Jessica's POV “You're such a bitch!” Lily screamed from her car. I laughed, seeing the effect I had on her. “Only two things can help you now.” I said, grinning from ear to ear. “It's either you tell me why you have Chase wiring a grand to you, or confirm my request.” I said, winking. “You seriously cannot be saying this.” Lily sighed. I enjoyed being in control, making her weak. It made me all shades of happy. “You know what's funny?” Lily asked, with a sad smile. “The fact that you always hated me for the longest time, because Chase liked me. And now that it's Emma's turn, you want me to be on your side. Emma's my friend.” She didn't even sound convinced herself. I laughed very deeply and sped off again. She caught up with me, again. “Hand over my phone and tell me what you want.” Lily conceded. I knew she wasn't gonna play any funny games, so I gave her back. “I'll call you.” I said, sealing our deal before speeding off. Mission accomplished. I raced back home f
Jessica's POVChase's limp made him look slightly more attractive. He had a light limp, but he did it with so much swagger. It wasn't until the next day at school that I found out he was the one who made Rudd reverse Emma's bad grade. I wanted, badly, to ask Rudd what the fuck was wrong with him, but I still didn't have the guts enough to do so.I didn't see him as my teacher anymore. He was a predator, but I couldn't talk cause there was so much shit in our relationship. We did drugs together, had drunk sex, did a lot of drunk driving, broke multiple school rules, and even more rules beyond school. “Heyyy.” I greeted Chase, flirtatiously. “What the fuck is it this time?” he asked, pissed. “Don't be like that!” I chided. “You don't get to go after her, begging her in the toilets she spends more time in than classes, and then scream at me. Chase, we've come too far for this.” I looked down, putting my hands at my back in submission. Normally, that was the point where Chase
Chase's POV I wasn't expecting Emma to react so low when I showed up to her room that morning. It's the first time I had been able to get out of bed on my own in over three weeks. She had been my primary caregiver, something I'm still yet to thank her fully for. She and Gray were definitely not on the best of terms, but even he acknowledged how hard she worked for me. I was expecting to see the light in her eyes, like I saw when I first opened my eyes a few days after the crash. Broken and hurt, I went to Rudd. As worthless as he was, I knew he still held the power to Emma making it into a good college, so I swallowed my anger, annoyance, and a little bit of my pride and entered his office without knocking. “Glad to see you made it, Mr Chase.” He said with no humor on his face, I was too smart to buy his bullshit, so I went straight to the point.. “How much did she pay you to do that to an innocent girl?” I asked him. I was struggling to keep my emotions under control.
Grayson’s POV My relationship with Chase, I didn't really understand. But I understood it with Jessica. When Chase called me angrily to vent about shit Jessica did, I couldn't even speak freely cause I was with her. “What the fuck man?!” He screamed at me. “Calm the fuck down bruh!” I yelled back at him. “You don't tell me what to do when we have that bitch with loose lips and loose legs roaming?” He screamed. “Who's ‘we’?” I asked him. I had no issues with Jessica, none at all. I wouldn't have had any with him if he wasn't so headstrong on being with his stepsister. The line went flat. We both knew there was so much to say, but no batteries to say it. A lot was wrong, far beyond Jessica running her mouth, matter of fact, Jessica was getting her on hell on earth. Chase cut the call on me and I got back to what I was doing. “What made you sleep so deep though?” I asked. “I don't know. I've been sleeping well, I mean I had a shoot yesterday and I couldn't ha
Chase's POV It's been barely a week since I started to get out of the house. In that space, I've seen and done things I never thought I'd do. From using my dad as influence to transfer Rudd, even after I knew that he was having an affair with Jessica and should be punished instead, to seeing Lily trip off the cameras in the security room for some reason. She wasn't really the girl I used to know. So I didn't think it was a smart idea to challenge her. Besides, she hated me badly. And I didn't exactly feel her either. She'd extorted me of two grand in the space of two months. Remembering that made me feel shut, when just a night ago, I had promised Emma that I wasn't gonna be keeping stuff from her, It always unnerved me to see Emma and Lily together. Lily had even begun to sleep over again. Emma's mom and my dad were still not back, I hope Mrs Linda was alright. “What the hell is she doing here?” I dragged Emma behind one of the heavy curtains and asked. Lily had gone up
Emma's POV I started having Lily over soon after the whole drama blew past. I didn't know, and frankly didn't care where she stood Gray. We were having the time of our lives together and that was seriously all that mattered to me. Life was beautiful. I had everybody I wanted in my corner. I was still confused about Chase, and it kinda made me miss my mom. Not like I'd have been able to talk to her about it, but it sure would've helped to have her around. “What are you doing here?” I asked Chase. I had, unsuccessfully, tried to hide my body from him. “Lily and I were just trying out waist chains for the prom.”I explained, turning red already. Chase was shamelessly looking at my vagina. I wanted to cover it so bad, but some invisible force held me back. I won't ever be able to explain it. “That explains a shaved pussy?” He asked. He had already grabbed all the stuff in my hands, so I had nothing to fling at him. Lately, he's been getting on my nerves, jokingly or intenti
Emma's POV I thought it weird that he'd asked such a question. When did Chase start to give a fuck or two about how I felt or perceived him? “I find it weird that you ask me that.” I replied to him. “Why?” He asked me. “Well cause, for one, I don't think you really give a fuck about it.” I replied. “This could be one of those your….how do I put it?” I had a lot to say, but my vocabulary was failing me. “I feel like the issue is, you're prejudiced against me.” He said. I looked at him in awe. I did not see that coming. “What the hell is that even supposed to mean?” I asked Chase. “Emma, I'm not a fool.” He said, smiling sadly. “No good girl wants to be with a stuck up, bad boy, with bad friends.” Chase grinned, and it scared me all the more. “No!” I shouted, he was getting in my head and confusing my thoughts with all the psychological shit he was doing. “No. That's not it. It's not even close to it Chase, I gave you a chance, at least I think I did.” I said, setti
Emma's POV Chase grabbed me. I was amazed at the amount of strength he had. I knew he frequented the most fancy gyms in the city, and the home gym of late. “So all that late night workout finally paid off, huh?” I asked, tickling him while he carried me like a little girl up the stairs. “You think I train ninety minutes everyday to catch a falling stranger?” He shot back at me. “Oh, so now I'm a stranger?” I asked, with exaggerated hurt. “You can undo that.” He said, winking at me. “Is that not how you kinda see everyone?” We walked past my room and his, and I had begun to wonder where the hell he was taking me. “What does that even mean?” He asked. “You kinda treat people with a long spoon, close enough, but not too close.” I said. He didn't seem too eager to answer that. “Any reasons for that?” I asked him. He threw me over his shoulder to fetch something from his pocket. I looked at what room we'd stopped at, it was Mark's. I didn't have a problem with Chas
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.
Emma's POV “Come on, Patty can wait.” Kevin held me closer. I thought I heard someone enter, but Kevi didn't give me headroom, and I didn't want to distract him. “Anything else?” I asked jokingly, even though I really was so keen on getting back to Party. “Yeah, let's hang out a while.” He said. “Kev, today is the D-day, it's what we're here for. I kinda have to be there.” I protested. “Fine then.” He said, taking his arms away from around my waist. “Come on, Kev.” I pulled him back, “you are not and, are you?” I asked. “It just seems like things are a lot different than I felt they would be.” He replied, looking away. “What does that even mean?” I asked It was our first argument, and I didn't like it that it was happening at Mark's house. “Em, you're obviously with your family. I'm second place. I should've expected that. Maybe I'd have rethought traveling all the way here.” Kev smiled. “You don't mean that. Kev, we've literally been together, I only l
Emma's POV Two days, with Kev and Chase the house wasn't what I thought it would be. Chase was barely available, and when he was, he made sure he was extremely busy. Kevin, too, worked in the room Patty had arranged for him, so they had no reasons to cross paths except dinner time. I had an extensive talk with my mom about Kevin. She still really wasn't feeling him, but she was glad I'd moved on from Chase, it was mixed emotions for her. “This is so good, Mr Norman.” He smiled at the wine Chase's dad asked Patty to get. “This old man knows good things when he sees one.” He looked glaringly at my mom, but she avoided his eyes. The air between them was still a little weird, but they had to put up a show, for the rest of us at least, who had bigger things going on. I'd spent two days feeling like shit for not forcing Casey to come along with me instead of Kevin. In my defense, he said he wanted to meet my mom and properly apologize for all that'd happened in Starry. It seemed l
Patty's POV Emma and Kevin, as she called him, arrived without much fanfare. It'd been a minute since I saw her so happy. She wasn't my favorite person in the house, but I had grown to have a soft spot for her. “How are you, Patty?” She squealed and even threw her arms open. “I'm good.” I smiled. “Meet Kev.” She smiled, “Kev, here's Party. Mark's longest serving home manager.” “Nice to meet you Ma'am. You're in really good shape too.” The boy flashed his million dollar smile at me. He looked so good, the most pretty eye candy I'd seen in a while. “You're welcome, Kevin.” I said. “Everyone's inside.” Mark and Linda have been attending to the event planners that Chase had coming to the house. With his arm still in a sling, there was very little he could do without Linda's help. The air around them was a bit icy, but they made it work. I hoped for both of their sakes that they fix what was between them. At least he wasn't cheating on Linda with her friends like he d
Chase's POV I'd still seriously been considering excuses for not showing up at the anniversary. It was six days to go. I woke up every morning to thoughts of it. Ding! Ding! My phone chimed. My phone was always on DND and only rang or chimed when it was someone on my favorites list messaging me. I still hadn't been able to bring myself to take Emma off the list. ‘Welcome everyone!’, A text on a new group chat read. I rubbed the sleep away from my eyes, and looked at it again. It was just my Dad, Emma, and I. “What is going on?” I asked him. I felt fear, annoyance and excitement. “Why the group?” I asked again. “Is that how you now greet your old man?” He asked. “Come on dad, I'm not having a good morning.” I said. “I need all hands on deck to give Linda the perfect first year anniversary, and you both are gonna help out, whether you like it or not!” He yelled at me. “What if something came up? A laboratory session I can't miss? Or a presentation?” I asked
Emma's POV “What do you mean next week?!” I squealed as my mom broke the news to me. She and Mark were gonna be having their first anniversary in a week. “Yeah.” She breathed really deep. . “You don't sound too enthusiastic.” I observed. “Stuff has been going on, Em. Didn't want to bother you.” She replied to me. “Now I'm so bothered.” I replied to her. It's been over a week since Kev and I officially got out of the friendship zone. Kev was explicit with the fact that he wanted more than just to be friends, and I think we'd gone beyond that too. “I shot him.” She said, I felt like a bomb had just exploded in my head. This was the man who rescued us from the allegations in Starry. “What the fuck, mom?” I yelled over the phone. I was home, and currently the only one in my apartment, so I could tell as loudly and freely as I wanted to. Kevin had begun to spend more time over, although for the bulk of it, he was on his work laptop. “Don't use the f word with m
Chase's POV “Don't ever think of that.” My dads voice boomed over the phone. “I'm young and still strong.” He boasted . I'd chipped in the possibility of him taking a break from his numerous businesses and just resting. “Why are you so anti-rest?” I asked. Me and the old man were only beginning to really get along. We were still fixing all the cracks in our relationship, carefully skipping over the lost pieces. “It's just not the time.” He groaned. We were on a video call. I saw his face squeezed every single time he had to lift his shot hand. “I've got a lot of stuff to make up to a lot of people.” He said. “You can't do that if you're dead.” I reminded him. “You sound just like your mother.” He smiled, and looked lost for a while, snapping back only when the glass mug I mistakenly knocked off made a loud crashing noise. “Linda's great too.” I said. “She's a good woman.” I chipped. “She is.” He agreed. Every morning I wake up, I bless my creator for giving he
Kevin's POV It'd been a month since Em and I redecorated my place. I appreciated her help around the house. It was beginning to look more of a house than an office space. I'd convinced her multiple times, to stay over, let us enjoy what we'd created, but one thing or the other always up, and fucked the plan up. Plus I had to travel to multiple places, and I was mostly away for the month I just got back from Melbourne, and I think I had the most romantic gift for her. I'd curated a photo album, a cute little pink one containing all the pictures I ever took when we were working on the house together I also had a box of preserved roses. The old lady tried to force it down my throat, and I felt it was a bit too unnecessary till I discovered what it symbolizes. I had it all arranged in the new Nissan Versa car I'd parked in the garage of the apartment. I told her I was gonna come a day after I actually planned, and I tipped Casey off massively, to reveal that Emma had a little we
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