Chase's POV “How was your night?” I asked Kayla as she emerged from my room. I forgot to offer her some change of clothes, for which I felt bad. “Not bad.” She smiled. Kayla looked as pretty, both in bed and out of bed. She didn't have the ugly morning face I'd seen on so many other girls. “How do you feel now?” I asked. “Better.” she beamed, “Thank you for having me over.” “That's alright.” I said. “I made coffee.” “Oh, I used to drink that.” She sank into the char next to mine. “You didn't look like you caught much sleep yourself.” She said, pointing to my droopy, but sharp eyes. “I tried.” I admitted. “What's up?” She asked, looking concerned. “You might wanna grab your coffee.” I deflected. “I'll get it for you.” I said instead.. She sat still, and I took it out of the coffee maker, and poured it into some tea cups. “This looks strong.” She said, taking a generous sniff of it. “And smells strong too.” “Is it too much?” I asked. “It's just h
Emma's POV “Last I heard, he said he was gonna be back today.” Casey offered unasked as I stared at a couple making out in the hallway.. “Jeez, Casey.” I exclaimed. “Take it easy on me.” “Don't act like you don't miss him.” She laughed. “Do I need to affirm it every two seconds?” I asked, sarcastically. “No. I was just giving an honest reminder.” She said, “Well, it was unsolicited.” I shot back at her. “I guess I'm just gonna be excited on your behalf.” She said,, stubbornly. “Why do you want me for him so bad?” I asked her. We were on our way home, and so I felt if I could hold her up till I got to my apartment, I wouldn't need to admit to how I'd been counting down the minutes till Kevin's plane landed in Massachusetts. It's why I hated being close to anyone. I get too attached, for my own good. As expected, I held on long enough till we got to my apartment, so I didn't have to admit anything to her. “I'll talk to you later, red head.” I took a handful
Chase's POV “I deserve whatever tone, really.” I replied to Kayla. She'd been avoiding me so purposefully since that morning. At first, I was cool with it and deemed it as necessary, but then, it became too glaring too obvious. “I don't think you want to be seen talking to me.” it's the last thing she said before looking back at the professor who was scribbling some jargon. I decided to wait the class out. If I wanted to break the ice, I'd have to do it properly. Kayla and I took all our classes together, how I ended things might not have been the appropriate way. “Thanks man.” I said to a guy who made way for me as I squeezed through to get Kayla. “I used to run back in middle school.” I said as I caught up with her “What has that got to do with me?” She asked in a really icy tone “I'm just saying you can't outrun me, even if you wanted to.” I said, smiling. “Point taken.” She said, and branched off abruptly, and I immediately caught up with her “Kayla, ple
Emma’s POV “Why were you so lost?” Kevin asked after drinking the water handed to him. “Is something bothering you?” He asked. “It was just me in my head.” I deflected, brushing past his naked torso to get out of my little kitchen. “I saw that.” He smiled, “I'm just saying I want to be let in.” He added. “You're tired, Kev. You should get some rest.” I fell into my favorite chair. “Not too tired for you, Em, obviously. Let me in.” He said. Kevin looked so tempting, so sweet, and he was nice to top it off. “I'm just confused, Kev.” I confessed. “Although I really do not know if this is what you're supposed to be doing, you ought to be resting.” “Emma there's nothing like supposing when you're right here. I'm here, you're here, you're bothered, Em, I'm automatically all ears. Don't spare me and don't spare yourself.” “You're too nice for your own good.” I said, smiling sadly. “I don't think that's true.” He replied to me. I was only too grateful that he coul
Chase's POV “How are you now?” I called Kayla later at night. It'd been three weeks since I stepped into the Harvard campus, and not one day in those weeks passed, without being a reminder of how miserable I was. I didn't want to keep a stack of enemies, girls who'd resent me for life, so I had to make sure I ironed shit with her out. “Do you really care, or is this some courtesy call?” Kayla's voice danced somewhere in between icy and sexy. It wasn't all daggers and spears, but she wasn't candy and sweets either. At least she wasn't so mad anymore. “I'm sorry, I should've known better. Should've treated you better.” I said. “Do you mean to say these words to me, or you're just projecting?” I asked. “I do, Kayla. I know you deserve honesty, and that's all I've been trying to be with you. You of all people should know it hurts.” “I can try.” She murmured, I like the fact that I was breaking her ice. “Thank you.” I said, taking a deep breath. “Is that all?” Sh
Emma's POV “I thought Kevin said he was gonna be staying over at yours last night?” Casey asked as we made our way through the teeming crowd of students. Everyone was hurrying off to class, but Casey and I were yet to catch the buzz and rush, and we might never, cause I never saw Casey follow the crowd. She stood out, and did it quite well. “Plans change, don't they?” I smiled, trying to evade the conversation. “Emma, you know you do not have to wear that mask with me. It's old and rumpled and I can really already see through it.” Casey said, and stopped walking. “We're gonna be late!” I screamed at her as she paused in her tracks. A guy on skateboard hit her, and she quickly flung curse words at him. “Em, you look miserable.” She said, “What went wrong, really?” “Why do you care so much?” I snapped at her. “Matter of fact, I think that's the wrong question. “Who do you care about, really? Kevin or I?” I asked, looking straight in her eyes. Casey was rough on the e
Kevin’s POV “Hey.” I said as I let Emma in. “I wasn't expecting you here.” “I could go if it's not convenient for you.” She stuttered, buckling under the pressure of my piercing, unfriendly green eyes. I left Emma's the night before, feeling really shittyFor over a month, I'd been trying to make her see reasons to let go of the animal she once called her man.Emma was clearly still with him, in her head at least, all the jokes I made, all the stories I told, all the giggles weren't in the least entertaining to her. She took a break to even call her mom, and still didn't come back feeling any better. I gathered what was left of my dignity, pressed a kiss to her forehead and let myself out. I thought I had made a stupid decision till I saw her at my door. But I wasn't gonna be cowered easily either. She'd treated me unfriendly too, and I wanted to let her know. “I work round the clock, nothing is ever really convenient, I just make time for stuff.” I replied to her. I saw
Chase's POV “You say this is a smart thing to do?” I asked Kayla. “What do you think?” The poor girl was probably too tired of being in my drama. “Never mind.” I said. “I'll just do it later, I don't want the pressure.” “That means me.” She put a hand on her chest and nodded in understanding. “I get it.” “Don't take it that way.” I said, holding her close, “It'd just be too much for you, and I don't want that.” I said. “I get it.” She said, “I'll see you later then.” Kayla stayed in the dorms, so she wasn't gonna be going out with me. We've kinda restricted ourselves to just school, and sometime, I visited her dorm. She never came to my apartment. Said it was still too raw on her. “Take care.” I said, and let her go. We were done for the day, and it was already almost evening. I decided to stroll back to my place, since there was nothing to rush home to. “What's up?” A bold girl said, looking at me and batting her eyelashes. That was literally the last atten
Emma's POV “We are both hurt. I think it's better we realize that and stop shaming the other person. Emma, you're just as damaged as I am.” Chase said. “That's not rocket science, Chase. Isn't this how you leave everyone you've been with?” I asked, “Broken and damaged?” “That's unfair, Em. You keep skipping the fact that there are always two sides to anything.” He replied to me. “You think I did, Chase?” I looked at him in his sinfully sexy blue eyes I still hadn't gotten an antidote to, not even the anger I felt, “All I did was allow you. I made you do all you did to me. In a way, I even enabled you.” “That's untrue, and you know it.” He replied to me. “I've talked about this, over and over. In my head and out of it, and it's still the same conclusion I reach.” I responded to him. “If ‘out of your head’ in any way refers to the bastard up there, I don't think I want to hear it.” I replied to her. “You've gotta get over yourself, Chase.” I said. “There's life
Chase's POV “You're still here, Em. It means you're interested.” I said. “I'm not comfortable here.” She said in a low voice. “I'd be in the garage, meet me there.” I said. “Maybe this is your time to show how low you regard me.” I let go of her hand which I had in mine, doing it both lightly and seductively. I knew I walked with such swagger, such essence that couldn't betray how scared I felt deep inside. Maybe she'd realize that I wasn't worth shit, and just go upstairs to meet her little boyfriend. I sat in my favorite of my dad's lot, the black mustang I saved Emma's ring in. That particular car had so many memories. I wanted to be in. I checked the time on my Patek, it was a few minutes to midnight. The estate gate was gonna be locked by 00:00, and if I couldn't make it out by then, I'd be stuck with Em and that bastard. 23:53, I had begun to get antsy. It'd be really unfortunate if I left, and Em eventually came down. I kept telling myself to calm down and b
Emma's POV “Can I trust you?” I asked Chase. I was mentally drained. Having played the good daughter throughout the anniversary, I wanted to catch my breath. Little did I know I had just been walking straight into Chase’s arms. “You know you can, Em.” He said, enthusiastically. “I'd hold your secret against me, Em. I wouldn't even tell myself.” His eyes mirrored mine, tired, hunger of the soul, and exhaustion. I couldn't believe that it was the same person who acted like I didn't exist last night. “I don't know where I stand with Kevin, really.” I said what I'd forbidden myself to. I made a deal with my mind to never say it. Just so I didn't believe it. The more I said something, the more I was forced to believe. “Start from the point where you left me, Em. I want to know it all.” He said, looking downI hated when Chase had that pensive look on his face. It felt like he was just a slight provocation away from murder. “After us,” I started, my mind was a bit foggy
Chase's POV “What did you do that for?!” Emma yelled after landing me a slap to the cheek. “I already said I wasn't gonna let you go.” I replied stubbornly. “Chase, my arm is hurting.” She cried, referring to the arm I'd been holding. I felt like a nasty person. Maybe it was the universe providing answers to the question I'd asked so many times, “Am I not good enough for her?” Well, I now knew I was too violent, too relentless, too impulsive, I rarely rethought my decisions, I bent everything to my will, things had to suit me, always. And those were all the things Emma stood against. “Emma, I'm a damaged guy, and I know it's really not your job to fix me. I'm a sorry project who should've belonged to my late mom and my dad who's now a happily remarried man. I get it. No one wants a project. But this is me swearing that I'd never hurt you, Em. I've learned. I do better for myself these days.” I said, frantically. Emma was rubbing her arm where I grabbed her, a sorry rem
Chase's POV. “It's not good that I'm too close to you, Chase.” Emma cried. Her eyes were already tearing up, and her face wet. Her rosy cheeks were beginning to peek from beneath the light make-up. “Why, Emma?” I asked her, letting my mouth say all the things my heart felt. “Am I so bad?” I asked. “I never said anything like that.” She answered. “So what is it?” I asked, exhausted. “Why do you want to be away from me so bad? Why do you treat me with such a long spoon? You can't deny missing me, Em. I see it in your eyes. What is holding you back?” I dared reach for her trembling hands, and she didn't pull away. It was a good thing. “Chase, I just still find it so hard to process. I'd rather think about things that hurt me, than process the whole thing. The past year has been the most tumultuous part of my life yet. I'm so fucking drained, I just need peace.” She said, “And you think that description doesn't fit me.”I asked, against my better reasoning. I then remi
Chase’s POV“I didn't think you'd be here.” She said,“I could say the same.” I replied to her Emma was the last person I thought who'd want to catch a break from the ceremony.She was at the center of it all, and really did well at her job of role playing a perfect daughter.“It's too much.” She replied with a low voice.“What is?” I asked, clearing my throat. “The atmosphere.” She explained, kicking the grass in her stilettos. Her legs looked like they must've been hurting. “Here.”I gave way for her to sit on her favorite swing. I could never take that away from her. “Thank you.” Emma was being her generic self, the side that she showed everyone else. Shy and contained. But I didn't like that. I liked that Emma I fell for, headlong. “It's nothing to Chase’s POV “I didn't think you'd be here.” She said, “I could say the same.” I replied to her Emma was the last person I thought who'd want to catch a break from the ceremony. She was at the center of it all, and really
Chase's POV I wished I could remain busy throughout the day. A time to rest meant a time to think. I was under the same roof as Emma, like I'd been wanting, but we were yet so far apart. The flowers were an ill thought decision, but I had to do something. Being in the same house with Emma for over three days was beginning to mess with my mental health. “You shouldn't have done that.” I said to myself. If only Emma had kept it a family thing and didn't have that one over, things would have been a lot easier. I intentionally left a note out of the flower delivery, but I knew she recognised the sender, irregardless. Before I knew it,my 5:30 alarm went off, and I had to throw on my tux as fast as I could. It'd be great if my dad and Linda got down to a full audience waiting for them. It was a really big deal for my dad, so big he had made arrangements for his helicopter to pick them both at ten o'clock. Linda was wearing a slick floor length satin dress in emerald green, paired
Emma's POVI decided to see my mom before the dinner. I didn't care if it was right or wrong, but I'd barely seen her all through the day and I was dying to know how she was holding up. Maybe an escape for myself was the other motive, but primarily, I wanted to know how she was doing. “Hey mom.” I said, pushing her door open. It almost felt like it was her wedding all over again. Mark was going all out. And I didn't know why it had to be that big for a guest list of just sixteen people. “This is a lot.” I smiled. “It is.” I saw the woman beneath all the makeup, hair glam, and accessories. She was still just my mom. “Can I have a moment with my daughter please?” She referred to everyone else in the room who wasn't me, and they, by my rough headcount, were about eight. “We can spare only about half an hour.” A kind lady who looked like she was in her thirties said, She had an outrageous makeup done. While it looked good, edgy, classy on her, I hope that wasn't gonna be my
Emma's POV. “You were gonna go in.” He said, looking away. “I was.” I replied, unshifting. He no longer had the courage to stare me down, and I no longer had the will to leave, “MIT looks good on you.” He said. “Thank you.” I smiled, “I could say the same for you.” “I see you've made new friends, well old ones,but you know…” He said. I chuckled within myself. Who'd have known that I could make the bad boy Chase unsure about me? “Yeah, I had no choice.” I murmured. “Uhm, how are you?” I asked, just out of courtesy, I told myself. I thought being brave and bold was gonna make me indestructible by him, but I was beginning to come off as antagonistic, and I didn't like it. Deep down, in the corners of my heart I hoped Kevin would never see, Chase occupied it. I wanted for him to close the distance between us like he'd once done. To treat me like his own. I was getting a little teary, so I dug my freshly manicured nail into my palm, I wasn't gonna cry, I could not.