Once we get to the bar, Kenzie’s ex foils my plan when we run into him, but it gets Hunter’s blood boiling meaning Operation Get My Brother and Best Friend Together is in full effect. I’m still working on the name.
“Hey, stranger.” Spinning around, I find Chase standing behind me, ogling me with a hungry grin. His greeting makes me laugh since that’s how I greeted him in my apartment all those weeks ago.
“Hey yourself.” I’m so glad he’s here and looking fine as hell. He’s tempting and I’m ready to go to bed before the night even starts.
He fingers the collar of my jacket I wore for him tonight. “Red, are you trying to kill me?”
My black sweetheart crop top shows off bare abs, my black skintight ripped jeans meet knee-high black boots, but the icing on top of the outfit is my cherry red leather jacket. I’ll wear red every damn day and night if it always causes an intense reaction out of him. I finally understand where the saying ‘red-hot’ came from.
My lip color matches my jacket and his eyes don’t leave my mouth for more than a few seconds at a time. It’s just a color and yet it’s also a surefire way to get me laid.
“Want to get a drink?” I tilt my head, my long hair falling over my shoulder in waves.
“Want to get out of here?” His eagerness is a complete turn on and it’s tempting. So very tempting.
“Don’t you want to dance with me first?” The thought of foreplay where I get to rub my ass all over his dick in a club has me all hot and bothered.
“Fine.” he grips me around my waist, tugging me flush against his body, “but you’re coming home with me tonight.”
16
Chase
The cat’s out of the bag. It only took three months for Mackenzie to find out about us and then for Hailey to subsequently downplay our relationship, but I’ll take it. I’ve wanted to tell the world for almost the entire three months now.
Thanksgiving dinner was interesting, to say the least. The cliff notes version is Hunter’s ex showed up with Kenzie’s ex. Hunt and Kenz managed to fall in love within a week. Hailey and I were outed and can now go on double dates with our best friends. It’s a win-win situation.
There’s just one major problem—I’m madly in love with Hailey and she’s still denying her feelings for me.
I won’t bombard her with relationship drama again yet, but in a few short weeks she’ll be on winter break and then I’ll ask her to make things official between us. I want her to be my girlfriend and I won’t buy into her bullshit excuses anymore.
I glance to my right where she’s still sleeping in my bed. Her blonde hair is splayed out around her head like a halo, which is fitting since she’s a goddamn angel. This girl is so far under my skin that I should lose my man card over her.
My phone rings, pulling my attention away from her. It’s Hunter calling and, damn, it’s nice to have my best friend back. I grab the vibrating device before it wakes up my girl and sneak out of bed. “Yo, man. What’s up?” I close my bedroom door behind me and walk out to the kitchen to make coffee.
“Hey. I was going through my stuff and found those Flyers tickets you got me for my birthday. You still good to go with me?”
Shit. I almost forgot about the tickets I got him. “Hell yeah. It’s next weekend, right?” I grab a couple mugs for the Keurig and make two cups. If I try to wake Hailey up without coffee, she’ll kick my ass. I learned that lesson the hard way.
“Yup. I figured since the girls will be cramming for finals, we can make a day of it. I can pick you up around noon and we can tailgate.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We hang up and I carry her steaming mug back into the bedroom. I leave it on the nightstand so the aroma can ease her awake. Then I head back out to make breakfast. For the most part, we’re both conscious about eating healthy, but my girl loves her bacon, which means I always stock my fridge with it. If she can’t see that, for all intents and purposes we’re in a relationship, the girl needs to get her eyes checked.
As the bacon sizzles and I cut up fresh ingredients for our egg white omelets, my phone rings again. What the fuck? Who calls this much anymore?
My jaw clenches and my teeth grit together as I read the caller ID. “Mother.”
“No need for the dramatics, Son. I need to know if you’ll be joining us for Christmas this year since you bailed on us for Thanksgiving. It could be Granddaddy’s last year, you know. He would be so disappointed if his only grandson wasn’t there.” She’s always one for the guilt trip.
“Talk about dramatic. You say that about Granddad every year and he’s fit as a fiddle. Plus, Aunt Ellen has two sons and I’m sure they’ll be at Christmas.”
“Well, of course they’ll be there, but they’re adopted, so they don’t really count as family.” Satan himself should be jealous of how callous this woman can be.
“You’re unbelievable. I—” I spin around to find Hailey with bare legs in my T-shirt leaning against the wall. Her face is pinched with concern and both hands are wrapped around her hot mug. “I gotta go.” I hang up without another word or even waiting for her response.
“Who was that?” I’ll have to talk to her about my family issues soon enough, but right now I have burnt omelets to worry about.
I focus on the pan and not her sad eyes boring into the back of my head. “My mother.”
“Anything I can do to help?” She comes to me, resting her chin on my shoulder. I turn my head to kiss her on the top of the head.
I glance over to the stove where the omelets are burning and the bacon so crisp it would break our teeth. “Yup, get dressed. Looks like we’re going out for breakfast.” I toss the unsalvageable meal in the trash and throw on some clean clothes. I don’t dare watch Hailey get dressed or I know we’ll never get out of here.
The drive to the diner is tense and not in the fun, sexual way. My conversation with my mother is ringing loud and clear in my head. I cannot believe the audacity of that woman. My maternal aunt struggled for five years between trying to have kids and going through the process of adoption to get her two boys.
“Hey, you okay?” Gentle fingertips graze my forearm, forcing me back to the present.
“I will be.” I grab her hand and lift it, placing a kiss on the back of it. Being the gentleman my parents did not teach me to be, I park the car and run around the front to get Hailey’s door for her.
“Thank you, handsome.” Every nerve is on fire in her presence and she doesn’t even realize it.
“Anytime.” I wink at her for good measure and she reaches for my hand. There’s no way this is just sex.
We get seated in a corner booth and as the waiter walks away with our order, a flip of long brown hair draws my attention away from the bombshell sitting across from me. Oh, fuck. Could this day get worse?
“What’s wrong?” Hailey’s forehead forms a deep V full of worry.
“What?” I force my gaze back to my date and slink down into the booth to avoid being noticed.
“You look like a cat burglar attempting to avoid the family you stole from. Spill.” She’s cute when she’s determined. I don’t even need to say anything for her to know there’s a problem. She can just sense the tension radiating off me because she knows me so well.
“One of my coworkers is at the booth over there.” I tilt my head as inconspicuously as I can in the general direction of Laila. “She’s a little… forward, you could say.”
Her eyes flash with stark jealousy before she controls her emotions, putting on her mask of indifference. I don’t understand why she keeps fighting the idea of us.
“Where is she? Should we invite her to join us?” She cranes her neck around, looking for my colleague.
“No. Absolutely not. I would prefer not to talk to her at all, but especially not outside of school.” Our food arrives and Hailey becomes quiet, which is out of character for her.
I’m enjoying my breakfast burrito when a set of claws lands on my shoulder and my
nose is attacked by overbearing, nauseating perfume.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Her nasal voice grates on my nerves and I cringe away from the offensive sound.
“Laila, what a surprise. This is my—Hailey. Hailey, this is Laila Deveraux. She’s the French teacher at Woodbridge.” I wish I hadn’t stumbled over my introduction of Hailey. No, more than that, I wish I didn’t have to stumble over it because I wish we had a serious commitment where I could introduce her as my girlfriend.
“It’s nice to meet you, Laila.” My girl offers her hand for Laila to shake, but my coworker sniffs her nose at her hand as if the gesture is beneath her.
“Heather, was it? Chase didn’t tell me he had a little sister.” Her hands run down my arm and I shift away to lose the contact.
“Oh, he’s not my brother. We’re… friends. We go way back. And my name is Hailey.” Her smile is forced and filled with unease as she watches Laila blatantly flirt with me. Yet, she tells her we’re just friends. It’s infuriating.
“How sweet. Well, enjoy your playdate and I’ll see you in school tomorrow.” With a wink, she struts away, making sure her ass sways back and forth as she goes. I shake my head and turn to my date.
“I’m sorry about her. She’s—”
“Gorgeous. And super into you, it seems.” Her eyes linger on my flirty coworker as she walks out of the diner doors. She’s frustrated and crestfallen, but she’s stubborn and won’t admit how jealous she is.
“She’s irrelevant. I’m more into blondes, anyway.” My attempt to lighten the mood falls flat. I’m already fighting an uphill battle with her; why not add one more variable?
Not that Laila is a variable because she’s not even an option for me. But in Hailey’s mind, she’s a threat, and that’s all that matters.
“What’s on your agenda for today?” I pay the bill and lead Hailey back out to my car. Between my mother and then Laila, my day was doomed to be a disaster before things even got started.
“I should head back to school. I have to cram for finals.” She won’t even look me in the eye.
“Don’t shut down on me, Hails.” I’m begging her. It’s like the roles are reversed and I’m the stereotypical girl who got attached way too soon and she’s the nonchalant guy looking for an out.
We settle in the car, but I don’t start it or drive away. “I’m not shutting down on you. I’m just being realistic. If you can’t handle our arrangement—”
“Dammit, Hailey, you’re joking, right? You hold my hand. Your eyes shoot daggers at a girl who means less than nothing to me, but you won’t admit you’re jealous. This thing we have isn’t just friends with benefits. Just because you won’t admit you have feelings doesn’t make them any less real. Fuck. I feel like I’m constantly chasing you, Red, but you’re always half a second in front of me and I can’t keep up with you.” I run a hand through my hair. All of today’s frustrations are getting taken out on her and it’s not fair to her, but it would be a lie if I said I wasn’t irritated with her too.
“What do you want from me, Chase? I can’t give you the things you want. I thought if I gave you some part of me—”
“You, what? Thought this would be easier for either one of us? I can’t get you out of my head. You’ve invaded every part of me and I feel like you’re pushing me away every chance you get.” Exasperation overwhelms me and I rub a tired hand over my head.
“Maybe we should—” Her voice is sad and I don’t even need to hear the rest of the sentence.
“Yeah. Maybe we should.”
◊◊◊
The week passes without a word from Hailey and I’m piss poor company at the Flyers game with Hunter on Saturday. We’re tailgating before the game starts but I’m already on my way to wasted. I’m glad I didn’t drive.
“What the hell, dude? You’ve been pounding back beers all day and I haven’t seen you drink like that since…” The sentence cuts off because he hasn’t been around the past few years to know if I’ve always drunk like a fish or not.
But I’ve already lost Hailey. I’m not about to pick a fight with Hunter and push him away too. I need someone in my corner and besides, he’s kind of my in where his sister is concerned.
“It’s your sister, dude. She’s so hot and cold. She’s acting like I’m proposing marriage and asking her to drop out of school and give up her dreams to have my children or some shit.”
“Well, are you?” He takes a large gulp of beer and studies me.
“No, of course not. I would never ask her to do that. I just want to be with her. Hasn’t she heard of long-distance relationships?” I grab another beer from the cooler and crack it open.
“What happens if she gets a job in California or Florida or somewhere not in PA? Are you going to give up teaching and move with her?”
“I’ve thought about it, dude, but she won’t give me the chance to even offer.” A group of chicks in Flyers gear stops by our car but I wave them off. I’m not even in the mood for mindless flirting.
“I’ll figure it out. How are you and Kenzie doing? And are you ever going to tell me what went down with Ali?” He’s been tight-lipped about the entire situation since he’s been home.
A heavy sigh escapes him and he downs the rest of his beer. “Long story short, she got pregnant and I proposed. She lost the baby and then I caught her cheating on me. That was the last straw.”
“Shit, Hunter, I’m sorry, man. I had no idea.” We all knew his ex-fiancée was terrible for him, but I had no idea it was that dark.
“It’s getting easier to talk about. It was hard to tell Hailey and my parents, but now everyone knows and I can move on. I can move forward with Kenzie and that’s all I want.” With a shrug, he cracks another beer. My problems are juvenile compared to his.
“Now, back to you and my sister. How are we going to get the two of you back together?” If I had the answer to that question I wouldn’t be drowning my sorrows.
17
Hailey
Finals are over and I aced all my classes as I knew I would. Kenzie passed with flying colors too, though you wouldn’t be able to tell that from looking at her. I all but have the apartment to myself these days since she’s been shacking up with my brother from the moment her last exam finished.
When Kenzie had put two and two together and realized Chase was the man in my bed all those weeks ago, she was hurt I lied to her. Yet, she also understood where I was coming from. She knows how important school is to me. I refuse to give up my dreams for anyone.
I grab the mail, piling my roommate’s up on her overflowing stack. One envelope in particular has me dropping the rest of the packages on the floor.
A large, thick envelope is addressed to me from Johns Hopkins University. That’s my dream medical school, and I applied there early, hoping to commit to their rigorous program.
Using a nearby knife I snatch off the counter, I tear open the package with the eagerness of a teenybopper meeting her favorite boy band.
Congratulations, Hailey Nicole Blake! We are pleased to announce you’ve been accepted…
The rest of the letter remains unread as it flutters to the floor. I’m equal parts shocked and euphoric over my acceptance and ready to mail in my deposit as soon as I can.
I grab my phone, calling my parents with the good news. There’s one other person I’m dying to tell, but I’m not sure he wants anything to do with me at this point. But… I won’t know unless I try.
I dial Chase’s number and the phone rings for ages before clicking to voicemail. Not the climactic celebration I was hoping for.
Shooting off a text to both my brother and best friend, I hop in the shower because even if I have to go out alone to celebrate, I’m not sitting here by myself moping. I deserve to revel in my accomplishment.
As I’m throwing on a cute but classy dress, there’s a knock on the front door. It’s probably Kenzie who, for someone who lives here, forgets her key entirely too often.
�
�Coming!” I trip over my own feet as I’m strapping on my left stiletto, rolling my ankle in the process, but the wall breaks my fall. I’ll have a bruise, but it’s better than a broken ankle. I’ll work on my balance when I’m a doctor, but I got time.
Hobbling to the front door, I throw it open and find Chase on the other side. “Oh, hey, what’re you—”
My question gets interrupted when his mouth latches onto mine. He tastes like sex on a stick with a hint of beer.
“When I saw you called, I came right over. I’m so happy to hear from you. I couldn’t wait one more minute without seeing you.” He kisses me again and I give into his touch.
I can tell him the news after we make love. This is my ideal celebration anyway, even if it’s just for one night.
He doesn’t rush through the motions, but instead savors this opportunity, and I’m glad. I don’t care that we have our differences and he continues to fight me. Even if this is our last night together, I want to commemorate this moment.
He pushes me back into my bedroom, his lips latched onto mine with a hungry fervor. I meet his eagerness tenfold. I’ve missed him so much and that’s what I’m scared of.
I’m already attached to him. I shouldn’t have initiated this relationship from the start. I should’ve cut things off like I wanted to because it was the smart thing to do.
“God, Hailey, you’ll be the death of me.” He pulls back, looking me dead in the eyes with all the adoration in the world. His eyes are flooded with emotion as he trails them over my face. He wears his heart on his sleeve, which is so rare but refreshing for a man. “I’m in love with you, Red. I love you so damn much.”
He leans in to kiss me, but I wasn’t expecting him to tell me that. I freeze, pulling back. “I just got accepted into my dream med school. I’ll be heading to John Hopkins next fall.”
“That’s amazing. Congratulations, Hails, I’m so proud of you. I know how hard you’ve been working. And that’s great news for us. John Hopkins is not even that far away. We can make this work, Hailey.” He’s grinning at me and it’s a look full of hope and yet tears well in my eyes.
Chasing Red Page 12
