Surviving for Us

by Lauren Nicole

  Over the next couple of hours we continue to dance, drink and have a great time. I have spent most of my night with Chase, well, rather, dancing in his arms. By the time most people have left I’m feeling pretty tipsy. I lost count a while ago of how much I had to drink. I see Jenn beginning to clean up the kitchen and head over to help her.

  “Hey, girl, you and Chase were looking pretty close out there. Was that kissing I saw?” Jenn asks.

  “I know. I can’t help it. When he kissed me earlier I felt something. I swear I did. I’ve never been kissed like that before. He is fun to be around and seems interested in me.” Before Jenn can respond Chris walks in pulling her away. Since we have finished with the kitchen I leave to find Chase. When I enter the living room I see this bombshell blonde go up to him and wrap her arms around his waist. She kisses his cheek, which he seems to be fine with. As much as it hurts to look at I have no right to be mad at him, it’s not like we are dating. I can feel my eyes getting watery. I turn to leave, wanting the solitude of my room, before I completely lose it. Chase catches my eye and can tell I’m upset.

  When I get to the bedroom door I hear Chase running up after me. “Wait up, Angie.”

  I choose to ignore him and open the door quickly, hoping I can avoid him. I just want to go to bed and get this feeling out of my stomach.

  “Angie, wait!” he yells.

  I spin around, teetering precariously on my heels. “What, Chase?” I instantly regret the tone in my voice, revealing my hurt and anger.

  “It’s not what you think it is.”

  I have to laugh at that. “Every man’s famous last words.” I can tell he isn’t happy with my answer.

  “No, seriously, that was Ashley, my cousin’s fiancé,” he says more sternly.

  “It’s fine, Chase, we aren’t even—”

  Before I can finish the sentence his lips crash to mine. I try to fight it at first but end up melting into him. He licks the seam of my lips, asking for permission to enter. I open eagerly to him. Damn, his kiss is making me weak in the knees, and causes me to forget about the incident with his cousin’s girl. I wrap my arms around him and bring him closer.

  The next thing I know I’m being pushed into the room and spun around against the door. Chase’s lips never leave mine. He runs one hand up and down my side which is causing goose bumps to break out over my skin. I know I should stop, but my body is ignoring my warnings. I won’t let it go too far, but it just feels so good to be in his arms. Just as I’m about to tell him we should stop, he slowly ends the kiss and places his forehead against mine.

  “Wow,” I whisper.

  He places his hands on either side of my face and speaks quietly. “I don’t know what this is between us, Angie, but I want to find out. I know with me leaving in a few weeks it will be tough, but I’ll only be gone for a couple of months. Give me the chance to prove to you that this can work.”

  We stand in silence, staring into each other’s eyes. My brain is screaming no, and yet my body is screaming yes. Do I really want to put myself through that? I decide the only way I will ever know is to take a chance and hope my heart doesn’t get shattered in the end.

  “Okay, but we take things slow. No rushing or anything.”

  He gives me a small kiss at the corner of my mouth. “Whatever you need, baby. Go ahead and get some sleep. I’m going to help clean up. Sweet dreams.” And with that he walks out of the room.

  Once he leaves I make my way over to my bag. I take off my dress and throw on a t-shirt then pull my hair up before crawling into bed. I don’t even bother to shower—I’m too tired. I drift off to sleep with a smile on my face.

  Chapter 6

  Chase

  I leave Angie in the room with a smile attached to my lips and make my way downstairs. I am so stoked that she has decided to give me a chance. I know it won’t be easy with me leaving soon, but I am determined to make it work with her. I still haven’t figured out what it is about her that makes me crazy. I hate to think that I could have lost her over Ashley coming up and talking to me. I was getting ready to introduce Ashley to her, but once I made eye contact with Angie I could see the hurt in her eyes, so instead I made a quick exit of the conversation and caught up with her upstairs. Although she was trying to play off that it was cool, I could see right through her. Arguing would have gotten us nowhere, and I just couldn’t seem to stop myself from kissing her. I don’t think I will ever get tired of kissing her. She tastes like pure honey.

  I’ll admit my motives were different at the beginning of the night—I just wanted to get her in bed. After spending more time with her though, I realize that I want to get to know who she really is and possibly figure out this intense attraction I have for her. That’s why I left her in the room upstairs alone. I need to prove to her that I am serious about this relationship. Just how I am going to do that, I don’t quite know. But I feel so drawn to her, so I know I need to figure out how to make this work.

  As I walk into the kitchen I see Jenn and Chris deep in conversation. Not wanting to interrupt them, I head over to the living room and start cleaning. I am deep in thought about how I will show Angie that I want to be with her when Chris walks in and hands me a beer. Sitting down on the couch, we start to catch up.

  “So what’s going on with you and Jenn? Going to give it another try?” Chris and Jenn are the perfect pair, but every time they try to make a go of it something happens and nobody knows why.

  “I don’t know, man, gosh I love her, but she’s better off without me. I try to forget about her but I just can’t seem to stay away. She always sneaks her way back into my life,” Chris says.

  “Oh bullshit, Chris, you are the best guy around. She would be lucky to have you. Let me tell you, if I had some lady in my life, like you do Jenn, I wouldn’t let her go.”

  He quickly changes the subject. “You and Angie were looking pretty cozy together tonight. What’s up with that?”

  I can’t stop the smile that takes over my lips. “I’m not too sure, we’re going to take things slow and just see where it goes. There’s just something about her that draws me in.” He looks over at me in shock. I take the last swig of my beer and shrug my shoulder at him, not wanting to divulge too much. “All right, man, I’m going to hit the bed, I’ll see ya in the morning.”

  “See ya, man,” Chris says, as he makes his way to his room, where Jenn must be already waiting for him.

  Once in bed I stare up at the ceiling, the room is cloaked in darkness except for the faint glow from the streetlights outside. My thoughts keep drifting back to Angie. This girl has got me all mixed up. I know it’ll be tough with me leaving so soon, but I am hoping that everything will work out the right way. For some unsettling reason I feel like I just need her in my life. I wish I knew the full story around her and her ex, and what made her the way she is now. I plan to find out, and hopefully soon, because I can feel it’s holding her back. I roll over and look at the clock—fuck, it’s almost five. I close my eyes and finally drift off to sleep, with Angie still on my mind.

  *

  Bang!

  I jolt awake, wondering what the hell that noise is. Jumping up, I throw on my basketball shorts and storm upstairs to see where the noise is coming from. I stop dead in my tracks when I see Angie standing there in a t-shirt and shorts that barely cover her ass. My anger begins to dissolve into hunger. I walk up quietly behind her. She doesn’t seem to notice me at all. I grab her hips and she jumps about two feet off the ground. “Morning, gorgeous.”

  “Geez, Chase, way to give someone a freaking heart attack,” she says, but you can hear the humor in her voice. “But good morning to you also.”

  “What are you doing up so early? You didn’t go to bed until late.”

  She just shrugs her shoulder. “Couldn’t sleep, so I figured I would come down here and get breakfast started…” She turns around just then, the words dying on her lips.

  I feel her eyes roaming down my body. The way she’s
looking at me makes me want to throw her over my shoulder and lock us in a room. “See something you like, darling,” I ask her with a smirk on my face. She snaps her head up quick and her cheeks turn pink, knowing she just got busted checking me out.

  “Hmm, maybe.”

  “Keep looking at me like that and you’ll find yourself in my bed sooner rather than later.” On that comment she turns back around to the food, but I don’t miss the twitch of her lips. “Can I help you?”

  “No, it’s okay, you can go do something else or sit there. I got this. It won’t take long.”

  We fall into an easy and yet very comfortable conversation. We talk until Chris and Jenn join us for breakfast. Angie places her french toast casserole on the table and I have to admit, it smells fucking fabulous. I’m starved. Everybody must agree because no one is talking, just making noises of appreciation for the food. After everyone’s plates are cleared, I get up to clean the kitchen. “I got the kitchen, beautiful, you go relax,” I tell Angie as she starts to pick up the dishes. Chris ends up helping me so it doesn’t take long. The girls are in the living room watching a movie when we join them. I sit down next to Angie and rest my hand on her thigh, relieved when she doesn’t pull away like I expected her to.

  “So what do you girls have planned today?” Chris asks.

  “I have to do laundry and get ready for the work week,” Angie says.

  “I have nothing planned.” That comes from Jenn.

  About an hour or so later Angie gets up to get dressed and head out. “Hey, Jenn, are you ready to drive me back home? Since I don’t have my car.”

  I look over at Jenn and see she is relaxed in Chris’s arm. “I can take you, Angie. It’s on my way out.” I hope she says yes. I wouldn’t mind getting to spend more time with her. Even if it is only for ten minutes.

  “Well okay, as long as it’s not out of the way.” After assuring her it’s no big deal, we say our goodbyes and head out to my truck. “Uh, Chase, how the hell am I supposed to get in that thing?”

  I have to laugh out loud at her question. I love my truck. It’s a black jacked up Dodge. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll give you a boost.” Opening her door, I grab her waist and hear her suck in a deep breath. Nice to know I have that effect on her. We fall into an easy conversation on the way there, but all too soon we are pulling into her driveway. I rush over to her side and open the door.

  “So can I maybe see you later?” I ask her while I walk her to the door.

  “Maybe, it depends if I get my stuff done,” she says teasingly, with a smirk.

  I pull her close to me and lean my head down to kiss her soft pink lips. The kiss starts out slow, but soon enough we are devouring each other. Hearing a car drive by, I realize we are still on her porch. I pull away from her slowly. “Okay, well call me when you’re done and we can figure something out.” I wait until she unlocks her door and is inside. Once I know she’s safe I hop in my truck and drive away.

  Chapter 7

  Angie

  This past week has flown by. Work has been going great, and being as it’s winter all the snowbirds are now here, so it’s much busier than normal. Not that I’m complaining, it’s great because it makes my work days go by quickly. All week I’ve had thoughts of Chase on my mind. We ended up hanging out Sunday night at my place. We ordered dinner and cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie. After it was over he kissed me goodbye and left. I know I said I would take things slow with him, but it’s hard not to think about the future. I hate the unknown. I don’t like long-distance relationships, not that I wouldn’t do it for someone I love, but I don’t love him. All I can think about is what happened with Justin all those years ago, I still have a hard time trusting men.

  I really like Chase, he is super sweet and extremely gorgeous, and the way he kisses me… Damn, I didn’t know it could feel like that. I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen him since Sunday, due to work, although we have been texting frequently. He leaves tomorrow for his training. I’m conflicted with my feelings about it—part of me is going to miss him, but on the other hand I’m somewhat happy. Maybe now I can figure out what these feelings are that I have for him, and possibly find out why he is consuming every one of my thoughts. I glance at the clock and see it’s time to go home. Shutting down my computer, I make sure all the exam rooms are ready for Monday morning.

  As I make my way outside I see something on my windshield. Thinking someone hit my car I begin to panic and pick up my pace. When I reach the car I see there is a single red rose and a note. My body relaxes, and I open the card.

  Be ready at seven, beautiful.

  Chase

  I can’t help but smile at that. Now I am excited for the night to come. I wonder what he has planned for us. I look at the clock and see it’s already half past five. Shit. I need to get home and start getting ready. Luckily, I only live a ten minute drive away. I head straight for the shower when I walk inside. Once I get out I throw on my robe and start to dry and straighten my hair. After I finish my makeup I rummage through my clothes until I decide on a pair of skinny jeans, a black tube top and my black cowboy boots.

  I finish just in time. Right at seven there is a knock on my door. As soon as I see him I suck in air, looking at him standing there in a pair of dark jeans and a black button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Holy shit, he looks damn fine.

  “Wow, Angie, you look incredible.”

  I snap out of ogling him and meet his eyes. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  He leans in and kisses my cheek. “Are you ready to head out?”

  I grab my purse off the couch and we head out to his truck. Damn, this thing is sexy but so hard to get into at times. I feel him come up behind me as he opens the door and lifts me up. I don’t think I will ever get tired of him doing that. He jogs around to the driver’s side and jumps in.

  “So what are we doing tonight?” I ask him once we are on our way.

  “Well, I figured we could go eat at the new steakhouse in town then head over to the country bar for some drinks and dancing. I leave tomorrow so I wanted to spend this evening with you.

  “That sounds great to me.”

  “So how was work?”

  “It was good, busy, but I like it that way. Makes the day go faster.”

  Before I know it we are pulling in to park. Chase is at my door and ready to help me down before I have my seatbelt off. He takes my hand as we make our way inside. He must have made a reservation earlier that day because we are seated immediately. “Wow, this places looks awesome. I’m glad we come tonight, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, anything for you,” he replies with a wink.

  Damn him, that wink gets me every time. I can’t help but think about what tomorrow will bring, when he leaves. I’m nervous that this will turn out just like my last relationship.

  “What is going on it that beautiful head of yours?” Chase asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  I look down at my hands and begin to pick at my nails. “Just thinking about you leaving tomorrow and all that,” I say quietly.

  He reaches across the table and grabs my hands. “Hey, look at me, please. I know it’s going to be difficult, but just have a little faith in us and everything will work out for the best. I promise. I know you have a hard time trusting because of your ex. I don’t know why, and you don’t have to tell me right now. Let’s just enjoy tonight and take it one day at a time.”

  I just sit there and stare at him. Holy shit, did he really just say that to me? He would have been the last person on earth to commit to anything, I would have thought. His thumbs are stroking my palms, and, to be honest, it is starting a fire deep inside me. We break apart when the waitress comes back with our beers and takes our order. “Okay, but I can’t promise you I will be easy to deal with while you’re gone.”

  As the evening progresses, I realize I really do want to be with him. For some reas
on I can talk to him about anything, I feel very comfortable around him and we seem to have a lot in common. Just because he is good-looking and a charmer doesn’t mean I’m going to fall head over heels in love with him though. I don’t know if these walls around my heart will ever come down, but I’m going to do what he asked and just take it one day at a time.

  When we finish eating we head out to his truck. “Still up for the bar? If not we can find something else to do,” he says when he climbs in the driver’s seat.

  “No, that’s fine, we can go there. I believe Chris and Jenn will be there. They normally go on Fridays.” I actually think it’s a good idea. After a long week at work and tomorrow fast approaching, I wouldn’t mind going dancing and drinking. This will help get my mind off things, at least for a little while.

  As we drive to the bar, Chase places his hand on my thigh. Between the heat coming from his hand and his random squeezing of my leg, I feel like I’m on fire. Not that I mind, but it’s driving me crazy and my need to touch him is getting worse by the minute. Even though I dated my ex for three years, I never once felt what I feel for Chase. These thoughts are really starting to scare me. I mean, I officially met him just over a week ago, and he is all I can think about. I get butterflies in my stomach just knowing I will see him or talk to him. And the way he kisses me, damn that makes my knees weak. I get all hot just thinking about it. Luckily, we pull up to the bar, so I can bury my inappropriate thoughts.

  We make our way to the entrance and I pull out my ID to get in. I am thankful that this bar is twenty-one and up after a certain time. As we make our way inside, Jason Aldean’s “My Kind of Party” is blaring through the sound system.