“Anyway,” he says, rubbing his shoulder, “I do not fall under the category of the DL. You should know that by now.” He turns his attention to Chase. “Dude, you need to do something. Your Mom and Charlie keep trying to tell her that there is no wedding, and she swears up and down that you two have reconciled.”
Chase opens his suitcase and pulls out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “I’m going to take her to the airport myself and hopefully put this to rest. I thought I cleared it up yesterday, but I guess not.”
Spencer looks at me. “You okay with him taking her to the airport alone?”
I scoff. “If he decides to go back to Batshit Crazy, then he’s as disturbed as she is. She can have him.”
“Oh, baby,” Chase says, “I was crazy for two years. I’ve finally gotten sane. You have nothing to worry about.”
Spence makes a gagging face.
“If you don’t like it, you know where the door is,” Chase retorts on his way to the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.
“You and Charlie are so much worse,” I chime in. “We’ve been listening to you two play kissy-face for two decades now. It’s your turn now.”
Spencer puts his arm around me. “Oh, I’m not worried. You two’ll go back to fighting soon enough.”
While Chase gets ready, Spencer and I talk about last night. His memory is hazy at best, but he fills me on what he remembers about the bus ride to the club. Chase comes back from the bathroom and pulls me up off the couch. He gives me a tender kiss. “I’ve got to go clear this up. I guess I’ll be back later to get ready.”
“Are you staying in here?”
He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “Do you want me to stay here?”
Spencer stands up from the sofa and pushes Chase toward the door. “Yes, he’s staying here. But now he has to save my wife from his lunatic ex-girlfriend.”
Chapter Three
Chase
“So how bad is it?” I ask Spencer as we walk away from Ari’s room.
He rubs the back of his neck. “You’ve got your work cut out for you. The cheese has slid completely off her cracker. I’m really worried about her.”
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I mutter as I pick up the pace.
“No, seriously, dude,” he replies as he tries to keep up with me. “Like, I’m really worried. Nothing is getting through to her. I’ve known her a long time and never seen her like this.”
We arrive at the elevator, and I push the button a dozen times, trying to will it to come faster. “I told you months ago that after we got engaged, she changed.”
He scoffs. “This is more than changed. She’s taken a ride down the slippery slope and has landed in the land of make believe.”
When the elevator doesn’t arrive, I turn to Spencer. “Fuck it. I’m taking the stairs.” I look down the hall for the sign for the stairs then take off. I pause when I get to the door to the stairwell. “Are you coming?”
He shakes his head. “I’m too hungover for the stairs. I think I have more tequila than blood in me right now.”
I’m jogging down the hall toward Charlie’s room when she throws open the door and storms off in the opposite direction. “Hey, wait up,” I call to her.
When she turns around, I can see how frazzled she is. “It’s like talking to a freaking brick wall! She’s delusional!” She points at her room. “I’m not sure how you stayed with her for so long because she’s seriously mentally unstable. I don’t know how we missed it!”
Charlie can put up with anyone. For her to react like this, Jenna must be totally out of control. I put my arm on her shoulder and pull her into a hug. “I’ve never seen her like this. Thank you for helping contain her. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
She lays her head on my chest. “Seriously, Chase, I think when you broke up with her, something snapped. Thank God you don’t have any bunnies because they’d be in a boiling pot of water right now.”
I pull back so I can look at her. “Do you really think I caused this? I know this sounds horrible, but after Ari, I didn’t want to get hurt again, so I really kept Jenna at a distance. I’m actually surprised she didn’t see this coming.”
She takes my hand then sits on the floor against the wall, pulling me down with her. “Maybe that’s part of it. Maybe she was hoping when you finally got married, she’d have all of you, including the part you’ve been holding back. Now you’re telling her she can’t have any of you. You’ve rejected her, and she feels humiliated, so now she’s gone full-on nutter butter on you.” Charlie gently squeezes my knee. “You’ve made a big mess. Now you need to clean it up.”
The elevator dings, and Spencer strolls out. Once he spots us on the floor, he laughs. “Afraid to go in, huh?”
I stand then offer my hand to help Charlie up. “Charlie was just giving me her take on the situation. I’m not worried. I can handle Jenna.”
He pats my back. “Good luck. I do not envy you man.”
“Thanks,” I reply. “Do me a favor? Call the car service and have them wait downstairs.”
Charlie pulls out her phone. “One getaway car coming up.”
I walk into the room and spot my mother. From the look on her face, I can tell she’s about at her wit’s end. Her fingers are digging into the sofa, and I can almost hear her teeth grinding. She’s doing her best to look calm, but she’s about to combust.
“Yes, I’m totally serious! There will be twelve bridesmaids!” Jenna says. “Kelly and Becky from my sorority, then my three cousins Samantha, Stephanie, and Susannah, and then—”
As I step closer, I see a three-ring binder spread out on the sofa between them. Oh, hell no! I burned that thing! Enjoyed every second of it too.
“You made another one?” I ask, pointing at the binder.
Jenna jumps up and tries to kiss me, but I quickly step away. Hurt flashes across her face for a second, but it’s quickly replaced with a smile that’s just a little too big. “There you are, honey. I was wondering when you’d come back. Did you have fun with the boys?”
“I destroyed that thing,” I say, nodding at the binder.
She leans forward and kisses my cheek. “Silly boy! Of course I had more than one copy!” She looks at my mom. “Who only has one copy of their wedding binder? That’s just lazy.”
Mom stands. “Well, on that note, I’d best get going. I have a long day ahead of me. You have a safe flight, my dear.”
Jenna gives my mom a tight hug. “You know, I think I’ll stay. It sounds like today will be so fun! I don’t want to miss it all. And Chase shouldn’t be unaccompanied. How would that look?”
My mom takes Jenna’s hands in hers. “Like I told you several times before, sweetie—we don’t have any extra tickets to the luncheon or the game. Had we known you were coming, maybe we could have worked something out, but we didn’t, so there is no way for you to join us. I really, really think it’s best if you take your flight this morning.”
Pouting, Jenna replies, “But I should be here. I can’t believe you planned this whole thing without me, Mom.”
Mom? My mother’s eyes go so wide I worry they’re going to fall out.
Jenna puts her hand on Mom’s shoulder. “You and Pop really have to start including me in the planning of these things. I know I haven’t been around as long as Spencer, but I’m here to stay!”
Mom opens her mouth to say something, but I interject by slamming my hand against the wall so hard I’m lucky I don’t punch a hole in it. “That’s it! This trip to Insanityville is over. Get your shit. I’m taking you to the airport. You are getting on that plane, and this bullshit comes to an end right fucking now.”
Jenna’s jaw drops. “Language, Chase! Your mother’s here. Show some respect!”
“It’s fine.” Mom points at the large black roller bag by the door. “Spencer was kind enough to bring her bag down from your room. She’s all ready to go.” Mom gives me a hug. As she squeezes me, she stretches up on her tiptoes and whispers, “It�
��s like the elevator has stopped reaching the top floor. I have no idea what to make of this. Good luck, baby.”
I kiss her cheek. “Thanks for everything, Mom. I owe you one.”
She smiles as she pulls away. “Oh yes, you do. And I will collect.”
As soon as Mom leaves the room, I grab Jenna’s bag. “Dear God, woman! What’s in here?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret it. Asking her anything only encourages conversation and rewards her ludicrous behavior.
“Well,” she says as she packs up the binder from hell, “since no one informed me about the family trip, I didn’t know what we’d be doing. So I packed for all occasions.”
“The lack of invitation should have been your first clue.” I open the door. “Now let’s get the fuck out of here. From what I can remember, there’s a ten-thirty flight I can get you on.”
She winks as she walks by. “I love it when you’re bossy.”
It’s official—I’m in the Twilight Zone.
On the way down to the lobby, she stops to talk to everyone she sees to show them her ring or tell them about the wedding. The hotel is full of football people, most of them here for the National Championship, so they all know who I am, and they’re more than happy to get the inside gossip about a celebrity wedding. I hurry her along as much as I can without making too much of a scene, but it’s harder than I would have expected. Managing her is like trying herd cats.
I finally get her into the waiting Town Car. I push the button to raise the privacy glass then turn to face her. “I’m going to make this perfectly clear. You’re going to get on that plane, fly back to San Francisco, and you’re going to figure out how you to fix this wedding mess.”
She crosses her legs. “I’m trying not to let it bother me that you keep saying that. When we got back together in December, you said it would be a tough few months, so I’m going to chock this all up to stress.”
“What are you talking about? We did not get back together!”
“Of course we did. I stopped by the house. You ended up staying at our condo. We talked until dawn, and everything worked itself out.”
I may not remember much from that night, but I know for a fact I didn’t talk to her till dawn. My mind had been consumed with Aiden and Ari that night. Jenna wasn’t even on my radar. “Bullshit! I went to your condo, puked in the elevator, then passed out. There was no talking, no reconciliation. There was definitely no discussion of a wedding.”
Her jaw drops. “Why are you trying to hurt me? I don’t believe for a second that you don’t remember that night. It was beautiful and touching. You were so tender and loving.”
I throw my hands in the air. “I don’t remember because it’s a product of your imagination!”
“Now you’re just being downright mean! We fixed everything that night. Stop lying! I’ve been tolerant, but even I have my limits.”
I don’t know what else to say. How do you fight crazy? I try to rub away my budding migraine.
She says, “After I dropped you off at practice that morning, I went back to our house to clean up your beer can collection, and I saw all stuff strewn all over the garage. Curiosity got the better of me, and I sifted through it.” She opens her purse, takes out a tissue, then dabs the corners of her eyes. “I’m not going to lie, Chase. Finding out that you’d had this relationship with Arianna that I knew nothing about… it hurt. I didn’t think we kept secrets from each other.”
It all comes back to me. I had been going through my Arianna box when she showed up. The box with the pictures that have magically appeared on the internet. If she released those pictures, she’s more dangerous than I thought. I wouldn’t have believed she had the balls to do something like that, but maybe I’m wrong. I need to tread lightly until I can get more information from her. “I never talked about Arianna to anyone. Until a few days ago, even my family didn’t know. Don’t take it personally.”
Her jaw drops as a disgusted expression covers her face. “How am I not supposed to take it personally? We’re getting married. I should know everything about you! You certainly know everything about me!” She points at me. “Secrets destroy a marriage. This is not the way to start our life together.”
Trying to find the strength to keep my cool, I run my fingers through my hair. “Jenna, I need you to hear me now. We are not getting back together. There will not be a wedding.”
She tips her head back and laughs. “Of course there will be, silly! Who cancels a wedding after the invitations have gone out? No one does that!”
I scoff. “Then we will be trendsetters because this wedding is not happening.”
A devious smirk spreads across her face as she crosses her arms. She no longer looks crazy; she looks down right maniacal. “Do you think she’ll take you back now? I may never have been formally introduced to her, but I’ve been around the family enough to pick up a thing or two about Arianna. She’ll do anything to avoid a scandal. She would never get together with another woman’s fiancé. And now that the press thinks she’s a cheating skank, she’ll run back to Henrik if only for damage control. They’ll get married and live happily ever after, and so will we.”
That devious bitch. She thinks she’s got it all worked out.
“Well, you’re wrong there,” I say. “Those pictures you leaked have just made her a ton of money, and no one believes they’re evidence of a torrid affair. If this was part of your grand plan to get me back, it backfired.”
“No matter. She’s a passing fling. Cold feet. In time, you’ll realize that we’re a much better match. You and Arianna are both takers. Both of you are high maintenance, need everything your way, constantly demanding the spotlight. You need a giver to complement you. Someone to love you and nurture you, and that won’t be Arianna. It’s me, Chase. I’m the one you need. I’m the one who will make you happy.”
This is case in point why we would never have been able to work. I tell her one thing; her brain translates it into something completely different. I’m at the end of my rope. I don’t know how else to try and explain this to her so that she might actually hear what I’m saying. Trying to keep my cool and ward off a headache, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Jenna, I’m in love with someone else. Why would you want me? You deserve to be with someone who looks at you like you’re the center of his universe. You’ll never have that with me because I’m in love with her. I’m so sorry I hurt you. I thought I was over her, but I wasn’t, and I never will be.”
The car pulls up to the departure lane at the airport. After parking, the driver opens the trunk and removes her bag.
Jenna puts her purse strap over her shoulder. “I know you think she’s the one that got away, but there’s a reason she got away in the first place. Bringing her back into your life will only keep you stuck, repeating your mistakes, and you’ll be miserable. Leave your past in the past, and take my hand so we can walk into our future together.”
I take her hands. “I don’t say this to hurt you, but I don’t know how else to make you understand. Arianna’s my past, my present, and my future. Yes, we may be a lot alike, but she loves and supports me more than anyone else ever could because she understands me inside and out. She knows I’m a demanding asshole, but she puts me in my place and helps me be a better person. She’s my other half, my everything, and there is no future for me that doesn’t have her by my side.”
I wait for the slap or the waterworks, but she smiles. She actually smiles.
“Oh dear, sweet, confused Chase. You’ll figure it out soon.” She touches my cheek. “By the wedding, Arianna will be nothing but a memory.”
Before I can say another word, she opens the door and leaves. I could run after her, but what would be the point? She’s delusional. She’s completely lost her mind.
I’m so fucked.
Chapter Four
Arianna
After Chase leaves, I sort through the bags from Neiman’s. I’m looking at a Stella McCartney dress when Spencer’s words come ba
ck to haunt me. Should I be worried about him going off with Jenna? What if she throws herself at him? Will he have it in him to push her away? Doubt floods my mind, but I drive it away as fast as it comes in. Women have gone to great lengths to get Chase’s attention, and the more drama they’ve stirred up, the less interested he became. Sending out wedding invites when there’s no wedding is pretty damn desperate. And besides, if I can’t trust him to send Crazypants packing, we have no hope.
Please, please, please don’t let me down, Chase.
I need to stop dwelling on this, so I pick a dress and get moving. After putting myself together, I meet Daddy downstairs. I foolishly didn’t check the schedule he signed us up for, and as we’re shuffled to event after event, I want to kill him. My agent and PR rep will be thrilled I’m in a million pictures, but this is far too much for Daddy.
Chase misses the luncheon. I’m proud of the fact that I’m only mildly annoyed rather than overflowing with fury. Oh, how far we’ve come.
I hijack control of our schedule when I notice Daddy getting winded. He fights me on returning to the hotel for a nap before the game, but he falls asleep before his head hits the pillow. I let him sleep until an hour before the game, giving me time to freshen up, and we make it to the stadium just before kickoff. I force Dr. Barns to stick close to Daddy, which of course means the doctor gets to rub elbows with some amazing people.
I spot Chase across the luxury box when we arrive. He winks at me, but we keep our distance. I flitter between groups, catching up with the guys I haven’t gotten a chance to speak to yet this weekend. After the end of the first quarter, Chase comes over to the group I’m sitting with, and he casually joins the conversation. I give him an inquisitive look.
He shrugs and whispers, “What? We can’t sit near each other? We’re at the same event. It’s not unheard of that we’d end up in the same circles once or twice.”
I don’t really have an answer, so I let it go. At the start of the second quarter, a quarterback sack/fumble results in a defensive touchdown. The call is under review, and the televisions in the box show the replay. Chase, of course, sides with the quarterback, saying he was down by contact before the ball slipped out of his hands. He’s full of shit. The ball was out of his hands long before the QB’s ass hit the ground, and I call him on it. It turns into a screaming match.
Love To Hate You Page 3
