Page 25 of Chasing Chase London: Part 8-Valentines Day
“I don’t think she can excuse this one.”
“God, and she had to do it right when I need her most. I’m not even surprised Elaine stabbed me in the back, but I thought when it happened, I’d have Lindsey.”
She drops her sandwich and covers her face, her shoulders shaking with silent tears.
After lunch, I’m halfway up the back staircase when the door bangs open behind me, someone else late to class. I don’t turn around to check, but suddenly someone grabs me on thelanding. I yelp in surprise, my books tumbling from my arms and scattering down the stairs.
Chase pushes me against the wall, grabbing my hands and pinning them over my head. “You toldLindsey?” he demands, his expression a mixture of anger and disbelief.
I remember the last time he had my hands pinned like that, and my face starts getting warm. I can’t believe I’m thinking about that at a time like this, but god, it’s been so long since he’s touched me.
“You told Lindsey?” he asks again.
“I didn’t,” I manage. My heart slams against my ribcage like a moth trapped in a net, and my knees threaten to buckle.
“Don’t give me that cute little innocent blushing routine,” he growls. “I know you told her.”
“I didn’t tell her,” I insist, trying to pull my arms away. “I’m your friend. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
He squeezes my wrists and glares into my eyes like he can force the truth from me. “Who told her?” he grits out at last.
I’ve never seen him angry before, and it’s a little scary. He’s always the sexy goofball around other people, the guy who cracks jokes even after his mom died. When we’re alone, I’ve seen another side of him, the one that’s passionate and sad and intense. But he never loses his cool.
I just shake my head and bite my tongue. I try to pull away, but he squeezes my wrists tighter, almost painfully.
“I’ll stand here all day if that’s what it takes,” he warns. “So start talking.”
There is no way I’m ratting out Daria. The last thing she needs is one more person mad at her. I consider telling him Elaine told Lindsey, but he knows Elaine would never tell.
Finally, I decide on a more conniving path.
“Ouch,” I say, looking up at him with my biggest Bambi eyes. “You’re hurting me, Chase.”
I’m only stretching the truth a little.
He loosens his grip, his gaze darting up to my hands for a second. I take advantage of his distraction and slam my head forward into his face. My forehead was supposed to hit his nose, but he tilted his head to look at my hands, and my head connects with his lower lip and chin so hard I see stars.
“What the fuck,” he blurts, stumbling back a step and covering his mouth.
I take the stairs two at a time, only glancing back when I reach the top to make sure he’s not coming after me. He hasn’t moved though. He’s standing there holding his mouth, blood dripping through his fingers, watching me go.
I get to class shaking and empty handed. I can’t believe I hit Chase that hard. I just meant to startle him into letting me go, but the adrenaline made me hit him harder than I’d intended. Gingerly, and with just a hint of pride, I touch the bruise forming on my forehead.
At the end of the day, I find all my books back in my locker in their usual spot. For a second, I think maybe Chase isn’t mad at me after all, but then I see the little scraps of paper scattered over everything, and when I try to piece them together, I realize it’s the homecoming picture he stuck up on my locker door a million years ago.
My heart twists painfully, but I don’t have the energy to deal with one more drama, so I slam my locker and leave the mess. After school, I stop by Lindsey’s house. Her mom lets me in, though she says Lindsey’s not feeling well. I find her in bed, her eyes puffy and her nose red and raw, like she’s been crying for a week straight.
“I broke up with Chase,” she says, sniffling.
“I’m so sorry, Linds.”
“I thought he’d come to his senses and grovel, so I told my mom to tell him I was too sick to see him if he came over. Buthe hasn’t even come by! It’s like he doesn’t care at all.” Her eyes start pouring tears again.
“I’m sure he cares,” I say, my stomach knotting. I know exactly how much he cares—enough to put her happiness before his own.
“Promise you’ll be there for me through this,” she says, seizing my hand. “You’re my only real friend, Sky. The only one who hasn’t betrayed me.”
I couldn’t feel smaller if I tried. If only she knew I’m the worst of all her friends. My heart is going to implode with guilt.
