasn’t making a scene,’ she cried, feeling her emotions spin out of control. ‘And I am not drunk, I went to a yoga class.’

‘Bella, it’s okay. I was just joking,’ Chase assured her, something like concern flashing in his gaze. ‘Come on,’ he said, pulling her into his side. ‘Let’s get you home. Sound like a plan?’

She turned back to look at where she’d pushed Astrid into a hedge and saw nothing, so looked up at Chase and nodded. Unsteady on legs more than a little wobbly after New York’s most evil hot yoga class, and on emotions that suddenly swept her to very dark places, Bella allowed Chase to guide her home.

She could feel the warmth of him pressed against her side, and couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to live life unafraid of being an imposition. A problem. A burden. What would it be like to want to burden someone?

She looked up at Chase, and thought how much of a shame it was that he was such a horrible, lying, cheating scumbag. Because, really, she’d quite like to burden him a lot.

9

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him.

THE ART OF WAR, SUN TZU

Chase checked his watch. He’d arranged to meet Bella here after securing a meeting with Sascha through her professor. But he was early which gave him too much time to think. He stared up at one of New York’s most respectable art colleges with a mixture of resentment and curiosity.

He’d got a scholarship to the UK and had never looked back. His mom had always wanted him to travel. To study abroad. To live up to his potential. And now, here he was looking for someone else’s potential because he couldn’t even look at a canvas let alone a paintbrush.

Get over it, dude.

Ever sympathetic, his inner voice.

Iamover it. That’s why I’ve got the job as a gallery director.

And you’re fucking that up too.

Bella arrived just in time for his inner thoughts to have a WWE throwdown.

Four days ago he’d bumped into her on the way home. And thank God he had because he’d hate to think what would have happened if he hadn’t.

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