by Nella Tyler
“And I’d like to see them. I just don’t want to see Chase.”
“So ignore him. At the very least, give him the chance to eat his heart out over losing you. Wear something sexy and get that perfect ass of yours over here.”
“Umm, no thanks.”
“You need to get out more.”
“I have a four-year-old and a full time job.”
“You can’t use that excuse every time.”
“Watch me.”
“He looks really good, too.”
“Umm, wrong approach entirely. Now, I’m less likely to come over there.”
“He looks awful. He’s obviously gone to shit after you left him.”
“Nice try. And he left me, remember? Which is why I have no interest in seeing him again. Stop texting me.”
“Please come.”
“Good night.”
I turned off my phone and set it aside. When I looked up again, I noticed that my mother was watching me carefully. “You were typing pretty furiously,” she observed.
“How was work?”
“And now, you’re avoiding my question,” she said.
I sighed and glanced at Cole, who gave me a wide smile. I smiled back at him. “Why don’t you go see what’s on TV.”
“Eat and watch at the same time?” Cole asked.
“Just for tonight,” I said.
He nodded enthusiastically, grabbed his plate, and zoomed off in the direction of the television. “Chase is back,” I told her. “His tour of duty is over, and he’s back home. He’s organized a meeting tonight and everyone is there, including Beth.”
“Why aren’t you over there?” Mom asked.
“Seriously?”
“You don’t have to talk to him.”
“You sound like Beth,” I said. “How can I go there and avoid him the entire night?”
“It can be done,” she replied. “I think you should go.”
“Mom,” I said with annoyance.
“What does Beth say?”
“Hmpf.”
“So, she agrees with me?”
“I’m tired, and I’m not in the mood for a night out.”
“Cole’s going to be asleep soon and I’ll be here with him,” she said. “You should go and have fun. You haven’t seen your friends in forever.”
“I don’t have time for friends.”
“You’re being stubborn.”
“And you’re being annoying,” I snapped. “I’m not going. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and…change my bed sheets.”
I left Mom in the living room with Cole and went into my bedroom to get a moment alone. The truth was that I desperately wanted to see Chase again. I wanted to speak to him; I wanted to occupy the same space as him. I hated how much I had missed him and how much I wanted to see him again. But my anger was still there. I had resentment, and I had anger, and I had hurt, and none of that was going anywhere. Most importantly, though, I had Cole and I needed to protect him no matter what.
After changing my bed sheets, I put Cole to bed and read him a story from the Winnie the Pooh Collection. His eyes were fluttering shut when I heard a faint knock and the sound of people talking in the living room. I kissed Cole, turned off his night-light, and slipped out of the room.
“Mom?” I called. “Was there someone at the door?”
I turned the corner and found Beth standing in my living room. “Hello, friend,” she said with her blue eyes twinkling. “I’ve come to abduct you for the night.”
“Oh no,” I groaned. “Beth.”
“Sorry, no arguments,” she said. “I’ve heard all your excuses, and I’ve determined that none of them are good enough. You’re coming out tonight and you’re going to have some fun, Chase be damned.”
“Listen to Beth,” Mom nodded.
“This is not a good idea,” I said. “I shouldn’t be seeing Chase. I should be concentrating on…on…Jeremy!”
Mom and Beth exchanged a look.
“What?” I demanded.
“I thought you told him you weren’t interested in dating him?” Mom asked.
“I told him to give me more time,” I clarified.
“Which tells me that you’re not interested in him,” Beth pointed out.
“I am interested in him,” I said defensively. “He’s a great guy.”
“I’m sure he’s great and if you’re that sure about your feelings for him, then you’ll have no problem going out tonight, even if it means seeing Chase,” Beth pointed out shrewdly.
I sighed noisily. “Fine!” I said throwing my hands up in the air.
“Yes!” Beth cheered as she and Mom exchanged a high five. Then she proceeded to follow me into my bedroom. She muscled past me and went straight to my wardrobe. “Okay, the choice is pretty simple. Either the off-the-shoulder, black mini with the nude pumps or the strapless, crimson dress with black heels?”
I sat on my bed and sighed. “I don’t know…the red one.”
“Black it is,” she nodded, disregarding my choice completely.
“Hey!”
“The black mini shows off your legs, it’s form fitting, sexy, and classy all at the same time,” she said decisively. “We want him to eat his heart out, remember?”
“Fine,” I said in defeat as I grabbed the dress and walked into my bathroom to change.
I slipped on the dress and put on some makeup. I decided to opt for a smoky eye with a nude lip. It was understated, but effective, and the moment I let down my hair, the effect was complete. When I walked back out of the bathroom, Beth whistled.
“Damn, girl,” she said. “You look hot.”
“It’s too much,” I said.
“It’s exactly right,” she nodded approvingly. “We are good to go.”
Mom smiled as we passed through the living room. “You look amazing, Lauren,” she said with a self-satisfied grin.
“I’ll be back by eleven,” I said. “Ten-thirty if I can manage it.”
“She’ll be back after twelve,” Beth said, cutting across me. “So don’t wait up. Goodnight!”
I spent the whole drive to Carrington’s in a fit of nerves. I tried not to fidget with my dress or check my reflection. I reminded myself I needed to be aloof and unconcerned. The moment we arrived, I got down and decided that my plan of action for tonight would just be to ignore Chase altogether. Just before we walked into the pub, I grabbed Beth by the arm and pulled her to me.
“Beth, you have to promise you won’t say a word to anyone about Cole, okay?”
“Of course I won’t,” she agreed immediately. “You can count on me.”
I nodded, and we walked in. It was strange how Chase was the first person my eyes fell on the moment we were inside the pub. It was almost instinctive the way I looked at him the same moment he looked at me. I saw his eyes go wide as he stared at me, but I lowered mine and turned away.
Beth was right. He looked amazing. He looked more than amazing. I felt my body respond to the intense attraction I was feeling. It had been so long since I had felt that way that it took me by surprise for a moment. I kept my back to him, resisting the urge to glance behind to see where he was.
The group surrounded us, and I was forced to concentrate on saying hello to everyone and answering their questions about where I had been all this time.
“I’ve just been so busy with work,” I replied to Kaley. “I’m starting a new business.”
“No way!” Bryan said. “No wonder we haven’t seen you in a while.
“Have you spoken to Chase yet?” Tracy asked, waggling her eyebrows at me.
I frowned; she had always been the class gossip and apparently very little had changed. “Not yet,” I replied. “I did just get here.”
“Must be awkward for you, huh?” Tracy continued without any sensitivity.
“Not really,” I said with an unconcerned shrug.
The moment the crowd around us dispersed a little, Beth came to my side. “Are you okay?”
she whispered to me.
“I’m going to get a beer.”
I had just been handed my beer when I heard his voice say my name. I felt my heart skip a beat and I felt betrayed by my own body. I had no choice but to turn. His deep, brown eyes were boring into mine and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t look away.
“Lauren,” he said again. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chase
I don’t know what it was about my words, but they pissed her off. I mean they really pissed her off, and I could see the bolt of anger flash through her eyes as she stared up at me. I was trying not to be distracted by how amazing beautiful she looked.
Her hair fell in soft, dark waves around her shoulders, and her green eyes shone, taking on different hues under the pulsing light. Her dress was a new one; I had never seen it before. It was short and black, and it hugged her body in all the right places. She looked like a seductive mermaid or a dark-haired siren.
I looked at her pleadingly, earnestly hoping she could see how much I had missed her and how much I regretted leaving her behind. It was the first time I had seen her in four years, but I was hoping our connection had persevered through it all. I was hoping I could communicate everything I had felt in the last four years so that she would never have to doubt my love for her.
But looking at her face, I could see that it wasn’t going to be as easy as that. She was hurt, she was angry, and she looked as though she had a point to prove. She had come tonight because she wanted to show me she didn’t care. She wanted to show me she was not scared to see me or be near me. And she could do that only because she was over me.
But I had to say it. I had to tell her how much I missed her, because it was true, and because she needed to hear it.
“Did you now?” she asked hotly. There was no denying the hostility in her tone.
“Of course,” I said emphatically, glad that she was at least talking to me. “How could you doubt that?”
“I’ve had a lot to doubt over the last four years,” she said as she pushed past me in an attempt to get back to the group.
I blocked her path, desperate to keep her talking to me, desperate to make her see how urgently I needed her and how determined I was to win back her trust. “Lauren, please,” he said desperately. “It’s been so long; I just want to talk to you.”
“Oh yeah?” she replied. “Well, tough shit.”
She elbowed past me and this time, I didn’t stop her. Her words took me by surprise and had me re-thinking my bold strategy. This was much, much worse than I had anticipated. She had walked around me as though I had been some creep trying to get her number. She had looked at me like one, too.
“Man…that was rough.”
I turned and found Tyler standing next to me.
“You heard that?”
“The whole damn conversation,” he replied, not even pretending as though he hadn’t been eavesdropping. “If you could call that a conversation at all.”
“Fuck,” I said running a hand through my hair. “That didn’t go according to plan.”
“What did you expect?” Tyler asked. “She’d walk through that door, take one look at you, and run into your arms?”
I shot him a dirty look. “I was hoping for more than ‘tough shit,’” I admitted.
“She’s pissed.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” I replied with irritation. “Now tell me something I don’t know, like what do I do about it?”
“Well, what can you do?” he asked with a shrug. “She’s angry, and she has all the ammunition she needs to hurt you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look at her, man,” he said, gesturing over to where Lauren was standing with Beth. “She’s hot as fuck, and she’s standing over there flaunting it in your face. She’s trying to make you see what you left behind.”
“Well, it’s working.”
“Exactly,” Tyler nodded. “Which means the only thing you have in your corner is persistence.”
“Persistence?” I repeated.
“Yup,” he nodded. “You want Lauren? Then you’re going to have to fight like hell to win her over. You’ve got to prove to her that you’re not dicking around.”
“You’re right,” I nodded. “You’re absolutely right.”
I continued to watch Lauren as she parted with Beth to talk to Michelle and Bernie. She had always had an amazing body, but tonight it was seriously on point. Or maybe my perception was skewed because I hadn’t seen her in so long, but she looked better than she did when I had left four years ago. And it was making me ache.
“You need to find out if she’s seeing anyone,” I said, turning to Tyler with purpose.
“How am I supposed to do that?” he demanded.
“Just walk up to her and ask,” I said as though he were stupid.
“Don’t be an idiot,” he replied. “She’s going to see right through that. She knows you and I are tight, and she’s going to know that I’m only asking the question on your behalf.”
“Then find out some other way,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Okay, and what if it turns out she does have a boyfriend?” Tyler asked. “What then?”
I hesitated for a moment. “Well then, you’re going to have to find out his name and address so that I can track him down and murder him,” I said as calmly as I could manage.
He nodded seriously. “Oh that’s a great plan. Four years in the military and then twenty years in prison for manslaughter. That’ll go down well.”
“You are no help,” I huffed. “I’m going to go talk to Beth.”
I left Tyler standing there and moved towards Beth. Lauren had disappeared behind a sea of people, and I figured it was the perfect opportunity for me to get some information.
“Beth,” I nodded.
“If you’re here to talk to me about Lauren, then I’m not interested,” she said before I could say anything further.
“Can’t a guy come talk to his friend without being accused of this and that?”
Beth gave me a small smile, and I hoped that meant she might warm to me a little. “We can talk,” she said. “But keep in mind that I’m Lauren’s friend before I’m yours.”
I sighed. “Thanks for getting her here.”
“I didn’t do it for you,” she replied. “I did it for Lauren. She needs to have some fun.”
“Has she not been having fun lately?” I asked instantly.
Beth shot me a cold look. “Don’t worry about her. She’s doing just fine. Better than fine, actually.”
I didn’t know what that meant and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to in the first place. “Where is she living now?” I asked as innocently as I was able.
Beth sighed. “If you’re going to keep talking to me about Lauren, then I’m out.”
I gritted my teeth together. “You’re right,” I said looking towards Lauren. She was standing by the edge of the dance floor talking to Daniel. “I shouldn’t be talking to you about Lauren. I should be talking to Lauren.”
With that, I left Beth and walked right up to Lauren. She didn’t see me coming until I was at her shoulder. “Hi, guys,” I interrupted. “May I cut in?”
And before she had a chance to respond, I grabbed Lauren and pulled her out onto the dance floor. She struggled at first, but I kept a tight hold on her, pulling her body as close to mine as it would go. It felt amazing to hold her, even though she didn’t seem too thrilled about it.
“Is this how you hooked up with women over there?” she demanded. “Man-handled them into dancing with you?”
“I wasn’t interested in women over there,” I said immediately. “The only woman I’ve ever had eyes for is you.”
She lowered her eyes, and I noticed that she had stopped struggling against me. She was even dancing a little, and I took that as a positive sign. She didn’t resist when I pulled her a little closer.
“I’m sorry, Lauren,” I said taking adv
antage of the moment. “I’m so sorry for how things—”
“Don’t,” she said quickly, turning her eyes up towards me. “Don’t talk. Don’t say anything. I don’t want to hear it.”
“But you need to hear—”
“If you keep talking, I will walk out of here,” she interrupted again fiercely as her green eyes flashed threateningly. “I’m serious. I don’t want to talk. You want to dance, then we can dance. But I most definitely do not want to talk. I don’t want to hear your explanations or your excuses. I don’t even care to hear your apologies. My life is good now. I have a life now, I have a business, and I have Cole—”
“Cole?” I said, catching her abrupt end and the way her cheeks flashed scarlet as she said his name. My heart dropped, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question. “Is Cole your boyfriend?”
She looked at me, and I couldn’t read those perfect, green eyes. They were hooded and reclusive and filled with four years’ worth of secrets. “He is very much the man in my life,” she replied as she looked me straight in the eye.
Then, she dropped her hands and walked away from me, off the dance floor. I stared after her, feeling as though someone had just punched me in the gut. She had a boyfriend – this was my worst nightmare come true.
I stood there, surrounded by gyrating bodies and watched her as she approached the bar and sat down. She hadn’t waited for me like I had always suspected…and hoped. She had moved on with her life, she had met someone new, and she had built herself up out of our breakup.
As I stared at the back of her head, my will cemented itself into resolve and I realized that this boyfriend of hers didn’t matter, because in the end, Lauren would end up with me. I would make sure of that. I left the dance floor and headed for the bar towards her. This boyfriend of hers was only temporary, because this time, I wasn’t walking away that easy.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lauren
I wanted to kick myself. Of all the stupid things to say, I had gone and confirmed that Cole was my boyfriend. I didn’t even have a boyfriend, and Cole was my son. Cole was Chase’s son. But his name had slipped out of my mouth and Chase had asked the question and I had just…gone with it.