“Oh, you’re up?” Bella states when she reappears with a food parcel in her hand and finds me sat on the bed looking at my phone.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“You should have come down, I could have done with a conversation that didn’t involve face fillers and hair extensions.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t in the mood,” I reply sadly.
“Here, sausage sandwich, it might be a little cold though,” she says looking sheepish.
“Okay. What’s that look about, B?”
“Nothing.”
“Bella?”
“Fine, I bumped into Pip on the way back up and we got chatting.”
“Bella, please don’t lead him on if you’re not intending on following through.”
“I’m not leading him on, we’re just chatting. He’s a nice guy.”
Yeah she might think that but I’ve seen the way he looks at her and Bella can be a bit of a flirt without realising it, so he probably already thinks he’s well in there.
“I told him I’d go to the arena with him and the others to pick up their instruments before we leave for our next hotel.”
I really don’t want to go. I’m more than happy to stay here and hibernate in my room. The thought that Chase might come to try and find me isn’t far from my mind. But I don’t think sending Bella off with this guy is a particularly good idea.
“I’ll come, I could do with some fresh air,” I say hoping she’ll believe me.
“Really?” she asks with scepticism.
“Yep. When are we going?”
“Thirty minutes.”
The second the music hits my ears I know he’s here. Fuck knows how I know but I do. I slow down a little and let the others go ahead. Once they are out of sight I head towards the stage where the sound is coming from.
I come to a stop in the shadows off to the side of the stage and just watch and listen.
Sat at the piano in the middle of the stage is Chase, but he’s not alone. Sat next to him is a familiar head full of long blonde hair.
I’m completely enthralled as I listen to them play and sing together. It’s beautiful. His husky deep voice along side her higher soft one is stunning. It’s clear that Chase wasn’t the only one to get the music talent in his family.
I don’t move, I don’t make a sound and yet he turns to look to where I’m stood. He can’t see me, I’m sure of it, but he stays still for a few seconds while Mia belts out her part to Disney’s Aladdin, A Whole New World. Eventually he turns back around and joins in with her again, the sound makes me tingle. It really affects me.
I stand, hidden, watching them until their performance is over. It’s not until they’ve nearly finished that I notice a pair of crutches propped up against the piano. I look down and I can see that Mia’s leg is in cast. I guess that explains where he might have disappeared to last night.
When they sing their last word I decide it’s time to announce my presence, after all I’m pretty sure Chase already knows I’m here.
I put my hands together and give them a round of applause as I walk out towards them. Chase moves from giving Mia a hug to looking at me, a knowing look in his eyes. Mia on the other hand squeals and jumps up as if she wants to run at me. Unfortunately she forgets about the new cast on her foot. I bolt forward at the same time Chase jumps from the piano stool to catch her. Much to her delight though I get to her first and manage to grab her under the armpits to stop her face planting the floor and breaking something else.
When she looks up at me she is once again beetroot read. “T-t-thank you,” she stutters out while getting even redder.
“That was beautiful. You have a gorgeous voice, Mia.” Her demeanour instantly changes, she goes all shy and looks away from me. “So, that wasn’t on your leg last night. What happened?” I ask distracting her from her embarrassment.
After a second she looks back up and explains, “I tripped and fell down the stairs on the way out last night. Pops took me to the hospital and I’ve broken my ankle. I didn’t want to go home though so Chase came and got me. I’m staying with him for a few days. I’m coming on tour with you,” she says in a rush.
“Don’t you have school?” I ask.
“No, it’s half term so I was just going to be at home all week. But now I get to hang out with you guys and do what rock stars do. I’m so excited. Uncle Lo says I can’t perform with him at his shows though, which I think is really mean. I so badly want to sing for loads of people, it’s usually just my family I sing for. I want to be a singer like Uncle Lo one day, so this is good experience,” she eventually stops chatting when she needs to take a breath and I can’t help but smile up at Chase. His niece is a real sweetie. He’s smiling and shaking his head at her outpouring.
“Cole, will you come to lunch with us? Uncle Lo has promised me a burger as big as my head!”
“Oh, I, uh, don’t want to intrude,” I say but I don’t mean it. The more time I get to spend with Chase, or Uncle Lo apparently, the better.
“Of course he can come, bring Bella if she’s free.” Chase says staring me straight in the eyes in a way that says don’t you dare refuse the offer.
“Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep if you’ve been at the hospital all night?”
“Na, I’m good. Come on,” she exclaims hopping like a pro across the stage on her crutches.
Chase takes a step towards me before whispering, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, I understand. I mean you could have let me know, but I get it. She’s awesome, by the way.”
“I know,” he says looking over at Mia who is trying to manoeuvre the steps with a look full of love.
It makes me melt and I feel myself starting to fall for him. I try to give myself a talking to that it’s only going to lead to heartbreak for me but my heart won’t listen.
“Go find Bella and let’s go before we have to move to the next hotel,” Chase says with about as much enthusiasm as I feel about yet another hotel room. We’ve only been on the road just over three weeks and I already have no idea where we are or where we’re going next. It’s just one hotel room to the next.
“Oh my God,” Mia shouts over, “I’m gonna get to stay in a rock stars hotel suite. This is so freaking cool!”
We both chuckle at her excitement and follow after her. I find Bella in the backstage bar with the band. She politely declines our offer for lunch instead wanting to stay behind with Pip. I give her a warning glance before we leave but she just shakes her head at me. I can’t help feeling a little sorry for Pip, he doesn’t know what he’s letting himself in for with Bella.
Lunch was really just a repeat of earlier. Chase and I sat in relative silence while Mia chatted away about everything she could think of. We know about school, what options she is taking, who her favourite teachers are and everything about her two best friends. The only thing she doesn’t talk about I realise when we have a few seconds of quiet while she’s eating a giant ice cream Sunday is her, and Chase’s, family. Chase never says anything about them either, hence how we got into the Mia situation in the first place. I add it to my list of things I need to ask him.
“Cole, are you driving with us to the next place?”
“No, I go with the other dancers. We don’t get a fancy car like Chase does.”
“Ow, please can you drive with us?”
“I…uh…” I don’t get to finish whatever it was I was going to say because Chase butts in.
“Of course he can, I’ll just need to square it with Victoria.”
“Ugh,” Mia complains. “I can’t stand that stuck up cow!”
“Mia,” Chase chastises.
“What? She is. You cannot say that you don’t agree.”
Chase makes a non-committal noise in response before brushing his leg against mine to get me to slide out of the booth we’re sat in at the back of the burger joint trying to be inconspicuous. The brief contact sends goose bumps around my body. It’s an innocent touch but I know it
holds a promise of what we are both patiently waiting for.
“We’ll see you soon, Cole. Uncle Lo will sort Victoria out so you get to travel in style with us,” Mia says as I get out of the lift on the floor to mine and Bella’s room leaving them to head up to the top floor.
I look back just before the doors close to see Chase laughing to himself and once again shaking his head.
“Hey, have fun?” Bella asks when I walk into our room.
“Yeah, actually. Chase’s niece is awesome. You should have heard them singing together, it was…well…beautiful.”
“Oh no,” Bella says looking up at me.
“What?”
“You’re falling, aren’t you?”
“What! Don’t be silly. He’s a famous rock star, it would be stupid to do that. I’m just enjoying spending time with him and hoping to have a few rolls around in his bed, well if the universe ever lets us!”
“Yeah, whatever. Your true feelings are written all over your face. Be careful, Cole,” she warns.
I forget sometimes that we have basically lived in each other’s pockets since we were teenagers and that she can read me like a book. I cannot lie to Bella and it’s pointless even trying.
I don’t say anything to her about there being a possibility that I won’t be travelling with her because I don’t think Victoria will have it. She is such a control freak that I can’t imagine her changing anything that she has on that damn clipboard she often carries around.
“Cole, you’re with us,” Mia shouts over when Bella and I make it down to reception with our suitcases. If she didn’t have a broken ankle I’m sure she’d be jumping up and down in excitement. I’m not entirely sure what her fascination is with me but I’m not going to complain if it gets me out of a long journey in that bloody minibus.
“Victoria said it was okay, so you can travel with us. How exciting is that!”
“Uh,” I start while glancing over at Bella who is staring back at me in disbelief.
Chase somehow works some charm with Victoria and to my utter shock she agrees to travel in the peasant bus to allow both Bella and I to go with Chase. I don’t think it’s Chase that makes her agree to this though, I’m pretty sure it’s Mia’s sweet smile that makes her crumble.
An hour into our journey and Mia has barely taken a breath. I have no idea how she finds so much to talk about. To be to be honest, I switched off at least thirty minutes ago in favour of staring out the window. Chase must still be paying attention though because the deep rumble of his voice sends shivers through my body every now and then when he can fit a word in.
It takes me a while to notice because I’ve totally spaced out but the car is in silence. I turn to look over to see what’s happened. I’m almost expecting to see Mia with a gag in her mouth as a last resort to stop the endless waffle but when I look I see that she has her head on Chase’s shoulder and is fast asleep. A night with no sleep at the hospital followed by her hours of verbal diarrhoea today have wiped her out.
I look to the front seat to see that Bella also has her head back and is snoring lightly.
Suddenly I feel eyes on me. His eyes.
I slowly turn my head towards him. He’s smiling at me and his eyes are glowing bright as they stare intently into mine. He winks, actually winks at me and it makes me shiver. Just that simple action has me desperate to jump on his lap. Mia shifting slightly in her sleep brings me back to reality though.
“Thank you for today, it meant a lot to her,” he whispers to me over her head.
“My pleasure. She’s awesome,” I repeat my earlier sentiment.
“She is. Her life’s not easy at the moment so it’s great that we can give her some release from that.
“What’s-” I begin to ask but Chase shaking his head, obviously seeing where my question was going, shuts me up. “So…how long’s she staying for?”
“Just a couple of days. She point blank refused to go back with her Granddad when she was at the hospital with him. She can be a little stubborn when she wants to be.” I glance at Mia’s sleeping form and I can’t help but imagine her holding her ground and demanding what she wants. I’m sure one look at that sweet smile has most people, Victoria included, doing exactly as she wishes. “That’s when he rang to see if it was okay. Victoria wasn’t happy.”
“When is she?” I add.
“True. But Mia has a way of making people do what she wants. So,” he says shrugging his free shoulder as if to say here we are.
When we eventually pull up outside our next hotel Mia is still fast asleep. Mind you, Chase looks like he could collapse at any moment after his sleepless night as well.
Bella and I both jump out and help the driver pull the bags from the boot of the car while Chase somehow manages to get Mia up into his arms to carry her inside. His arms bulge with the effort he has to put in and I shamelessly stare, imagining what they might look like with their muscles pulled tight when he’s above me. Moving inside me…
“Cole, pull yourself together,” Bella says with a laugh and a slap on the arm, clearly seeing where my thoughts were headed.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
We all get our room keys and are about to part ways when Chase calls me over. He’s still got Mia in his arms, they must be aching by now so I go over quickly.
“What’s up?”
“Put your stuff in your room then come to me.”
“No,” I say regretfully, “you’re exhausted, you need some sleep.”
“Shut up and get your arse up to me as soon as you can. I can’t wait any longer,” he says quietly.
I’m achingly aware that Mia could wake up at any moment and hear this so I agree and head off. I can’t help that there is a little extra spring in my step as I think about what’s to come.
“Just go, Cole. You’re like a coiled spring. Go and let it out!”
“Do you think it’s been long enough?” I ask wondering if everyone else has already found their rooms or if I’ll be caught once again prowling the corridors of our hotel.
“Yes, just go. I can’t cope with your sexual tension!”
“Okay,” I happily agree. “Wish me luck.”
“Ha, like you need that. Go knock his socks off,” she calls after me because I already have the door open and am heading through it.
I pull the key card that Chase slipped me before I left him earlier out of my pocket and waste no time in sliding it into the machine on his door. The lock clicks and I pull the handle down before slowly pushing the door open in my attempt to be quiet and not wake Mia.
I look around the vast space and see two doors, one is shut and the other is cracked open invitingly, so I head towards that one.
I look behind me before going in, just in case Mia magically appeared and is watching me. Seeing only an empty room I continue forward and as quietly as I can, shutting the door behind me.
I turn and take in the giant bed in the middle of the room. My excitement about what is going to come only increases as I think about the fun we could have on a bed that big.
My excitement wavers slightly though when I take in the form on the bed.
Chase is led out on top of the covers, in only a small pair of blue boxer briefs, fast asleep.
Disappointment floods me, it doesn’t stop me standing at the end of the bed for a good couple of minutes taking him in though.
I run my eyes from his feet and up his muscular legs. My eyes linger a little longer than necessary on the bulge in his boxers, trying as hard as I can to make them disappear with just a look and a prayer, but no luck. I continue up his happy trail, not missing his deep v lines as I go up toward his six pack then solid pecs. I repeat that journey a couple of times as I try to commit it to memory because I know I need to make the most of all of this. Like I said before, he’s a huge star, that no one knows is gay, I don’t have a chance in hell of being kept around for very long once he’s had his fill of me. That knowledge won’t stop me from enjoying every second of th
is though.
Finally my eyes run up his neck and take in his peaceful face. It looks much softer in his sleep but even still his eyebrows are drawn together in concern like he’s still not letting go of whatever it is that makes him so sad a lot of the time.
I might now be seeing a different side to Chase than I originally did, I’ve even seen him smile a number of times but he still has that sad and concerned look fall over him often. I wish I knew what put it there. I might not be able to do anything to help but I could be an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on. Even at this point, I’d pretty much do anything for him.
A number of options run through my head as to what I could do in this situation. I get a little too excited as they play out in my mind. All options start with me stripping myself naked, then I could climb on top of him and wake him up with my kiss. I could get rid of the last thing covering him and take him in my hand, or my mouth. I lick my lips at the thought of waking him up like that.
My cock weeps in my boxers with need. This back and forth between us has been going on way too long. I need him so badly it’s not even funny now.
Even just to lay down next to him and fall asleep with him can’t happen. I mean, what if Mia was to come in for some reason and find us in bed together. He would never forgive me.
I do the only thing that I really can. I lean down and brush his hair from his forehead before placing a kiss to his creased brow. He doesn’t even flinch at the contact showing me that I’m right, he needs to sleep.
With one last look at him I walk back across the room and try to exit as quietly as I came in.
I get halfway across the living room before I jump out of my skin.
“You don’t need to sneak out,” I hear from behind me.
“Fuck,” I mutter to myself as my hand comes up to my chest to cover my pounding heart.
Chasing Logan Page 7