Page 69 of Carnival
Chase, on the other hand, is procrastinating, which isn’t anything new. It’s been four hours since we got here, and it’s nearly midnight. Ever since the weird encounter in my kitchen, Chase has been an angel and acting as if nothing had happened, which I do appreciate.
I don’t have many friends, and I didn’t want to lose him over that. Luckily, it seems I won’t have to worry about it at all.
“Are you two done?” Danica asks, pushing her papers forward. I peek down at mine, and although it’s not entirely finished, I’m getting there. She’s been tutoring us a little, giving us tips and tricks on how to memorize everything easier and with more logic. At times like these, I understand completely why Aria chose to drop out, more than once.
Danica’s impatience hits the roof, and she rolls her eyes before pushing herself up from the chair, making as little noise as possible, not wanting to disturb the other students near us.
“I’m off to smoke a cigarette outside,’’ she announces, pulling out a pack and a lighter. “You two better be finished with those when I return.’’
She doesn’t wait for a response, turns on her heel, and walks out, leaving me alone with Chase. He chuckles, shakes his head, then puts his pen down and leans in the chair. He lifts his arms up, stretching a little, and I steal a few glances from my peripheral vision.
His shirt rises up a little, and his toned abs peek through. I’d be a liar to say he isn’t attractive. In fact, he’s very handsome, very much the beauty standard for men. However, no matter how much I try to convince myself that I’d ever be good paired with someone like him, I realize how delusional that is.
The demons I’m hiding within aren’t for everyone. And I know for a fact that Chase would run the other way the moment he found out about my past. Chase glances at me, then raises an amused brow.
“What?” He smirks. “See something you like?”
A snort escapes me, and an eye roll follows. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m merely looking at you.’’
He leans in, thoroughly amused. “Yeah? Why?”
I laugh, then give him a pointed look, trying to look stern. “No reason.’’
“Liar,’’ he mumbles, then glances down at the sheets of my work, skimming through them briefly. “You’re actually pretty good at math. Didn’t peg you for a math whiz.’’
“Is it my favorite? No,’’ I scoff. “But it’s kind of fun.’’
“Last time I heard someone say that math is fun was in fourth grade, when my teacher, Mrs. Stella, tried to convince us that algebra was just like playing.’’
“Wise woman,’’ I smirk. “Though algebra wasn’t my favorite math branch.’’
“Oh?” He leans in, curious. “Which one is it, then?”
“Trigonometry.’’
“Yuck,’’ he responds immediately. “But hey, to each their own.’’
Another silent laugh comes from me, and I freeze in my spot when Chase suddenly, gently, pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my cheek for a brief moment. I don’t say anything, and neither does he. Instead, he stares at me, deeply into my eyes, searching for something.
“You’re very beautiful, Rose,’’ he murmurs, inching closer.
Words get stuck in my throat, and before I can process what’s happening, Chase closes the distance between us, his lips falling on mine. They’re soft, tasting like candy. Yet, the moment he tries to deepen the kiss, James’ face flashes behind my eyes.
My mind conjures the image of what he’d look like if he found out about this; the pure fury, insanity, and danger on his face send a wave of chills down my spine. A small gasp slips from me, and I pull back, and Chase seems to get the hint.
He makes distance between us, something akin to annoyance flicking in his eyes before he masks it.
“I’m sorry,’’ he sighs. “I shouldn’t have—’’
“No, you shouldn’t have,’’ I interrupt, but I don’t get the chance to say more as Danica returns, flopping into the seat she’s been in previously. Her eyes flick between us, brows narrowed.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Nothing,’’ I break eye contact with Chase and turn to Danica with a smile. “Enjoy your break?”
She isn’t convinced but doesn’t press for more information and simply nods.
She starts talking, getting right back into the work, while I try to avoid Chase’s gaze as much as possible. My phone buzzes in my bag, and I take it out, opening the message from an unknown number, something twitching in the pit of my stomach.
