Lily's POV I know Ema was mad at Chase, but I didn't feel that was enough reason to entertain that slump. I felt so bad for Chase. But if I had done too much in defending him, it'd just have made the whole outing awkward. She didn't even look too sure of herself. I'm sure she just did it for the fun of it. We packed our bags into the boot and headed for a park, maybe we'd get to talk. I put the speakers on, but the volume was as low as possible. We'd just come out through one of the worst times as a friend group, and I really just wanted peace and quiet. I wanted my homegirl to be happy. I wanted dinner under the dark sky, I wanted double dates when Gray and I were in the country. But that wimp was gonna make it impossible if he pressed harder than he was already doing. I could just see the desperation on his face. If he wanted her so bad, why did he say all the things he said about her to Gray? But it's a subject I couldn't really bring up, cause Gray and I were past that,
Chase's POV It's the first time I'd been without Emma in a minute. As I reentered, I wondered what else there was to do. I'd spent my days for almost a week, loving her. It's all I really wanted to do. I wanted to make it a paradise for the both of us. I wanted our little happy family. I wanted peace, I wanted love. I need something to convince me that going to MIT, traveling across the states, when I really needed to be close to my dad, for some reasons… “Hey.” I was so excited to see Lily's text. I literally begged her to keep me on the loop. I wanted to know how things were going with Emma and her. “Just leaving the clothes store.” She texted again. I just liked her text, ready to get on with other things. “This Kevin guy…” I swear my heart beat doubled, my eyes dilated, all the blood in my body ran straight to my head, I felt my head pumping. What the fuck was he doing here? I never gave him much of an audience while he pulled that bullcrap. So I don't think I un
Emma's POV “Woah!” I gasped, trying to slow it down. Lily and I had just had one of the most beautiful moments we ever shared. We went to a children's park right after we licked up the mountain like ice creams we bought. All those were Lily’s idea, but I so fucking enjoyed it cause really, I was a child at heart anyway. Watching the kids play, so carefree and unworried, helped me less burdened. I felt free-er to talk. “Lily.” I started. “I've been thinking about it a lot, and I'm not sure about Chase and I anymore.” I said. “I mean, I thought we talked about this already.” She replied. “Have we?” I asked. I barely ever felt in the mood to talk to anyone, and when I did, all I really wanted to do was let it out. “Or are you bored with me already?” I sulked. “That is, you trying to guilt trip me.” Lily sighed. In her defense, I was really confusing. But in mine, I was confused too. I didn't really know what I wanted yet. It's a life I really should've been more
Emma's POV “This is a lot.” I croaked, as happy tears welled up in my eyes. “No it isn't.” He replied. “It's not really what I had in mind, but I needed to do something cause y'all were on your way and I wanted it to be a surprise.” He looked nervous, and was babbling quite a lot, and I think I found that cute. “I love you, Chase.” I sobbed. He walked towards me, and took the bags out of my hand. I really couldn't care for what was in them. “I love you too, Emma.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead first, and then took the bags up the stairs. As I stood there, alone, looking at all the effort he must've put into transforming the house I felt so overwhelmed, and shitty. I can't believe I thought all those things about him. In my head, the relationship was really already at its end. “Come on.” He laughed on his way back down, “it's all for you.” He stretched his hand and took mine in his. “I feel so terribly underdressed.” I croaked. “You should've told me.” I winced.
Chase's POV I was determined to make it the most perfect night. It wasn't the first time, but was sure one of those rare times I really let myself be vulnerable. I said things as they came, and did as I thought. No second thinking, or guessing. Emma was pretty. Fuck knows I'd been already picturing her in a wedding dress in my head. I was only too convinced that I wanted to make her my bride. As I poured out my heart to her, I fervently hoped that her tears were those of consent, happy tears. “I'll take care of it.” I said. The date was going badly. The very last thing I expected was to spring up some country on me. I literally never fucking saw it coming. I'd planned the whole night in my head, how murderously romantic I was gonna make it, how we were gonna make love under the lights I'd changed the bedroom lights to. How the candles around the bathtub were gonna illuminate her skin while I begged her to let me touch her, feel her. I'd filled the tub with water and som
Chase's POV I'd been an insomniac for most of my life, but that night is one I'd remember so well. Cause it wasn't the regular fear of nightmares that kept me awake, and jutted me back to reality when I dozed off, it was the memory of how my perfect date had gone down. I was gonna give the clothes to charity, cause there was no way I could ever put them on again. Emma had totally embarrassed me, worse still, I got no apology. I took my time changing out of my clothes, even taking a shower to wash the scents of all the colognes and deodorants, in false hopes of being able to sleep better, but it wasn't working. “Fucking get off my wrist!” I screamed in frustration as I tore the Cuban off my hand. Her bags of clothes and shoes and many other things peeking out of them were still very much littering the room. I got out of the bathroom, to see that she'd started organizing stuff and arranging. I had to go past her if I wanted to get to the bed, but my mind wasn't in that space
Emma's POV I was really done with Chase. I tried to help with the hot pan that was ruining his decor, and what I got as payback was him going out to wait on some delivery guy. “That's it.” I said to myself as I got up. There was no point in staying there, with the empty chair opposite for company. I sat for ten straight minutes, staring at nothingness. I wished Lily was there to see it. Cause a while back, it looked like I was making stuff up. He literally left me there, my hands were burning. Not even the decency of getting me ice. I shed a tear or two as I stood up and went into his room, to do what I was supposed to anyway. “I should not be doing this.” I said, as I punched Kevin's number into my phone, with my hurting fingers. I was mad at Chase, and I wanted payback. “Hey.” Kevin's voice rasped over the phone. I immediately knew that was a sign. He was breathing hard. I recoiled at the thought of interrupting something. “I'm sorry, I should not have called.” I
Chase POV “Emma, let's talk like the couple we are.” I said to her, My patience was quickly thinning. “If you think that's helping, think again.” She shot at me. She had all her stuff in hand. It was so obvious she wanted to leave. “What did you say to Lily?” She asked me again. “I didn't have to say anything.” I replied to her, “Gray didn't want to leave her. He just went to the airport and turned right back.” “Really?” She looked like I'd just told her a cock and bull story. “Yeah.” I replied. “We can go together if you want.” I added. I didn't want to say the next bit, but she made me. “My dads got a private jet.” “I don't fucking care if he owns the world, Chase!” She screamed in my face, confirming that what I'd pulled was a dick move. “I didn't mean it that way.” I apologized. “Emma, I need you to please just calm down. I'm supposed to be the mad one here. What's going on?” I asked, tired. I felt so weak, tired of it all. The whole thing had sunk its t
Chase's POV “What other bad ideas have you got?” I asked Kayla, and she gave me a playful lunch on the chest. “If that's what you see it as , I promise you they're quite a lot.” Kayla replied, laughing. She'd just suggested we joined a club or a team on campus. And I'm not gonna deny that it made perfect sense, seeing that I had so much spare time on my hands. “How was your weekend by the way?” She asked. I couldn't exactly tell what she was expecting to hear, but it wasn't fun, at all. I spent almost all of it considering reaching out to Emma. It'd been an awfully long period of time. “Just a text.” I said to myself repeatedly. Taking walks, cooking, and actively trying to get my moms off the thought only served to keep my mind on it. and hunting for a pet couldn't take my mind off Emma. I wondered how she'd be blending into one of the biggest schools in the USA. We were supposed to be navigating the intimidating world of college side by side. Side by side did not mean
Emma's POV “Bold of you to drop by.” I said as I let him in. “I know you must be mad at me.” He apologized. Kevin had some anti blue ray glasses on that made him look the role of some tech wizard who hardly ever saw sun or the outside world, and had their face buried in their laptops and monitors and cellphones He had a coat on too, for fashion sake, cause it wasn't too practical as the weather was quite warm. He looked handsome as ever, and his pink lips looked a little too lickable. Just his skin was quite pale. It was our first interaction since the date. I'd over-thought the whole thing so badly, I already had about five hundred things in my head I must've done wrong to make him not wanna hit me back. It's been about three days since we went out, and we hadn't spoken since then. “Emma, I've been in a bit of a crunch, and I realize now that the least I could've done was text, but if my word is anything you go by, I've been counting down till this minute.” He looked tir
Emma's POV Time out with Kevin was something I needed. The week had gradually come to an end and I no longer had the excuse of school. Casey was out of town for some reason, and Kevin didn't reach out after that night. I began to wonder if I said or did something wrong He really did sound committed and accepted the fact that I wasn't ready to hop from one relationship straight into another. “Let's do this.” I whispered to myself as I poured a glass of wine. Alcohol was gonna be my first bad habit proudly sponsored by Chase, that is asides reading of course. I just didn’t have the mental coherence to read a book at that point. I took a sip, and sat by my window. Everyone seemed so busy, so occupied, which was in stark contrast with me. I was a rich baby, made rich by my mom's marriage to some underground businessman “Hey mom.” I decided to call her since I was alone with my thoughts anyway. And nothing good ever came from it. “Hey baby.” She replied. “How are you tre
Chase's POV “Don't do it.” Kayla said in a singsong voice, coming up from behind me. “Can't remember giving you that power over me.” I replied to her. Her mission was achieved,, I'd been distracted at least, and the swing was safe. “It's what friends are for.” She said proudly. I didn't like the fact that each time I looked at her, I had to be initially arrested by her boobs. “We aren't that yet.” I clarified. “Do you have a problem with me?” Kayla asked. “Please don't even try to make this about yourself.” I dismissed “Forgive me,” she said, “I kinda have to, seeing that you are not interested in whatever this is.” “What is ‘this’?” I asked, looking at her. These girls were all the same thing… “Chase, it'd be inhumane to say you don't see me as anything more than you see every other person.” She explained. I admired her resilience, and her courage. I actually wanted to make her chicken out. I didn't want to hear it, but since she said it, I guess we were
Emma's POV “I'm sorry I'm behind on time.” Kevin said as he let himself in. I totally forgot to bolt my door, hopefully I don't get a lesson in that someday. “It's fine.” I replied to him. He didn't look as stressed as he sounded over the phone. “How was your day?” I asked, and stood up to get him a glass of water. *Who'd have thought?” He said as I got the water. “Thought what?” I asked him, surprised. “That we would be here, just under a year.” He completed, flashing his pretty white teeth at me. “Kevin, you don't have to be nice about what he did to you.” I finally broached the topic. “ “I'm not being nice.” He explained, “it's just unnecessary.” “No it isn't.” I objected. “I've gotta know what happened. I mean, I don't really want to, but it happened because of me.” I stuttered. “The world doesn't revolve around you, Emma.” He smiled and put a hand on mine on the counter top. “And even if it does, let it. Don't meddle.” “Kevin, things could've gone
Chase's POV “What did you do that for?” I asked Kayla as she retreated from me. I hated that my dick was responding to her against its own better judgment. “Really, Chase, what's the worst that could happen?” She asked again. “I don't know, maybe that?” I asked sarcastically. “Yes, and it has happened already. So please stop letting everything seem weird for the both of us.” Kayla left me to face my erring dick and went on her way. I hoped she wasn't gonna tell the sleazy monkeys with her why I stayed back. The girl was a dare-devil, one who clearly didn't understand the concept of boundaries. “Booze helps.” Kayla heavily lashed eye reconnected with mine as I took a seat at their table. “Why's he cold?” A girl to her right asked her. I wondered if she wanted me to hear or she just didnt know how to go lower. Kayla looked away and snubbed her. She looked at me a couple more times and I saw that I had almost begun to make her feel uneasy and uncomfortable, cause
Emma's POV “That was a really dumb move you pulled yesterday.” I said to Casey, as she dropped into the seat next to me, late as usual. “I admit.” She concurred. “Kevin and I talked about it yesterday, and he said he was half scared you were gonna bring the wrong person.” I laughed at the memory of it. “I was extra careful.” Casey bragged, “plus your friend said she was gonna be bothering you with video calls. All I had to do was look for a new girl, holding her phone up in a certain way, I even got screenshots” She laughed. “Really?!” I asked, shocked. I haven't talked to Lily since then. She said she was gonna call me, but I guess the time difference and her schedule was messing her up. “I really be making the worst choices in picking friends.” I murmured to myself. “That means I'm staying?” She asked, excited. “Just don't pull stupid shit on me like that, ever, again.” I warned. “It's the last of the last.” Casey said solemnly, offering me her pinky. We cross
Chase's POV “Doughnuts do not always fix stuff.”Kayla said after sinking her pretty white teeth into a fat chocolate glazed ball. “They help you feel better.” I replied to her. “I got them on my way back yesterday, felt bad I left you out there like that, figured it was the best thing to apologize with.” I rapped. I've ever really been too expressive with my emotions, being with Emma taught me that. Seeing Emma in every girl was holding me back from wanting to be with, or even talk to one. “You've gotta realize that not every girl is that way.” Kayla said, looking into the box of three untouched doughnuts, and about six that she'd bitten into, “There's no point to anything if you think me to be her.” “That's not it.” I denied, I didn't believe it, and I knew she didn't either, “I'm sorry.” I've had to apologize to many fucking times over the past few weeks,, I didn't even know if I could do any right. “You don't have to be.” Kayla said, really looking at me for the f
Chase’s POV “How are you today?” Kayla asked me. We were gonna be taking the same classes for a semester. “Good, thank you.” I answered “You're really still gonna be the cold, standoffish bug I met a week ago?” She asked, hands on her hips. Kayla's fashion sense is what I'd consider lazy, but she was a really pretty lady. “Just maybe because you're a nasty person?” I retorted. “Come on, that was over three months ago.” I said. “And you're revolutionized since then?” I asked her, sarcastically. “Yeah, actually. Kevin is no more the miserable cunt he was then, mission accomplished.” She was beginning to irritate the fuck outta me. I was emotionally finished, exhausted. “The fact that we both major in biochemistry doesn't mean you have to talk to me.” I replied. “I dont care about you, seriously, and I cannot be bother to give half a fuck about your brother. I seriously do not hold anything against you two, I just wanna be left the fuck alone.” I said. “Its h