Chapter 3

I received a message from Justin that read, "Something came up. Don't come over."

I had been a little distant from Justin since I had been busy helping my teacher with his research. We weren't even able to go on a date today.

To make it up to Justin, who had been upset, I had made plans to ensure that there would be a surprise waiting for him when he returned home. I had also wanted to take the next step in our relationship.

The experiment had ended early, which ultimately led me to stumble upon Justin and Natalie having their private moment.

It was obvious that Justin was reluctant to return after sending Natalie home. As expected, Natalie posted a new update on her alternate account soon after.

"Managed to take a picture with the campus heartthrob! Got a little too excited and went a little overboard."

She had attached a photo with the update, showing her leaning against Justin's shoulder while making a peace sign. Although Justin's face wasn't shown in the photo, I recognized the necklace around his neck. I had given it to him a long time ago.

Fury burned within me.

"You jerk! We're breaking up!"

After sending Justin that angry message, I blocked him on all platforms and deleted everything that was related to him. I then took another gulp of alcohol.

I no longer felt heartbroken. "I don't need a cheating man who only lasts one minute. My next boyfriend is going to be better!" I thought to myself.

The bedroom door suddenly swung open, revealing Chase with damp hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. He was incredibly handsome. He had a defined chest and abs, and his legs were thick and muscular.

It was an overwhelming sight to behold. It felt like an explosion had been set off in my mind. Only a single thought remained in my mind as I stared at him unblinkingly—I wanted him.

Chase was obviously stunned when he noticed me. "You're still here?"

I couldn't help but feel upset when I heard his question. "Are you going to chase me away too?"

However, I immediately felt like something was amiss after the words left my lips.

Chase's phone started ringing then. Justin's frustrated voice echoed from the receiver when he picked up.

"Chase, can you help me check if Anne's still at my house? She actually lost her temper just because I stood her up. Can you make up an excuse for me?"

I lunged forward and was just about to snatch the phone out of Chase's hand and chew Justin out when Chase disconnected the call.

Unable to stop my momentum, I crashed into Chase and sent both of us to the ground. I propped myself up before demanding angrily, "Why did you hang up? Did you pull me into the closet because you actually wanted to protect them?"

"No."

Chase immediately denied my accusation and looked up at me. "I just wanted you to see what was actually going on."

I felt confused as I studied his serious expression. "Aren't you and Justin best friends?"

Chase frowned slightly before replying, "We're just acquaintances. Besides, they don't deserve any of your time or effort."

My confusion only intensified as I stared into his eyes that were as deep as an abyss. His skin was cool to the touch, filling me with the urge to press myself closer to him.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Chase grabbed my misbehaving hand and asked, "What are you doing?"

I couldn't hold back my true feelings. "I want you. Happy Valentine's Day. This is for you," I said as I pulled out a small tool.

Chase pursed his lips.

Although I couldn't discern the emotion in his eyes, it was blatantly obvious that he and I weren't on the same page. This made me feel incredibly awkward.

He was Chase Grant, after all. He was the man whom even Natalie had to put in effort to pursue. I couldn't believe how recklessly I was behaving just because I had drunk some alcohol.

"I'm sorry. I'm just talking nonsense because I had too much to drink," I stammered. "I'll just swim back to my place if I can't get a cab."

I staggered up to my feet as I continued to explain. "It doesn't have to be you. It's not like I'm undesirable. I'll just pay for it in the worst-case scenario."

A hand wrapped around my wrist, making me look down.

Chase sighed before saying, "I didn't say no."

I didn't let him say anything else. I lunged forward and kissed his soft and rosy lips. When I snapped back to my senses, I realized that Chase had already carried me into his bedroom.

I sat on his lap and kept kissing him. A few moments later, he pushed my shoulder, putting some distance between us.

Chase was breathing heavily as he ran his hands up and down my body. Things had already escalated to this point. Why was he trying to stop now?