Charmed by Chase

by Theresa Paolo

  “Instead I rear ended a car.”

  “Better than running over a pap.”

  “I guess so.”

  “I know what you need. Excuse me!” Calla Lily said, waving to a waiter. “Can you please get us a round of mimosas please.”

  An hour and one mimosa later—after all, she had to drive—Calla Lily walked Bex out and Bex while she still felt horrible and helpless about Chase at least one part of her life was looking better. It wasn’t much but it was something.

  “I have my parents’ jet on standby, just tell me when, and I can have you back in L.A. in no time.”

  Bex thought about leaving right then, running away like she was so good at but something inside her kept her from doing so. “Thanks, Cal, but I’m going to give it another day or two.”

  She doubted Chase would come to her, but she wasn’t ready to give up on him. Not yet.

  “Just give me the word, and we’re in the sky.”

  They got to the door and the bright light of flashes blinded her as she went to step out the door. Cameras were shoved in her face, questions coming at her from every direction.

  How did they find her? She quickly grabbed her sunglasses from the top of her head and shoved them on, pushing through the hoard.

  “Just one,” she heard Calla Lily say just as she grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the chaos. Calla Lily smiled, pushing her chest out and lifting her leg. “Smile, Bex,” she said, but Bex barely heard her through the fire roaring in her ears.

  The questions continued to fly, the flashes going off at rapid speed. Bex’s legs were frozen in place, her voice lost to the knife in her back. Her eyes turned to Calla Lily who was posing it up for the camera. The perfect curls, flawless makeup, ridiculous dress, it was all planned.

  “Bex turned to the girl who just listened to her sob over a heartache, who had sat there holding her hand in comfort while tears slipped passed her lids. Who made Bex question her own gut and believe everything she had told her. It was all lies. “You called them.”

  “Of course I did. You’re red hot right now. You need to take advantage of all the free press.”

  “No!” Bex yelled, tearing her body away from Calla Lily’s. “I thought you were my friend.”

  “I am. Don’t be so dramatic,” she whispered in harsh tones before looking back at the cameras and smiling.

  “Let’s get another one with you two together,” a paparazzi said, and Calla Lily reached for her, but Bex pushed her off.

  “Don’t!” She met her gaze, needing to make sure she was going to hear what she was about to say. Calla Lily looked at her with wide eyes. “Me and you. We’re through.”

  “Bex?”

  She was done caring about people who didn’t give a damn about her. Done being manipulated by people who weren’t worth the same air she breathed.

  “Go to hell. All of you.”

  ***

  Bex thought about staying. She really did. But what was the point? She’d done enough damage to this town. It was time for her to pack her bags and go. Thanks to Calla Lily, it was only a matter of time before the paparazzi infiltrated Red Maple Falls and the good citizens of the town did not deserve that.

  She grabbed her suitcase and started throwing her stuff in by the armfuls. Willy rubbed up against her leg and meowed. She reached down and scooped him up, hugging him close before putting him down on the couch.

  “I know you like it here,” she said. “But it’s time to go home. Maybe I can get you a stuffed squirrel to play with.”

  Bex swore if the cat could he would have rolled his one eye at her before he jumped off the couch and lazily walked away from her.

  “Great, now you’re mad at me, too. Join the club. I heard the membership has seen an uptick the past few days.”

  There was a knock at the door and her heart leapt. She ran to the door, tripping over a pair of shoes and practically face planting into the floor. She managed to catch herself on the wall and right herself before she went down.

  “Willy stay,” she said, pointing at him. He rolled his head away from her, tail flopping back and forth like a metronome.

  She flung the door open, ready to jump into Chase’s arms and kiss him until he forgave her. But when she opened the door, it wasn’t Chase on the other side. Her heart deflated, and any hope she had at him coming for her vanished.

  “I’m guessing I’m not who you hoped for,” Sarah said. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

  “Not at all,” Bex said. “You never disappoint me.” It was true. She had only met Sarah in person a few times before she came to Red Maple Falls, but she was one of the best friends Bex had. “Come in.”

  Sarah followed her in, stepping over the piles of clothes. “Going somewhere?”

  “I figured it was time for me to go home.”

  “Oh. Were you planning on saying goodbye?”

  Bex shrugged. “Probably not. It’s kind of my thing.”

  “Well, that’s a shame. I would have been upset if I missed you.”

  “I would’ve called when I got home.”

  “Not the same,” Sarah said. “I’m guessing this is about Chase?”

  “I’m pretty sure he hates me, and he has every right to.”

  “Why? You didn’t spill his story to the media.”

  “No, but I brought the media to him. The look on his face… He was so angry.”

  “I heard.”

  Bex’s eyebrow arched. “How?”

  “Chase kind of had it out with Sam. Sam told Hadley. Hadley told me.”

  “I thought word got around fast in Hollywood.”

  “Welcome to small-town life. You have given us much to gossip about.”

  Deflated Bex slumped down on the couch. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. The town loves it. Not to mention Kate is thrilled because of all the free press her studio is getting.”

  “Unfortunately, no press comes for free. I already paid the price.”

  Sarah sat down beside her, resting a comforting hand on her knee. “I’m guessing you haven’t spoken to him at all.”

  “No.”

  “Maybe you should try before you take off. What do you have to lose at this point?”

  Sarah was right. If she didn’t find him, talk to him, she’d always wonder what would have happened if she would’ve tried.

  “Do you know where he is?” Bex asked.

  “Last I heard he was at the fire station but since Sam came home and told Hadley, I’m assuming Chase went home by now, too.”

  Bex slipped into the first pair of shoes she could find, gave Sarah a quick hug and grabbed her keys. She stopped at the door and turned back to Sarah. “Thank you, Sarah. You really are a good friend.”

  “You are, too,” Sarah said. “And if you decide to stay even if it is just for a few more days I’ll buy you a cup of coffee and a cupcake from Shay’s.”

  “We’ll see what happens.”

  “Go find your guy and make things right. I’ll clean up here for you.”

  “You’re the best!”

  Bex ran out of the house, pulling the door behind her and hopping in her rental. She had no idea how Chase would react to her, but she didn’t care.

  She had tried to tell herself that her feelings for Chase were just infatuation or lust. After all they just met one another, but she could no longer deny the truth. She never felt like this about anyone. He was the first thing she thought of when she woke in the morning and her last thought at night. She constantly wondered what he was doing throughout the day and feared for his safety at work. He set her on fire when they made love, and she could not get enough of his kisses or the feel of his arms wrapped around her.

  She was in love with him and running away was no longer an option.

  Chapter 23

  Pushing himself harder than he ever had, Chase ran along the hiking trail toward the top of the mountain. His heart slammed against his chest, thighs burned and sweat poured down his f
ace, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. He needed to get to the top and talk to his mom.

  He already talked to Brooke and Layla and sent Jax an email to give him a heads up. He was off the grid at the moment or Chase would have called him.

  Brooke was angry just like he was which was completely understandable. Layla was apologetic, but she stood by her decision to keep the truth from them. He respected her for that.

  There was only one person left he needed to speak to.

  He needed her to know that he was sorry for her pain and suffering and that he wished he could’ve been there for her but knowing Sam was there to offer her some measure of comfort had given him peace of mind. At least she didn’t die alone and that thought was the only bright light in an otherwise dark cloud.

  His foot smacked the ground and he propelled himself farther, ignoring the tightness of his lungs as the mountain top came into view. He pushed harder still until he stood where the sky met the earth.

  Unable to catch his breath, he rested his hands on his knees and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with much needed air. After a few deep breaths, he pushed off his knees and walked out to the edge. He sat down, legs dangling over the side and glanced out to the endless sky.

  “Hi Mom,” he said. “It’s been a rough few days, and I found out some things I didn’t know and when I did find them out I was angry. I was so angry at everyone for keeping me in the dark, but now that I know the truth, I miss the comfort of the dark. At least then I didn’t have to think about you suffering.” His words broke on a sob that rumbled up his throat, making it impossible to push through.

  The pain in his heart intensified, and a hot lump rose in his throat. He tried to swallow it down but it refused to budge. He sucked in a breath, letting the air cool the unmovable lump.

  He swiped the back of his hand against his eyes and focused on the single white cloud.

  He looked above the cloud and the memory of his mom’s face popped into his mind. “I’m sorry you suffered. Sorry about the pain. I wish there was a way I could go back and take that away from you, endure it so you wouldn’t have to. Though I know you would hate that.” The thought made him smile.

  He looked up to the endless blue sky, imagining his mother looking down on him and smiling. He wished he could reach out and grab her, pull her back to Earth and hug her one last time. Smell the musk of her favorite perfume and hear her laugh.

  It was a wish he’d never have granted but he could still grant hers.

  He smiled at the sky and said with complete honesty, “I just want you to know, Mom. I’m okay.”

  He pushed up from the edge and walked over to the rock where not long ago he sat with Bex. He sat down on the rock, his hand running across the course surface as he remembered that day.

  Bex’s words echoed in his head; Rise above the clouds and you will find the sunshine.

  She had thought she wasn’t making sense when she said this place was the visual of that saying she held dear but he understood her. He always understood.

  “I met someone,” he said, looking back up at the sky. “I brought her here. I’ve never brought anyone here. Never told anyone about this spot. She’s different, though. I think you’d like her. Brooke does, or at least she did, before everything turned to shit.”

  He fidgeted with his hands before running them over his face. He looked around the mountain top remembering how Rebecca managed to fill a place that was full of heartache and pain with happy memories

  “She’s an actress. A really good one from what I’m told. Never actually saw any of her movies. She’s beautiful and smart. Has a cat that only has one eye.” He laughed. “She saw him and thought he was beautiful but that’s who she is. She’s not what the tabloids say she is. They don’t know her. I don’t think anyone knows her like I do.”

  It was something he honestly believed. He broke through her façade and discovered the real woman beneath the actress. He fell in love with the woman. The realization took him by surprise.

  He never expected to fall in love with the crazy cat lady but that’s exactly what he did. And he didn’t just fall, oh no, he dove head first off the ladder.

  He loved her with every fiber of his being. The thought of not waking up in the morning with her in his arms was almost too much to bear. Of not seeing her after a long day at work. Or feeling her curves beneath his hands, her lips on his.

  The realization came with a truth he couldn’t deny or fight.

  “But she lives in L.A. and I’m a fireman from Red Maple Falls. We were destined to fail before we even began.”

  He loved her, but the truth was he could never have her. He was just a layover while she waited to get back home.

  Chapter 24

  Everything had spun out of Bex’s control, but unlike last time she wasn’t going to run away. She was going to face her problems head on. The people she hurt deserved that much from her. Chase needed to know that she loved him.

  Bex pulled up to Chase’s house and headed to the front door. With each step her confidence wavered, her legs tried to turn her around, but she fought the urge. She was done running.

  She got to the door and took a deep breath then knocked, hoping that whatever damage that had been caused wasn’t unsalvageable. After a few seconds the door swung open, but as soon as Brooke saw it was her, she went to shut it again.

  Bex couldn’t let that happen. She needed to speak to her or at least try. She had no idea what she was going to say but she couldn’t not say anything. She couldn’t let Brooke shut her out. Not yet. Not until she apologized. Bex slapped her hand against the door. “Brooke, wait please.”

  Black makeup was smeared under her bloodshot eyes and if Bex didn’t think Brooke would knock her out she would have hugged her.

  “Haven’t you done enough damage?” she growled.

  “That’s why I’m here. I want to apologize.”

  Brooke crossed her arms over her chest, head tilting up, nose practically pointing to the sky. “Chase isn’t here.” She wouldn’t even meet her eyes. She looked over her head like she wasn’t even there. Like she was no one. It hurt. More than Bex could explain or understand. She had only known Brooke for a short time, but Brooke had accepted her into her home, her life, and that was something Bex knew Brooke didn’t do for many people. Brooke let her in and she suffered the consequences.

  “He’s not the only one I need to apologize to,” Bex said. She didn’t just drag Chase into this mess, she dragged his whole family into it. She never meant to hurt them, but then again, that was never her intention but it never mattered. Nobody could let Bex in without being subjected to the curiosity and judgement of the media. It was her fault that their family secrets were broadcasted to the world. That the father they hadn’t seen in years was given a platform to play the martyr when in reality he was the villain.

  Luckily, that had come to fruition after his interview. Not everybody could act.

  Brooke met her gaze with unwavering disgust. “Unlike Chase, I don’t care what you have to say.” Her words were cold as ice meant to hurt and they did but Brooke expected Bex to walk away and not fight back but Bex had no intention of leaving. She needed Brooke to know that she cared and she would stay here and fight if that’s what it took.

  “Please,” Bex begged. She wasn’t walking away from this house until she made things right. She didn’t care if she had to sit on these steps and wait for Brooke to talk to her. She would do whatever she had to in order to make Brooke believe that she wasn’t just another person who would walk out of her life. “Just hear me out.”

  “Why should I?” Brooke asked.

  “Because it’s killing me that I hurt you. That my being here has caused so much heartache. If I knew that. If I only knew…”

  Brooke’s eyes narrowed to two tiny slits. “What? You would have stayed away?”

  She met her eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

  “Bullshit! That’s bullshit and you know it. Because if you really m
ean that it means that you don’t feel anything for my brother.” Her lip curled as she gritted out the words.

  “That’s not true!” Bex exclaimed, trying to make Brooke understand.

  “Isn’t it? You’re so willing to go back in time and never come here. Never meet him. If you cared for him half as much as he cares for you, you would never say that.”

  “That’s why I say that! Don’t you get it? I care so much about him, about all of you, that I would sacrifice my own happiness if I could save all of yours. I don’t just care for him, Brooke, I love him, and I love him enough to put him first. You don’t have to believe me, but it’s the truth.”

  “I know it wasn’t intentional,” Brooke said, her voice taking on a calmer tone. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you hurt him.” Brooke’s lip quivered but she cleared her throat to mask it. “You hurt all of us. I don’t think sorry is enough.”

  Defeat crashed into her like a pile of bricks. She didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to fight and make Brooke believe, but there were only so many things that she could say. She fought and it was a worthy battle, but in the end, she had to accept defeat. “I understand,” Bex said,

  Bex forced a smile and started back to her car.

  “But it’s a start,” Brooke said, and Bex spun back around.

  “Really?” Bex asked, tears pooling in her eyes.

  Brooke shrugged nonchalantly but there was a slight smile at the edge of her mouth. “Only if you let me borrow your Gancini flap bag.”

  Bex laughed. “It’s a deal.” She hugged Brooke, relief flooding through her. She just needed to see Chase now and make it right with him. “Where is he?” she asked as she pulled back.

  “I don’t know where Chase is. Haven’t seen him since he came home earlier. He tends to disappear when he gets upset. He’s been doing it ever since Mom died.”

  A lightbulb flickered in her mind, eyes widening at Brooke’s words. “Thank you!” she said, yanking Brooke in for another hug. She pulled back holding Brooke’s arms. “I know where he is.”