Chase's POVI literally was the happiest man on earth. I had just bagged Emma, and one of the most important things to me. “How do I look?” Emma asked, straightening out invisible creases. “Perfect, my love.” I replied, “Besides, they are family.” I said, laughing. “I know, I know.” She sighed. “But you're nervous?” I asked, looking at her. “Very.” She added. Emma took a deep breath and went to meet her mom. I wasn't so enthusiastic about meeting them. For all I cared, I had a done deal. “Hey mom.” Emma's voice sounded strained. Her mom pulled her in and it seemed like a bear hug. I could understand. They had been gone for two months. Two freaking months that might be the genesis of my emergence. My dad didn't even spare me a second look. I laughed deep within me, knowing that he knew I had become a player in his game. Emma's mom took her left hand and admired the ring, during which Emma turned completely red. I busied myself enjoying the spectacle cause th
Emma's POV I was obviously already being relegated to the benches at the show of my own life. I was the last person who knew Chase was gonna propose. I had a lot to say to my mom and him, but that could wait. Mark got a ton of good stuff from wherever it was they said they visited. “Oh, these are so pretty.” I said, glancing at how much stuff there was and how glittering the whole place looked. He got a big sized teddy, some scarves that looked Hawaiian, anklets, waistbeads. They must've gone somewhere funny to have brought back all that stuff. “You can have this.” I gave Patty some beachwear. I made a mental note to ask Mark how often they got breaks and when they did. Firstly, I must thank him for all that stuff. I saw some other girly things but I could open all those later. I dashed to Mark's room, with one of the scarves in hand. “Thank you so much.” I said, jumping on him. “That's a nice ring you've got there.” Mark said, deflecting. I look back on the ring,
Lily's POVIt all seemed like a dream to me. like a very big joke. Chase had the guts to do all that, in a crowd of people he'd been with almost half of the ladies. “Oh friend.” Jessica said, smiling so mischievously. “Don't call me that.” I protested. “Pardon me if I do not know what to say. One would think you'd be next to your friend now, you know, in her time of need.” She said, I knew Jessica was gloating over me, and I kinda deserved it for nursing any feelings for Chase, ever. “Jessica, this is neither the time or the place.” I said. My eyes had begun to water. I didn't see it coming, at all. I thought there was nothing more to a jewelry box than a necklace. Chase asking Emma to marry him, to me, wasn't even a remote possibility. It felt like it was gonna be a high school fling at best. “Welcome to my boat.” She said, smiling. “We certainly are not needed here. Let's row along, shall we?” She asked. We got out of the dining hall and headed straight to the cla
Grayson’s POV “Hey Man.” Chase rang me up. “What's up?” “Nothing much.” I replied. “Just stuck here since Jessica and Lily have found friends in each other.” I slipped, sadly. “I kinda noticed that. What do you think is up with them though?” He asked, in the most demeaning tone I might ever have heard. “They both my women. I won't take that now, fam.” I replied, shutting him up. “What did you want to say?” I asked. He must've called for a reason. “Uhmm, well, I just got in.” He sounded really excited. I could hear the reverberation of his voice, meaning he actually was in his space. “I'm proud of you, man.” I said. I was really excited. A yard of ours to host parties and orgies, finally! “Is she there?” I asked, lowering my voice. “No, she isn't. Dummy!” He said. “She will be soon. Just thought to call you first so you don't disturb the rest of our evening.” He added, light-heartedly. “Oh. This is what you do to a broken man?” I asked, feigning hurt. “Get out
Lily's POV I didn't mean to, but Gray was fond of bringing out the worst in me. I hated being around him. I had been cheated on, played a lot, by him and Chase and I had no more desire to see or be with any of them. The only reason I obliged Jessica was because she was the only one around to listen to my shit and somehow face it with me. Her modeling gigs were getting fewer with the ‘Rudd’ scandal. Rudd somehow managed to make it out of the country on time. As of when Jessica's parents heard it and were ready to sue, he was already on international waters. Brands weren't so enthusiastic about working with her anymore. She somehow poured all that attention into me, and we began to relate more. I followed her anyway to Marty’s because she convinced me that Gray had what we needed. I threw a sleeveless hoodie on. The weather was quite warm, but I still felt the need to seem invisible, and the only thing that could do that was the camo hoodie I got during a shopping spree with Em
Emma's POV I was getting a little too worried, but I knew I was justified. Chase had a house he never told me about, and chose the day he proposed to me to move out. I sat in my bed, trying not to over think. I texted Lily, but she said she was busy. And I could believe that. Her family was gonna know its fate, or had known it already. Things must not be easy on her. So I made a mental note to take some of the stuff Mark got me as gifts to her the next day. My phone rang, finally, and it was Chase. But it was already five hours past noon. My mom was back, which means my curfew for ten pm was too. “Hey babe.” He said, treading gently. “Don't do that.” I said. I was really angry with him for leaving me like that. “Chase, this is barely six hours after you go down on your knees, and you're away, somewhere I do not know. Chase, this isn't fair.” I said, near tears. “Emma, I'm sorry.” Chase's voice had this effect on me, one I didn't like. I wanted to stay mad at him. I wante
Jessica's POV I got home that night, after meeting with Lily and Gray. Lily had served him the biggest revelation of his life. She was gonna have a baby with Chase, and he made her abort it at two months old, over ten months ago. Only three of us, Chase, Lily and I knew about it. I felt poorly for ever aiding that, but Chase was my friend, my childhood friend. . That was the beginning of Lily's depression. We also had to bully her to make sure she didn't report to the authorities. I don't know how Chase further did it, but her lips were sealed, except now. I didn't know what she had coming, but I knew she was going through a lot, and that could account for the way she acted. Gray called me when he got back home that night. “Hey, sorry if I cut your sleep short,” He started. “Come on, you know I don't sleep that late.” I said, I didn't like how he was being so formal because of what just happened. “You know, I still like to visit my toys.” I teased him. “Well those ar
Chase's POVEmma spent the night at my house and woke up at four am to about twelve missed calls from her mom. I counted them all. “Are you always up so early?” I asked her. She ruined my breakfast in bed. “Why are you looking like it's not a good thing I woke up?” She said, squinting even though there was very minimal light in the room. My bedroom was upstairs. I requested one that overlooked everywhere. “That's because I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed. ” I protested. “I now know to start cooking by two hours past midnight.” I joked. “That's easy. I'll sleep back, just watch me.” Emma said, enthusiastically throwing the blanket back over herself. “Not so soon.” I rushed to her and tore it off immediately. “By the way, why aren't you asleep yourself?” She asked me. I traced invisible lines on her body and watched her respond to my touch. The deal with girls who didn't have much experience sexually is that they were so responsive, and I enjoyed that in Em. “
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
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
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
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 “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